The past two years have seen record sales in small businesses, resulting in historically high levels of activity. In this competitive marketplace, what steps can you take so that your staffing agency stands out among the rest?
Every day we take calls from clients asking if now is really the right time to sell a business.
Sometimes these calls are from small business owners looking toward the future and daydreaming about the next stage of life. Others are simply ready to move on to a different business opportunity, but need to sell their current company first. Though all of our clients tend to express passion about their employees, their customers and the businesses they’ve built over the years, they feel a tug toward taking the next step of moving on to something new.
Most of the clients we speak with are unsure about the true value of the business. They are well aware of the amount of sweat equity they’ve developed in creating and building their companies over the years, but don’t know the correct asking price for listing.
At Alliant, you engage with our team to talk through your priorities. We want to know your reasons for selling the business and what your plans for the future will look like. Using this information, we guide you on how to prepare the business so it will be attractive to a buyer.
As the Mid-South’s largest intermediary firm, we’ve experienced first hand the record numbers of small business sales these past two years. Your business must stand out from the rest. That’s why we encourage business owners to ensure their business is ready for a smooth transition and successful transaction. Here’s how:
Clean Up Your Bookkeeping
Buyers expect proper paperwork that is complete and up to date. Accurate numbers are probably the biggest component of selling your agency. Without this, a buyer may offer far less than what your business is worth. Having your books in order is a strong indicator that the business is well-run and worth what you are asking. Gather up your bank records, profit and loss sheets and your personal tax return showing your reported income.
You’ll want to include a client list and copies of service agreements as well as information on lease agreements, supplies, and equipment. These are all essential pieces of paperwork for a potential buyer to review during due diligence.
You would never buy a home without an appraisal and a home inspection, right? Similarly, an interested buyer needs documentation that your business is in healthy financial condition.
Keep Focused On Your Business
Don’t let the decision to sell sidetrack you from the daily operations of your company. Now more than ever, you’ll want to have a clear organizational system in place with a strong team of dependable employees.
Reduce any potential uncertainty about your departure as potential buyers are also willing to pay more for a business that maintains an established revenue and has a sound exit strategy in place.
Find An Experienced Business Broker
Using a business broker to knows how to sell your business the right way, to the right buyer so that you can keep your focus on running the business. This allows employees and customers to feel stable and secure during the transition, which makes the business more valuable during negotiations.
At Alliant, we help you identify the priorities of your sale and guide the process of negotiations. Many sellers think their business is worth more than what they are offered, but few buyers will overpay for a business. We navigate these negotiations for you based on your goals and objectives. We also reach a larger pool of potential buyers through our proven, confidential marketing plan.
Selling your staffing agency is not necessarily a fast process, but we can ease the frustration many business owners feel when they attempt to do it themselves. A simple conversation may be all it takes to move toward capitalize on the business you’ve built.
If you’re considering selling your staffing agency in the near future, contact us today to talk to an expert and discover we can help keep the process streamlined and simple.