A good business does not guarantee a good sale. Year after year, owners lose value, or lose deals entirely, for reasons that were within their control. Here are the ones we see most often.
Selling to a single buyer. A lone bidder holds all the cards. Without other interested parties, you have no leverage and no benchmark for a fair price.
Poor preparation. Messy financials, missing contracts and unanswered questions during due diligence give the buyer reasons to lower the price or walk away. Every gap becomes a negotiating point against you.
Over dependence on the owner. If the business cannot run without you, the buyer is taking on risk and will price for it, or ask you to stay tied in for years.
Chasing the headline number. The highest offer on paper is not always the best deal. Structure, conditions, earn outs and how much actually reaches your account can matter far more than the top line.
Letting it slip. A sale is demanding and time consuming. Owners who take their eye off the business often see performance dip at the worst possible moment, and a dip in trading is a gift to a buyer looking to renegotiate.
Going it alone. Selling a business is something most owners do once. The buyer across the table may do it many times a year. That imbalance in experience is expensive.
None of these mistakes are hard to avoid with the right preparation and the right team beside you.
Talk to Deal Team International
Planning to sell in the next few years? Book a confidential, no obligation call and let us help you avoid the mistakes that cost owners the most.
Anthony Monné · anthony@dealteamintl.com