Selling a Business Advice

Selling an Italian Restaurant

The sale of your Italian restaurant is the culmination of this stage of your entrepreneurial journey. Although most business owners expect a storybook ending, it will take the careful application of sound selling principles to bring your sale to a successful conclusion.

With planning and patience, most Italian restaurants can be sold for a fair price in the current business-for-sale marketplace.

Italian Restaurant

There are still plenty of Italian restaurant buyers looking for opportunities that present well in the marketplace.

Buyer Concessions

Sellers aren't the only ones who can make concessions in a business sale. In many instances, sellers can request buyer concessions. Although this scenario frequently plays out around seller financed deals, it's possible to push for a higher sales price or other form of compensation if you agree to mentor the buyer for a specified period of time. Like seller concessions, buyer concessions should be addressed during negotiations, before the preparation of a Letter of Intent.

Handling Unexpected Outcomes

If you're smart, you entered your Italian restaurant with a set of assumptions about what it would achieve. However, no one told the marketplace about your expectations. The outcome of your sale will be determined by market forces - not by your personal circumstances or desires. Surprises are inevitable, so to minimize the disappointment you will need to prioritize the outcomes you require from the sale. If price is the most important outcome, you may need to agree to seller financing or other concessions. If a fast sale is the highest priority, you may need to lower the asking price to quickly capture the attention of the marketplace.

Laying the Groundwork

Effective Italian restaurant preparation focuses on communicating value to prospective buyers. Professional business brokers understand buyers and know how to properly communicate an Italian restaurant to the marketplace. Specifically, brokers can advise you about the preparation of financial statements and other documents buyers expect to see in a premium Italian restaurant opportunity.

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary