Sell a Company Niche Market Guides
Selling a Lutheran Churches Business
Many business leaders say that now isn't the time to try to sell a Lutheran church. At Gaebler, we think it's a great time to sell a Lutheran church. Here's why . . ..
Selling a Lutheran church isn't as simple as listing a power tool on eBay. These days, the business-for-sale market is a hostile place for inexperienced and uninformed sellers.
God willing, you'll soon be on your way to having your own Lutheran congregation.
Undaunted by economic conditions, many Lutheran church sellers are achieving their sale goals through deliberate sale strategies.
Buyer Identification
It's difficult to predict where the buyer of your Lutheran church will come from. So you'll need to take a diverse approach to identifying prospective buyers. Although it's helpful to target promotional tactics to likely buyers, allow for some exposure to the broader market. Sellers should also recognize the value of promoting their sale in trusted business networks, carefully balancing the need for confidentiality with the promotional potential of their contact base.
Hiring an Attorney
It pays to invest in first-rate legal counsel when you sell a Lutheran church. Competent legal counsel ensures that the sale documents are in proper order. Furthermore, a good lawyers provides the counsel necessary to navigate the tax and liability issues that surround a business sale. We recommend hiring an attorney early in the process to gain insights about the legal consequences of various sale outcomes.
Average Preparation Time
There are no effective shortcuts for selling a Lutheran church. 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 Lutheran church 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.
Share this article
Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs