It definitely helps to sell your business if you carry a note for the buyer. In articles below I've previously discussed how to secure your business note.
What about selling your note after the close of escrow? Do you want to effectively "cash out" of the sale? There are Companies and Investors who specialize in purchasing Business Notes (of course at a discount). You can sell all or part of your note. Most of the Companies/Investors will offer to buy year to year of the note. In other words buy the first two or three years of payments. After collecting for the agreed upon amount of time, the note and its payments would revert back to the seller of the business. Of course the seller can sell the entire note too (and most end up doing that).
The note buyers will purchase the note at a discounted amount of the face value. Discounts vary according to several factors. Interest rate, length of note amortization, buyer's down payment, buyer's strength both financially and experience wise, type of business, note position (1st, 2nd) and note seasoning. Below are a few of the most important guide lines.
Down Payment: The higher the down payment on the business sale the lower the discount of your note will be. Down payments should be at least 30% of the purchase price. Bringing the down payment up to 40-50% of the purchase price will greatly help reduce your note discount.
Note Positioning: The note should be in the 1st position as a lien on the business. 2nd's are harder to sell and if you do find a buyer for a 2nd it will get heavily discounted.
Rate and Term: Interest rate should be 7% or higher and the term shouldn't be beyond 60 months in order to maximize your buy out.
Seasoning: Note buyers like to see that the business buyer has made a few payments before they buy the note. I used to sell these straight out of escrow, but today note buyers like the note "seasoned" for a minimum of 2 months. The longer the seasoning, the less your note will get discounted.
Discounting: Discounts usually range from 10% to 30% of the face value of the note. All of the factors discussed above will come into play in determining the discount rate.
Contributor:
If your business involves alcoholic beverage sales, we can help. Obtaining a liquor license transfer or selling a business with a license in California does not have to be a frustrating and overwhelming process. We have procured thousands of licenses for our clients.
ServingAll Of California
Laundry consulting, due diligence, buyer representation: We preview laundries for you and evaluate them. 28 years laundry industry experience: buying, selling, valuing, retooling, analyzing, consulting services for laundry buyers and entrepreneurs in California. Contact us today about our services.
ServingSouthern California
McGovern Escrow Services, Inc., is a leading independent escrow company. We are a trusted partner with our clients, assisting them through the tangled bulk sale & liquor license transfer process. We provide attentive, quality & innovative customer service. Phone Elizabeth McGovern at 415-735-3645.
ServingSan Francisco Bay Area, North Bay, Central Valley
Laundry consulting, due diligence, buyer representation: We preview laundries for you and evaluate them. 28 years laundry industry experience: buying, selling, valuing, retooling, analyzing, consulting services for laundry buyers and entrepreneurs in California. Contact us today about our services.
ServingSouthern California
The Veld Group provides a refreshing approach to Business Brokerage, Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Consulting and Valuations. From Your Street to Wall Street, we cater to Main Street Businesses as well as more complex Strategic Firms and Start-Ups.
ServingSouthern California
Cheryl's a restaurant business broker, over 25 years in the bar and restaurant industry coupled with a J.D. Cheryl works tirelessly to create successful strategies and effective negotiations for those who wish to purchase a new or sell an existing bar, restaurant, cafe, or night club. 415-309-2722
ServingCity Of San Francisco
Laundromats and coin operated Laundromats are popular choices among business buyers as they often can be successfully run as an absentee run business. You need to be strategic about when you sell your Laundromat so you don't get taken to the cleaners by a buyer and so that you maximize your profits.
Buying a professional service business, like a dental practice, is one of the most profitable ventures you can enter into if you are considering becoming a small business owner. In this blog, Peter Siegel, MBA discusses six things you need to know about buying a successful dental practice or office.
Chuck Post a laundry consultant, specialty broker, buyer representative & due diligence advisor starts this discussion on why it's important to have an exit strategy in mind while buying a laundromat! He & others explain why this concept is so important for buyers especially in the laundry business.
Buying a liquor store can present some major challenges to business buyers - a recent client on the BizBen ProBuy Program relates to Peter Siegel, MBA what the major challenges may be when searching for and buying a Californa liquor store business. I welcome other Advisors to weigh in on this topic.
Sometimes business brokers just can't win with their clients, because if an offer comes in too fast & too early then they must have lowballed the price & the seller is suspicious, and if not enough offers come in after putting the business on the market - they may look unproductive to their clients.