Business Exit Planning

Selling a Mailing Equipment and Supplies Business

You've invested time, effort, and creativity into building your mailing equipment and supplies business. But the hard work isn't done yet. Before you can make a graceful exit, you will have to invest yourself in your business sale.

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 mailing equipment and supplies business, capital restrictions are holding them back.

Although we understand why sellers are hesitant, we're also seeing enough business sales to know that if you want to sell a mailing equipment and supplies business, you can - even in today's economy. We'll tell you what you need to know to achieve a successful sale outcome

Maintaining Objectivity

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. Although it may be a hard pill to swallow, you need to find a way to introduce objectivity into your 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.

Hiring an Attorney

It's obvious that you're going to need to hire an attorney to finalize the sale of your mailing equipment and supplies business. 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. It's helpful to introduce your attorney to your broker to facilitate a smooth sale and a productive working relationship.

When to End Negotiations

If the devil is in the details, the negotiation stage of a mailing equipment and supplies business sale is the devil's playground. Yet eventually many negotiations reach a stage where further discussion is pointless. A lull in negotiations may be part of the buyer's strategy. Then again, it may be a sign that the search for common ground is a lost cause. Since it can be difficult to tell whether the buyer is serious or playing games, it's important to know the lower boundaries of your negotiation strategy and be willing to walk away from the negotiation table, if necessary.

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