Exit Planning Advice By Market

Selling an Aircraft Manufacturer

Few entrepreneurs relish the idea of selling a business in a struggling economy. Yet aircraft manufacturers continue to be sold at a brisk pace, outperforming the sales of many other types of businesses.

Market timing is a perennial problem for business sellers.

Most aircraft manufacturers are good business opportunities, a fact that is not going unnoticed by today's discerning buyers.

Average Timeframes

From the day they decide to sell their company, the question that plagues many owners is how long it will take to sell their aircraft manufacturer. Although asking price and other factors contribute to sale time, it's difficult to predict how long your business will be on the market before you locate the right buyer. On average, it takes a minimum of six months to prepare an aircraft manufacturer for sale and many sellers spend a year or more positioning their business to command a higher price. Even though it's conceivable that an attractive opportunity could sell in weeks, an immediate flood of offers could indicate that the business is underpriced.

Post-Sale Details

As your aircraft manufacturersale nears completion, there is a lot of work remaining to be done. The transition to the new owner, the distribution of sale proceeds and other issues can weigh heavily on sellers. If there are pending details that still need to ironed out, address them ASAP to ensure a smooth closing and transition.

Leveraging Seller Concessions

Seller concessions are becoming more commonplace in business-for-sale transactions. By far, seller financing is the most sought-after concession, especially in the current economic environment. With entrepreneurs struggling to secure capital, you may be the buyer's only source of financing. If you are unwilling or unable to offer financing, be prepared to offer other types of concessions to close the deal.

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