Place A Business For Sale Posting 
Place A Business Wanted To Buy Posting
Share This Info:
Discussions > Thinking Of Selling My Business: What Factors Creates Value And Drive Price?
Thinking Of Selling My Business: What Factors Creates Value And Drive Price?
See All Discussions • See All Contributors • All New Discussions & Comments
Comments & Replies: 2 Views: 7965
Posted By: Peter Siegel MBA 
There are a lot of misconceptions about what enhances the value of a business. The following factors in this Discussion are aspects of a business that really drives its value and pricing. A business owner asked me this question today so I wanted to get others view points as well in this Discussion.
Topics: Business Valuation, Selling A Business Tags: business valuation, for sale by owner, selling a business
There are a lot of misconceptions about what enhances the value of a business. The following factors in this Discussion are aspects of a business that really drives its value and pricing. A business owner asked me this question today so I wanted to get others view points as well in this Discussion.
Topics: Business Valuation, Selling A Business Tags: business valuation, for sale by owner, selling a business
There are a lot of misconceptions about what enhances the value of a business. The following are aspects of a business that really drive its value.
Value Drivers Are:
1. History And Longevity
Being in business for a long time isn’t necessarily a guarantee of a successful business, but it’s a good indicator. Having a compelling history behind your business doesn’t hurt its value either.
2. Historical Profitability
This one is a no brainer. Being in business for a long time and being profitable is a great combination. Historical profitability gives the buyer confidence in future profitability.
3. Good Books And Records That Are Defendable
We just talked about historical profitability. In order to prove you have been profitable you need to keep good books and financial records that can be verified.
4. Reputation
A good reputation is worth its weight in gold. It's an element of the goodwill your business has developed over time and it adds value to it. A good reputation means people know your business and have a positive view of it. That means they are more likely to be repeat customers and recommend your business to friends and family. That could reduce the amount a new owner will need to spend on advertising and marketing and again gives them confidence they are buying a business that will give them a good return on their investment.
5. Location And Accessibility
Is your business ideally located and easily accessible? If not, it could be effecting your bottom line as potential customers decide to go elsewhere and that could affect your businesses value.
6. Staff Tenure
Having a staff both with experience and tenure that is willing to stay on after transition of ownership is priceless. This saves the new owner time and money finding and training new employees.
7. Market Desirability
Is your product or service desired by the public? The more it is the more value your business has.
8. Potential Future Earnings And Growth Opportunities
How much potential does your business have for future growth? The more potential the more value it has to potential buyers.
Value Drivers Are:
1. History And Longevity
Being in business for a long time isn’t necessarily a guarantee of a successful business, but it’s a good indicator. Having a compelling history behind your business doesn’t hurt its value either.
2. Historical Profitability
This one is a no brainer. Being in business for a long time and being profitable is a great combination. Historical profitability gives the buyer confidence in future profitability.
3. Good Books And Records That Are Defendable
We just talked about historical profitability. In order to prove you have been profitable you need to keep good books and financial records that can be verified.
4. Reputation
A good reputation is worth its weight in gold. It's an element of the goodwill your business has developed over time and it adds value to it. A good reputation means people know your business and have a positive view of it. That means they are more likely to be repeat customers and recommend your business to friends and family. That could reduce the amount a new owner will need to spend on advertising and marketing and again gives them confidence they are buying a business that will give them a good return on their investment.
5. Location And Accessibility
Is your business ideally located and easily accessible? If not, it could be effecting your bottom line as potential customers decide to go elsewhere and that could affect your businesses value.
6. Staff Tenure
Having a staff both with experience and tenure that is willing to stay on after transition of ownership is priceless. This saves the new owner time and money finding and training new employees.
7. Market Desirability
Is your product or service desired by the public? The more it is the more value your business has.
8. Potential Future Earnings And Growth Opportunities
How much potential does your business have for future growth? The more potential the more value it has to potential buyers.
In addition to Peter's excellent points, I've found that there is another value driver that most Sellers either overlook or purposely ignore, which is how easily the "things" that generate the business' value can be transferred to a new owner.
For example, I was working with a buyer on the acquisition of a business which had a number of long-term contracts where the business supplied finished goods to specific customers. On the surface it looked like a great deal, with long-term, stable income guaranteed by contracts with large companies.
