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Selling a Commodity Futures Brokers Business

There's a right way and a wrong way to sell a commodity futures brokers business these days. We'll tell you how to keep your sale and your future plans on track.

In a down economy, many commodity futures brokers business sellers wait to list their businesses until they see signs that the economy has rebounded, making it difficult to accurately evaluate the number of commodity futures brokers businesses that are actually for sale.

The economy hasn't squashed the market for commodity futures brokers businesses. Like always, unprofitable and poorly positioned businesses struggle to find buyers while sellers who have invested time and effort to prepare their sale are being rewarded in the marketplace.

Tips for Working with A Business Broker

Brokerage is a mainstay of the business-for-sale marketplace. Brokerage is particularly common in the commodity futures brokers business-for-sale market, where aggressive selling strategies are the norm. Brokerage doesn't replace the seller's requirement to be involved in the sale; it augments the seller's efforts and creates a more seamless sale process. To maximize your broker's potential, conduct periodic consultations throughout the process and deliver requested information as quickly as possible.

Turning the Tables: Buyer Concessions

Most commodity futures brokers business sellers realize they will need to offer concessions to sell their businesses. But for every concession you grant, there may be an opportunity to obtain a concession from the buyer. 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. Asset exclusions, retained ownership shares and long-term contracts with another of the seller's companies can also be leveraged to extract concessions from buyers.

Realistic Expectations

Objectivity is a rare commodity in a business sale. Your estimate of your company's worth is probably skewed by your emotions and your close, personal connection to the business. It is difficult for many owners to accept the cold, hard facts about their company's worth, but objectivity is the name of the game in a successful commodity futures brokers business sale. Many sellers create a negotiation team to minimize the effect of their personal emotions on negotiations. More importantly, this team can perform a reality check on your expectations for the sale.

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