Thinking of selling up? There are 3 critical steps to take to make sure you maximise the value of your business.
1. Prepare the numbers
Get your business in sound financial order. Any potential buyer will want to see accurate financial information, including management information and KPIs. They will want to feel you have a handle on your business and that doesn’t just mean looking at the past, it means showing them future potential. Many buyers look for investments where they can make improvements to increase profitability and return.
From your own point of view it’s also important that you’ve done your homework and you have a realistic price tag in mind. There are a number of different ways a price can be arrived at but regardless of which equation you use price usually depends on profitability. Whilst running your business you will have been constantly looking for ways to minimise tax liability by showing lower profits, but now it’s time to show your business in the most positive light.
2. Secure contracts and agreements
Employee contracts and director’s agreements regularly cause problems for sellers, so take a look at yours carefully before you even start the sales process. It could be advisable to renew, or certainly review, all employee contracts, right up to the highest level.
If you have a lot of repeat business from customers make sure there is evidence of this – ideally in the form of signed renewal contracts. If your business is heavily reliant on key suppliers or a highly price sensitive raw material similar contractual agreements ought to be in place. When it comes to selling a business a handshake or gentleman’s agreement with either a customer or supplier simply isn’t good enough.
3. Decide your position
Decide in advance things like whether you will make the sale public or keep it quiet, there can be benefits of either approach, but make sure you are in the driving seat and don’t let prospective buyers spill the beans if you’ve decided to keep it quiet.
Come up with a list of ‘show stoppers’, things you are not prepared to negotiate on, and don’t sweat the small stuff. This will really help you to stay focused and mean you don’t lose out on a great deal or delay signing over items that really don’t matter.
Decide your future position – will you stick around for a handover period? Are you willing to provide a consultancy service to the buyer? If so, on what basis? Make sure you get all of this in writing as part of the deal.
Whilst not an exhaustive list by any means unless you’ve taken these 3 steps first you’ll struggle to truly realise the potential of your business.
Andy Parker
Chartered Accountant
