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Selling a Business

Selling a privately held business is a complex process.  Unlike shares of a publicly held company that can be readily liquidated in a day or two by selling them on the stock market, there is no ‘ready made market’ or exchange for selling a privately held business. 

Establishing a proper price, marketing the business for sale, negotiating leases, and financing are just a few areas of expertise we offer.  Additionally, most accounting is done to minimize tax obligations that may not portray the company in the best light. Murphy Business and Financial Corporation—N CA deals with challenges like these every day.

One of the secrets to selling a business is to have the owner of the business continue its operation at its optimum level so it continues to generate the same or better profit as it has been. We can then focus our energy on attracting the right buyer so they can work through the transaction and get their finances, legal, accounting, and related issues in place while not displacing employees, customers, suppliers, a landlord, and other parties in the transaction.    

Many brokers try to “sell” the business but from my experience and training, today’s method of exiting business ownership requires a consultative approach.  This approach has been refined from not only working in the business brokering community but also from selling and buying my own businesses which I have done on no less than five occasions.  

 The four step process I use is as follows:

          Step one of selling your business is to determine the value.  Correctly pricing a business is critical to obtaining a successful sale in a reasonable amount of time.  We have a great deal of expertise in this area and have compiled information on thousands of transactions.

           Step two is the preparation of the confidential sales and marketing material.  My service includes creating a complete marketing portfolio of all the necessary documents to target the right buyer but protect the confidentiality of the business while I take care of all the “tire kickers.” The confidentiality is enhanced with a secure website I use that a buyer can only access AFTER signing a Confidentiality Agreement.  To see how this works, please give me a call.

          Step three is presenting the business and negotiation of the deal.  We use our financial, negotiating and legal skills to help put a deal together while managing all of the buyer issues. 

          Step four is critical and it's knowing you are working with someone who is honest, trustworthy and ethical so there are no legal repercussions after the business is sold.  How is this done?  By adhering to the Code of Ethics from the business brokerage and valuation associations of which I am a member.  These Code of Ethics are pivotal to all my actions and central to my commitment to you.  For more information about these Codes of Ethics, please click here.

Listing your business for sale is one of the many steps in selling a business.  I'll be with you to consult, guide and assist throughout the entire process including the closing.

If you would like to see a list of our most recent transactions:

     1. Northern California, click here.

     2. Nationally, click here.

If you would like some more information about selling a business, the following articles may be of interest to you.

     1. Difficulties sellers encounter when selling their business.

     2. The many steps to selling a business.

     3. Ten reasons to use a business broker when selling your business.