Niche Exit Planning Strategies

Selling a Dictating Machines and Supplies Business

A good business is about more than dollars and sense. To make your dictating machines and supplies business what it is today, you've had to fully invest yourself in its success. To see your ownership role through to completion, you will need to exhibit similar diligence in selling your company.

Despite your best intentions, great business sales don't happen overnight.

The economy hasn't squashed the market for dictating machines and supplies 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.

Average Preparation Time

There are no effective shortcuts for selling a dictating machines and supplies 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. You'll also need to create financial reports, operations manuals, and other documents to create the perception of a turnkey dictating machines and supplies business operation. Since all of this takes time and effort, a dictating machines and supplies business can rarely be ready for the marketplace in less than six months. However, to command the highest price, you'll probably need to spend one to two years preparing and positioning your business for buyers.

Post-Sale Details

As your dictating machines and supplies businesssale 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.

Sweetening the Deal

Like it or not, prospective buyers are going to ask you to make certain concessions in the sale of your dictating machines and supplies business. Although a lower asking price is the ultimate seller concession, a price reduction isn't the only way to attract serious buyers. In fact, many concessions have little or no financial impact, but go a long way toward making the deal more palatable to young entrepreneurs. A limited amount of training and mentoring may seem inconsequential to you, but to a young dictating machines and supplies business owner, they can be critical launching points for their ownership journey.

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