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There are a handful of key asset categories in allocating or breaking down the purchase price allocation of a business sale. The allocation is required to complete the transaction. Lee Petsas, a Southern California business broker reviews this topic in detail for buyers and sellers of businesses.

Even without meaning to be dishonest, sellers or brokers talking to someone who wants to buy a small business often make statements that are not true. And sometimes what is said is known to be a lie. The buyer is smart to carefully evaluate what they hear - six untrue statements sometimes told.

A business plan is a living document that should serve several purposes for your business. When you are buying a small business, a business plan will assist you in obtaining business purchase financing by showing lenders and investors how you plan to repay their loan by running a profitable company.

Lee Petsas, a Southern California business broker addresses how he handles potential business buyers when they request information on a business for sale listing. He gives his strategies and tips for handling and directing business buyer inquiries.

Any deal when selling a business tends to have a life of its own. Joe Ranieri discusses a restaurant deal in Orange County that has had many twists and turns. This article shows what types of issues can and do come up when selling a business or in this case a restaurant.

In The New Economy that we are buying and selling and businesses in, finding funding can be the most challenging part of a sale. Many buyers will have limited funding and need to finance a good portion of the sale but what happens when a buyer has NO money? Peter Siegel with BizBen explains how.

A problem owners encounter when offering a California business for sale is that not all so-called buyers are qualified to make the purchase. It's frustrating and costly to waste time showing non-qualified buyers the business. Here are ways to identify time wasters so the focus is on real buyers.

Owners often ask agents to sell business offerings for them. It's usually more difficult than selling houses when working to find a buyer for a business, to satisfy contingencies and close escrow. Business sales intermediaries either agents or brokers may want large fees, but often are worth it.

Nothing can be more exciting, and a little daunting for a new owner than finally being handed over the keys to their newly owned restaurant. Many buyers, especially those who have never been business owners before are much too eager to make the restaurant "their own". Overspending can take place.

Many California small business investors want to buy a restaurant. People always need to eat; there should be plenty of business. And some buyers think there is prestige to owning a popular eating establishment. But it isn't an easy purchase. Here's what not to do when planning to buy a restaurant.

When selling a California business, owners should use our salability checklist to determine whether the effort will be successful. Ten factors must be considered to properly prepare a business for sale. Three of the factors account for more than 50% probability of achieving success in selling!

Start-up costs are typically so high to build a restaurant from scratch that many current owners prefer to look for an existing restaurant that isn't doing so well and customize it as their own - second location. Joe Ranieri gives tips to restaurant owners buying a second location to expand.

This question is bound to come up from a seller to a business broker at one point in their relationship. The truth may discourage a seller who desperately needs to sell, because in all honestly, many times in can take months. All restaurants are different - Joe Ranieri, Business Broker explains.

Knowing how to advertise a business for sale without revealing too much is an important skill for anyone who wants to find a buyer for a small or mid-sized California business at a good price. One caution about giving too much detail is that it might identify the company and ruin confidentiality.

Joe Ranieri, (Orange County Business Broker) discusses how to convert restaurants: buy an existing inexpensive restaurant and then converting it to another concept. He discusses finding the right location, working with the landlord, notifying existing clients, and observing restaurant trends.

What are some reasons a business that was previously on the market with another broker didn't sell? Every broker or agent understands that not every business they list will result in a sale. There can be many reasons small businesses don't sell and many are discussed on this BizBen Discussion post.

Buying a small to mid-sized restaurant can have many pitfalls, and potential restaurant buyers should know how to avoid getting burned! Several restaurant advisors weigh in with (Peter Siegel, MBA at BizBen) and discuss tips for buying a restaurant in California.

Was chatting with a potential buyer of a restaurant in our BizBen ProBuy Program and he asked me what he should look for in due diligence when he finally did find a restaurant he was interested in. Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen and others on BizBen explore this topic.

Many factors determine whether inventory is included in the asking price. Among them are: the standard for that particular industry or type of business, the quality and age of the inventory, whether the inventory levels are cyclical, whether the inventory is the normal amount, etc. BizBen Discussion

A seller just posed this question to me in a BizBen ProSell session. Any feedback for this business owner, potential seller? I would like to hear some feedback from my fellow BBNers on this topic. Make sure you're comfortable with the person with whom you are dealing.

Being prepared when potential buyers contact you about your business for sale is a good idea. Too many sellers (and brokers) are unprepared & miss good opportunities or get involved with unqualified buyers. This Discussion post and answers from ProIntermediaries on BizBen assist with this issue.

Who really represents the buyer? The selling broker or agent through dual agency? Many brokers and agents weigh in on this Discussion on BizBen. Bottomline is all business buyers need to know who really represents them and has their best interest at heart when seeking and negotiating on deals.

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.

Was discussing this question/topic with a potential restaurant buyer the other day about the differences between a Letter Of Intent and a Business Purchase Agreement. I sell restaurants and buyers typically get ask about which document they should submit when making an offer on a business.

What are some ways a broker can prevent a buyer and seller from doing a deal behind their back and what to do about it if it happens? Joe Ranieri (Orange County Business Broker) discusses ways a business broker or agent can protect themselves from buyers and sellers trying to circumvent them.

Many business buyers complain to me about business intermediaries not getting any financial information about the business they may be interested in purchasing. There are multiple reasons for this but I agree that financial information should be readily be available to interested buyers upfront.

A buyer who I have been consulting with on the BizBen ProBuy Program is looking to buy a liquor store (and possible other "cash" oriented businesses). They asked me how they should verify cash being generated by the business and how to go about conducting due diligence etc.

Should I Sell My Business During The Holidays Or Wait Till After The New Year? Business Broker Joe Ranieri and others chime in on this BizBen Discussion about selling a business during the Holiday Season.