Sell a Business
Selling a business requires walking a fine line between maintaining customer confidence and marketing the sale.
Instructions
1. Call a commercial real estate broker who specializes in business opportunities. Look in the yellow pages under "Real Estate - Commercial." The broker can give you an estimate of what the business is worth, evaluate the equipment and give you a list of similar businesses that have sold and their sales figures.
2. Read business newsletters and magazines to see what similar businesses are for sale.
3. Determine how your clientele will be affected by the sale. Will you lose a portion of your customer base if customers know you are selling? If so, you may not want the sale to be public knowledge.
4. Hire an appraiser to conduct a business opportunity appraisal (if you plan to sell the property without a real estate broker). Appraisals can be very expensive, so compare costs. You can find appraisers in the yellow pages.
5. Plan a marketing strategy, whether you are selling the business by yourself or with the help of a broker. Determine which marketing tools will get your business the most exposure.
6. Find a local business organization or networking referral service that can help promote the sale.
7. Advertise in local newspapers and regional and national business magazines and newspapers.
8. Join business trade organizations. Members often receive free advertising services, and the organizations offer a built-in network of potential buyers.
