Sell a Company Niche Market Guides

Selling a Lighting Retail Business

When it's time to sell your lighting retail business, your future plans depend on your ability to get the highest possible sales price. Here's how to do it . . .

The business-for-sale market is just as frustrating for buyers as it is for sellers these days. Although there are plenty of entrepreneurs who want to buy a lighting retail business, capital restrictions are holding them back.

Yet what many sellers don't appreciate is that a down economy can present the perfect opportunity to sell a lighting retail business.

Working with a Professional Accountant

Professional accountants lend credibility to the financial preparation of a lighting retail business sale. Before your lighting retail business goes on the market, you should sit down with your accountant to clarify your financial goals and the tax consequences of a sale. You may also want your accountant to assist in the preparation of professional financials to present to serious buyers. With seller financing becoming common, professional accountants are playing a more central role in negotiations and buyer qualification.

Average Timeframes

Hoping for a quick lighting retail business sale? You may be disappointed. Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules about the length of time your business will be on the market. Pricing plays a role in sale length, but there are no guarantees that a fairly priced business will sell quickly. On average, it takes a minimum of six months to prepare a lighting retail business for sale and many sellers spend a year or more positioning their business to command a higher price. Once your business is ready for the marketplace, it could take an additional six months to a year to locate the right buyer.

Selling a Lighting Retail Business to an Employee

Employee sales have pros and cons. A faithful employee may have the motivation and ability to continue to operate the business. If you need to sell quickly, the timeframe is condensed in an employee sale because you don't need to track down a buyer. But in many cases, employees expect to get a deal from their employer based on their years of service to the company. Seller financing is one way to get around the capital deficit of an employee-based lighting retail business sale, as long as you are willing to vet the employee's credit worthiness the same as any other buyer.

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