How to Sell a Niche Market Business
Selling an Electric Wire and Cable Business
Is the economy still a little shaky for a business sale? Sure it is. Yet electric wire and cable businesses haven't been deterred. In fact, we think this economy is a ripe environment for a electric wire and cable business sale.
If you listen to many entrepreneurs, there never seems to be a good time to put a small business on the market.
Too often electric wire and cable business owners fail to receive fair market value for their businesses. Smart sellers know the value of their companies are prepared to identify buyers who are willing to pay top dollar.
Handling Unexpected Outcomes
When you made the decision to sell your electric wire and cable business, you had a specific set of outcomes in mind. However, no one told the marketplace about your expectations. The outcome of your sale will be determined by market forces - not by your personal circumstances or desires. Sometimes, sellers need to readjust their expectations to accommodate market realties. If buyers don't seem to be willing to meet your expectations, consult with your broker to modify your strategy and market approach.
Pre-Sale Checklist
There is a lot of work that needs to be done before you're ready to sell your electric wire and cable business. Perhaps the most important pre-sale consideration is to right-size your expectations to the realities of the market. Once your expectations are in the ballpark, you can move on to making your business presentable to prospective buyers.
Identifying Serious Buyers
If you haven't sold a business before, prepare to be overwhelmed by tire kickers -- seemingly interested buyers who lack the capacity, ability or desire to actually purchase your electric wire and cable business. As a seller, it's important to separate the tire kickers from the serious buyers as soon as possible. Each tire kicker is an investment of time and energy that could be poured into finding a more qualified prospect. Good business brokers are adept at separating serious buyers from the rest of the pack. As a rule, they limit the amount of information that is provided in the initial stages of an engagement, waiting to reveal the juiciest details of the business until the prospect has been thoroughly vetted. Smart sellers may require prospects to provide background and financial information fairly early in the process as a way of verifying the financial capacity to close the deal.
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