But when we dug deeper into the fine print, most of those contracts had provisions that either required written approval of a transfer of the agreement or prevented them from being transferred entirely. While the Seller suggested that the Buyer could just continue to operate under the same trade name and not raise any red flags with the customers, the agreements made it clear that that any change of ownership would be considered a transfer of the contract that would require approval.
The deal ended up falling apart because we couldn't get comfortable that the contracts would be transferable and the Seller refused to allow us to make that a contingency to the close of the sale.
What could the Seller have done differently? First, they could have proactively talked with their customers about transferring the contracts properly and helped the Buyer get a comfort level that there wouldn't be any issues. Second, they could have agreed to make the deal contingent on the contracts being assignable to the buyer.
The bottom line is that even if a business checks off all of the other value points, if that value can't legally be transferred to a buyer (or if there's some risk involved in a transfer) then you're going to have trouble getting maximum value as a Seller. Taking the steps to address those issues ahead of time can help increase a business' value and make it less likely that a buyer will pull out after doing their legal due diligence.
For example, I was working with a buyer on the acquisition of a business which had a number of long-term contracts where the business supplied finished goods to specific customers. On the surface it looked like a great deal, with long-term, stable income guaranteed by contracts with large companies.
But when we dug deeper into the fine print, most of those contracts had provisions that either required written approval of a transfer of the agreement or prevented them from being transferred entirely. While the Seller suggested that the Buyer could just continue to operate under the same trade name and not raise any red flags with the customers, the agreements made it clear that that any change of ownership would be considered a transfer of the contract that would require approval.
The deal ended up falling apart because we couldn't get comfortable that the contracts would be transferable and the Seller refused to allow us to make that a contingency to the close of the sale.
What could the Seller have done differently? First, they could have proactively talked with their customers about transferring the contracts properly and helped the Buyer get a comfort level that there wouldn't be any issues. Second, they could have agreed to make the deal contingent on the contracts being assignable to the buyer.
The bottom line is that even if a business checks off all of the other value points, if that value can't legally be transferred to a buyer (or if there's some risk involved in a transfer) then you're going to have trouble getting maximum value as a Seller. Taking the steps to address those issues ahead of time can help increase a business' value and make it less likely that a buyer will pull out after doing their legal due diligence.
| Helpful Resources To Assist In Selling And Buying California Businesses |
 |
Mark Chatow, Esq.: Legal Services For Buying, Selling Businesses Mark has a broad range of small business purchase & sale experience from analyzing potential acquisition targets to successfully guiding buyers and sellers through the purchase & sale of small businesses. Mark can assist with contracts, negotiations, legal matters, etc. Reach Mark at 949-478-8393. |
 |
Ranvir S. Sandhu, Esq. - Legal Services For Buyers And Sellers I've worked at top Bay Area law firms and have extensive experience with business entity formation, mergers, dissolutions, conversions, employment matters, including experience in reviewing and negotiating transactional documents such as leases and purchase agreements. |
 |
Brad Steinberg, Broker - Laundromat Specialists PWS is the leading laundromat broker in California. Since 1968 PWS has brokered over 2,500 laundromat sales. With over 90 employees dedicated to the coin laundry industry, PWS has 18 licensed agents, a 3 person in-house finance department, 10 service technicians and a 20 person parts department. |
 |
Elizabeth McGovern: Escrow Services - SF Bay Area 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. |
 |
Joe Sandbank, Esq. - Legal Services I have provided legal counsel to business buyers, sellers and brokers for over 17 years. With prior experience as a business broker and SBA loan officer, Joe brings both a practical and legal approach to all aspects of the business acquisition process. |
 |
