Exit Planning Advice By Market

Selling an Agricultural Marketing Business

Selling an agricultural marketing business doesn't happen overnight. It takes a deliberate process to get top dollar for your company.

The agricultural marketing business-for-sale marketplace is a nuanced environment, full of pitfalls for sellers who aren't prepared for its demands.

If you're ready to move on, now is the right time to sell your agricultural marketing business.

Advantages of Hiring a Broker

A good broker can offer several benefits to business sellers. First, business brokers are in tune with the realities of the market and are skilled at helping owners make their businesses attractive to premium buyers. More importantly, brokers have the ability to identify serious buyers and maintain confidentiality throughout the sale process. Typical brokerage rates (a.k.a. success fees) run 10% of the final price - an expense that is usually recouped through a higher sales price and less time on the market.

The Case for Confidentiality

Highly publicized agricultural marketing business sales are risky agricultural marketing businesssales. A low-key selling strategy is a low risk activity because you can control who does (and doesn't) know that your business is on the market. When and if your sale becomes public knowledge, competitors can use that information to weaken your position in the marketplace. Although it can be difficult, it's important to strike a balance between confidentiality and sale promotion. We recommend consulting a business broker to learn how you can simultaneously identify prospective buyers and maintain a confidential sale environment.

Pre-Sale Checklist

There is a lot of work that needs to be done before you're ready to sell your agricultural marketing business. Perhaps the most important pre-sale consideration is to right-size your expectations to the realities of the market. Once your expectations are in the ballpark, you can move on to making your business presentable to prospective buyers.

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