Prepare your business for sale

 

Preparing a business for sale is something new to most business owners. We have found that addressing simple things can add significant value or save you money, ensuring a smoother sale process. If you are considering selling, either now or in the future, we offer you a strategic business sales assessment covering all aspects of your business, including:

•  Market appraisal—Know your position in your marketplace.
•  Marketing—Can you improve the way you sell and present yourself?
•  Tidying up—Is your business tidy and well-run?
•  HR—Do you have adequate staff or management in place?
•  Customers & suppliers—Are you over-reliant on a key customer or supplier? Are customers taking too long to pay you? Are there close relationships between either of these and the owner?
•  Profit—Are you as profitable as you could be?
•  Financial—Aging reports, cash flow, balance sheet, stocks, property and loans. Is all in order?
•  Taxation—Have you had specific divestment tax advice, both for the company and personally?
•  Ownership of assets—Do you have the right licenses for your software or other intellectual property (IP) and assets? Have loan arrangements been reviewed?
•  Private assets—Have you removed assets such as cars? Will outstanding loans within the company be settled?
•  Contracts—Are all your employment, trading and agency agreements in place? Are they transferable?
•  Litigation—Have all outstanding legal matters, either for or against the company, been settled?
•  Environmental and health & safety—Do you possess all the licenses necessary to comply with regulations? Do your premises raise environmental concerns?

Many of the issues raised above can have a considerable impact on how a potential buyer views the value of your business. ABMI can help you identify and remedy any areas of weakness so that when you are ready to sell, you’ll get the best price possible.