Thinking of selling your small business? Are you one of those fearless entrepreneurs who think they can market, negotiate and close a deal by themselves or are you going to take the more logical route of working with a business broker? If sanity prevails and you are going to work with a pro, here are a few things to look for to find the best business broker.
1. Get recent references
Ignore all the hype a brokerage firm places in their literature and ask for recent references and then follow up and actually check them out. If you're dealing with a larger business brokerage, get references from the broker you will be working with. Big offices will always have rookies and you want to insure that the broker you get knows his or her stuff.
2. Work with certified brokers
Many states require that business brokers hold a real estate license but just having that license does not mean that the broker necessarily knows anything about buying or selling a business. In fact a number of realtors turn "business brokers" when the real estate market gets slow. What you should be looking for is certification from the International Business Brokers Association who grants a certificate as Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) after completion of an extensive educational course.
3. Don't be fooled
If the reason that you are considering selling is because you received a letter or email from a broker with the message "We have a buyer for you" then think again. This is one of the most common marketing ploys used in this business. Without question these brokers probably have people interested in buying a business but not necessarily yours.
4. Don't rush to a decision
Selling your business is a big deal and one you want to be sure you do right. In your conversation with brokers ask them if now is a good time to sell. Ask for an opinion of value. Coming up with this could take a bit of time and if the broker is reputable, he or she may advise you not to put the business on the market but rather make suggestions on what to do to improve the value. A broker who makes this suggestion is looking to make both of you a bigger buck by making the business more attractive.
5. Pick a brokerage with experience in your industry
Look at current listings that the broker has. Check out both the size and types of industries to insure that he or she has experience in your market place. Again, don't rely on marketing material find out the facts yourself.
6. How does the broker market
Ask what the broker's marketing plans are and ask to see samples. If he simply puts an ad in the paper or posts it to a single website you probably aren't getting the exposure you deserve. Good brokers have networks they can tap to find interested and qualified buyers.
7. Avoid packaged services
At some point in the sales process you are going to need the services of an attorney and a qualified accountant. Your broker will probably offer those services but in most cases what he or she is doing is outsourcing to someone else. If you have your own attorney and CPA just stick with them. Otherwise it may be less expensive to find and deal direct with those professionals rather than getting them through the broker.
Finding the best business broker isn't really that difficult it simply requires some time and effort on your part. However, getting the best broker makes a huge difference in how the experience plays out and the total value of the deal.