Helen Yoo: Escrow & Bulk Sale Services - Southern California New Century Escrow, Inc. is a fully licensed & bonded independent escrow company. Over 20 years combined experience in handling bulk escrow transactions. Multi-lingual staff that speaks your language, including Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese. Call Helen Yoo direct at 626-890-1151. |
 |
Janet Carrera - Escrow & Bulk Sale Services - SF Bay Area Redwood Escrow Services, Inc. is a full service, licensed independent escrow company. We are EAFC Fidelity bonded, fully insured & licensed with the Department of Corporations. Committed to offering our clients the most comprehensive variety of escrow services available. Phone Janet at 510-247-0741. |
 |
Diane Boudreau-Tschetter: Escrow And Bulk Sale Services California Business Escrow, Inc. is a full service independent escrow company serving all of California and has expertise in a wide range of escrows. Our team prides itself on providing an exceptional escrow experience. For more info phone Diane Boudreau-Tschetter at 888-383-3331 or 209-838-1100. |
| Related Articles, Events, Blog Posts, Discussions, Videos, Interviews |
 |
5 Myths About Selling A California Business: Best Tips For Sellers & Brokers
Peter Siegel, MBA (at 866-270-6278) - BizBen Director discusses myths associated with the process of selling a business and some of them can actually cause deals to fall through. Don't let your sale be comprised, be aware of these common misconceptions related to the process of selling a business. |
 |
Financing Advice: Showing Add Backs To Get Business Acquisition Financing
When seeking business acquisition financing, it helps to review a seller's addbacks as a source of funding to service the debt service. But explain them correctly. Peter Siegel, MBA business acquisition financing expert and advisor at 866-270-6278 covers this topic on financing a business purchase. |
 |
The Bottomline: What Exactly Is Adjusted Net Income, SDC, And Cash Flow?
The use of add backs & adjusted net income is common among sellers of businesses when showing their financial information/performance. But buyers are cautioned to review financials and tax returns / documents closely. Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen (ProBuy & ProSell, Financing Expert) explains. |
 |
Is There Such A Thing As Paying Too Little When Buying A Small Business?
We all understand the idea of paying too much for a small business. But is there such a thing as not paying enough? That seems like an odd notion, but I'm familiar with situations in which a buyer acquired a small business for a figure substantially under what probably was market value. |
 |
Why Isn't My Business Selling? 6 Great Questions To Ask Yourself For Answers
It can take months, sometimes longer to sell a small business. Here are 6 questions from Peter Siegel, MBA (Business Purchase Financing Expert, ProSell Program Advisor with BizBen) at 866-270-6278 to ask yourself to help you determine why your small to mid-sized California business isn't selling. |
 |
How Many Listings Is Too Many For One Broker To Handle? Is It 5? 10? 20?
Peter Siegel, MBA in this Vlog/Podcast discusses how many listings is too many for one business broker to handle at one time. Is it 5 is it 20? I recently had a coaching call with one of my BizBen broker clients who asked that question this week. There are many factors that go into the answer. |
 |
Buy A Business Or Start From Scratch? 5 Key Differences For Business Buyers
Some buyers believe it's better to start a business from scratch rather than buy an existing enterprise. While this may be good advice in some cases, usually it's not the best strategy. Here are five tips to help a buyer make the right decision from from Peter Siegel, MBA (BizBen Director). |
 |
Financing A Business Purchase With Limited Or No Real Estate Collateral
In my experience working with the "right banks and financial institutions" repayment ability sometimes overrules collateral pledged by someone needing financing for a business purchase or a down payment. Peter Siegel, MBA (Business Purchase Financing Expert) at 866-270-6278 shares his experience. |
| See All News, Tips And Events |
Topics:
Business BrokerageBusiness OpportunitiesBusiness FinancingBusiness ValuationBuying A BusinessDeal StructuresDue DiligenceEscrow Closing IssuesFranchisingLegal IssuesLegislative IssuesMergers AcquisitionsNon DisclosureSelling A BusinessRecent Discussions:
Recent Contributors:
Popular Discussions:
Popular Contributors:
Tags:
Absentee RunAdjusted Net IncomeAdvertisingBroker CooperationBusiness BrokersBusiness ValuationBuyer RepresentationBuying A BusinessDeal StructuresDue DiligenceEscrow Bulk SalesEventsFinancingFor Sale By OwnerFranchisingHome BasedInventoryLandlordsLegal IssuesLegislationLiquor LicenseNon DisclosuresNon SBA LoansOpen ListingsPocket ListingsSBA LoansSeller NotesSelling A Business
500 New & Refreshed Detailed Postings Daily
