Business Exits By Industry

Selling a Cedar and Cedar Products Business

Most businesses are susceptible to economic conditions and cedar and cedar products businesses are no exception. But in some cases, a down economy can actually improve saleability. To increase your company's sale price, you'll need to perform adequate preparations, positioning it to the catch the eye of profit-minded buyers.

It's a fact: Successful business sales take time.

For sellers who are willing to perform adequate sale preparation, the numbers make cedar and cedar products businesses a solid investment for qualified buyers in the business-for-sale marketplace.

Pre-Sale Checklist

There is a lot of work that needs to be done before you're ready to sell your cedar and cedar products business. The first item on your checklist should be a reality check -- if you plan to sell your business for top dollar in just a few short months, you need to adjust your expectations%However, your first priority should be to set realistic expectations for the selling process and its eventual outcome. Once your expectations are in the ballpark, you can move on to making your business presentable to prospective buyers.

Leveraging Industry Connections

Today's cedar and cedar products business buyers can be found in a variety of locations. Online business-for-sale databases like BizBuySell.com offer convenient resources for sellers interested in promoting their business to a broad prospect base. For more targeted lead generation, consider tapping into your network of industry contacts. When leveraging industry relationships for sales prospects, you'll need to be cognizant of the potential for competitors to use knowledge of your sale against you in the marketplace. Even though you can expand your prospect base by shouting it from the rooftops, it's probably wise to limit the release of information to the people you trust in the industry.

Buyer Concessions

In a tight economy, seller concessions are the name of the game. But that doesn't mean you can't push for buyer concessions to achieve a more favorable outcome in the sale of your cedar and cedar products business. Often, buyer concessions represent financial incentives that the seller receives in exchange for providing a non-cash benefit (e.g. training, financing, etc.. You can also choose to exclude certain items like equipment or inventory from the deal if the buyer isn't willing to meet your price expectations. By selling excluded assets on the secondary market, you can compensate for an anemic sale price.

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary