Profitable Niche Market Exit Plans

Selling an Oil and Gas Producers Business

It's a misconception that no one is buying oil and gas producers businesses these days. Savvy entrepreneurs see oil and gas producers business opportunities as a path to short-term profits and long-term growth. Although final sales prices vary, the best sales combine strategy and hard work to achieve desired outcomes.

Personal and professional concerns surround the sale of an oil and gas producers business. In our experience, a common owner concern is how the sale will affect customers and employees.

Fortunately for sellers, forward-thinking entrepreneurs continue to be attracted to oil and gas producers businesses that exhibit strong financials and potential for future growth.

Average Preparation Time

It's critical to properly plan for the sale ofan oil and gas producers business. Since buyers prefer to see evidence of future cash flow, you'll want to to strategically lock in cash flows and increase profits before you list the business. Next, the business will need to be documented in professional financial statements and manuals that facilitate the ownership transition. Since all of this takes time and effort, a oil and gas producers business can rarely be ready for the marketplace in less than six months. A more likely scenario is that it will take more than a year to create the conditions necessary to receive the maximum sale price.

Sale Documents

A basic understanding of legal requirements is foundational for a successful business sale. Despite the confusion that exists among many sellers, the essentials of the sale are described in the Letter of Intent, a seminal document that is created prior to due diligence . If you are seeking buyer concessions, the time to address them is before the Letter of Intent is drafted. So after consulting with your broker and attorney, make sure you're comfortable with the terms of the Letter of Intent. If not, everything you do to close the sale of your oil and gas producers business may be a waste of time.

Team-Based Negotiation Strategies

Business sellers are sometimes surprised to find themselves in the position of negotiator-in-chief. When you sell your oil and gas producers business, your business brokers may or may not be willing to conduct negotiations for you. But although you will responsible for negotiating terms with buyers, you should never approach negotiations without support. A negotiation team comprised of trusted advisors and senior business leaders is essential in helping you devise a winning negotiation strategy. More importantly, a negotiation team can serve as a sounding board -- an objective presence that prohibits your personal emotions from clouding your judgment or sabotaging your efforts to negotiate a successful deal.

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