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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.

A question sellers ask: how do I sell my business without getting sued, isn't a subject just for discussions with lawyers. A seller can take some precautions to reduce potential legal problems. Peter Siegel, MBA Founder Of BizBen and BizBen.com's ProBuy and ProSell Programs discusses this topic.

Most everyone who's decided to buy a small business in California knows the importance of due diligence. That involves close examination of a business prior to removing contingencies. But not everyone knows how to uncover problems that are not obvious. Here are five of the most common hidden issues.

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any small business. "Cash is king." It's the constant flow of funds in and out of your business that ensures you can meet your financial obligations, pay employees, suppliers, and operating costs, and invest in growth.

Should business opportunity offering include the real estate? There are no right or wrong answers to the question about whether the seller of a business should include the real property, or sell the company only and continue on as the landlord/lady. Peter Siegel With BizBen.com explores this issue.

One of the most difficult challenges when purchasing a small business is expressed by this prospective buyer of a liquor store who is told by the seller that there is more money being made than shows up on the books. Should the buyer accept that statement by the seller & go ahead with the purchase?

What is your goal in 5 years? Do you want to become a business owner? Buying a business can be an exciting, safe opportunity to gain financial freedom. But how to buy the right business? This article will walk you through the process of buying a business.

In my opinion and experience, an LOI may very well be appropriate for lower middle market transactions of $5,000,000 or more; but, for deals less than that an Asset Purchase Agreement ("APA") with contingencies on the actions of the buyer (and seller) is much more efficient and effective.

Often business buyers actions cause a deal to tank but they never know why. Peter Siegel with the BizBen ProBuy Program discusses what mistakes business buyers make in the search process to buy a business with some of the best business brokers and recent sellers on BizBen about this topic.

Let's be honest, typically it takes a while (6 months to a year) to sell a business, from listing to close of escrow, and so it's common that many sellers are anxious as the close of escrow nears with a buyer. Joe Ranieri (Business Broker) examines common seller mistakes owners should stay clear of.

Some entrepreneurs 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 Peter Siegel, MBA On BizBen.

Have the results back from surveying business buyers, business owners/sellers, and business brokers and agents about what annoys them most about the other participants in a deal. Some information was inevitable some was surprising.

Buying a small to mid-sized business can be a confusing and/or frustrating process for many buyers. Statistics show that over 80% of all buyers never end up buying a business. The ProBuy Program assists potential buyers with the process of finding, evaluating & buying a small to mid-sized business.

Selling or buying a small to mid-sized business is serious business so BizBen took a recent survey about three groups important to the process of buying/selling a business: small business owners/sellers, business buyers, and business brokers & agents.

Valuing a small business is not guess work. It's not what some other businesses of the same type may have or may not have been sold for, it's not even what a business owner "feels" they want or deserve. It is a formula based on many factors. Peter Siegel, MBA from BizBen & others discuss this topic.

Just had a discussion with a owner/seller about non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality agreements when selling a business. Here was her question: "I am selling my business and I have heard I should have potential buyers sign a NDA. What items of information should I have on my NDA?"

Changing hands of business ownership can seem both exciting and daunting to all parties involved, but it's important that a smooth transition occurs to maintain or achieve success of the business. Here are some tips I recommend ensuring things go smoothly when buying a California small business.

We're hearing more and more about "crowd funding" through sites like gofundme and kickstarter as a possible way to raise the cash needed to buy a small business. This method of collecting funds has proven successful in other kinds of situations. Could this strategy work when buying a small business?

What percentage of businesses for sale that are advertised and/or sold are pocket listings? What is the best way to find out about pocket listings? Are they advertised? Are they a big part of the businesses sold marketplace? In this Discussion ProIntermediaries and ProAdvisors discuss this topic.

For those who don't know, a non-compete agreement is a contract between a buyer and seller of a business, which after the sale, prohibits the seller from engaging in direct competition with the business they previously sold. Joe Ranieri (Business Broker) adds this topic to a BizBen Discussion Post.

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.

As the year winds down, it's tempting for business brokers to go through their old files and throw them out to make room for new client's folders, but that would be foolish. Joe Ranieri (Orange County Business broker) discusses strategies for saving files - a key annual strategy for brokers/agents.

A couple newer brokers asked me today what thy thought the escrow process costs and if there is a large variation amongst escrow or closing companies when it comes to closing fees? Multiple ProIntermediaries and ProAdvisors discuss this topic on a BizBen Discussion.

Recently a business owner asked me on the phone, "Why do you keep the sale of a business confidential? How do you keep the sale confidential - any good tips?" Would like to hear from other Members - what would be your answer to this business owner? ProIntermediaries on BizBen discuss this topic.

When considering buying a business that is losing money one has to be very careful. There are reasons that the business could be losing money that aren't fatal or extremely difficult to fix and there are other reasons that should send you running in the other direction. Peter Siegel, MBA explains.

It can take months, sometimes longer to sell a small business. Here are 6 questions plus other information from myself plus other BizBen Users to ask yourself to help you determine why your small to mid-sized California business isn't selling. You might be surprised what those reasons are!

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.

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.