If you are thinking of selling your business, one of your first questions to answer is more than likely; where do I start?

One of your first starting points is to be clear exactly what is being sold. This may seem obvious but many Sellers think they will deal with it when they get an offer. So let’s break this down and look a little more closely at it.

The two most important things to a buyer when looking to acquire a business, is current cash flow and the potential of the business. From the buyer’s perspective, the cash flow is the fuel that feeds the business to pay the suppliers, employees, landlord, tax man, lenders and of course, leave something left over for them after all their work and capital investment in the business.

For the buyer to achieve the above, they need to purchase all the assets of the business so they understand what each asset does and how it contributes to the cash flow and/or potential of the business. As the seller of the business, it’s therefore important that you make it clear what those assets are and present them in the best possible light.
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The current recession in 2008 and 2009 is marked by how low the economy has gone, the increase in unemployment but most frustrating of all, how long it has taken before the “green shoots” appear. If your business is struggling and you think your only option is to close the door and hand the keys back to the landlord, here are some things to consider.

If the business has excess fixtures, furniture and equipment, turn those items into cash by selling them. There are plenty of options to selling the goods including eBay and Craigslist. Make sure what is being sold is as presentable as possible but again, get some cash into the business and move unwanted items. This could include vehicles and real estate and other excess items. Hopefully the business has a current list of fixtures, furniture and equipment. If a list doesn’t exist, there is your starting point as you may be surprised what you have stored away.
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This current recession in 2008 and 2009 is marked by how low the economy has gone, the increase in unemployment, but most frustrating of all, how long it has taken before the “green shoots” appear. If your business is struggling and you think your only option is to close the door and hand the keys back to the landlord, here are some things to consider.

First, it’s rarely as simple as closing the door and handing the key back to the landlord. If your business has a lease you obviously need to discuss the situation with the landlord. If you have a good relationship and feel you can handle it on your own to save hiring help, take care as you handle the issue. Bear in mind the landlord is no different to you. They lease the real estate to make money. If you close the doors, they need to find a replacement for you which may take time to achieve. This can be a talking point with the landlord as you may be able to bring a tenant to replace you. If this is the case, make sure this is correct as the landlord may become frustrated if the person changes their mind. Similarly, the landlord is not required to accept the person you bring so be aware the landlord has options.
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There is no doubt that the current recession is as long and as hard as we’ve seen for many years. And hopefully we will not get to see again for quite some time. If you are a business owner whose business is not making a profit and you don’t have the capital to invest and keep the business, going you may be wondering about your options.

The first option is to take a real assessment of where you are at. One of the best ways of doing this is to talk with your accountant. Make sure your accountant is not simply filing your tax return to meet compliance but actually helps you look behind the numbers and understand how your business is performing.
What do you need to know?

Most business owners understand their gross sales. Some are adept at using this number to explain the success of their business. For example, have you spoken to a business owner that said “Sales are up 20% on this time last year.” They say this with great pride but that doesn’t tell the full story.
Some business owners can tell you the net profit of the business. Net profit is simply what they pay taxes on or gross sales less cost of goods less expenses. Some business owners like to say “Our bottom line was up 10% compared to last year.” This is good news but that doesn’t tell the full story.
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An area that a lot of businesses don’t spend a lot of time measuring but is very easy, cost effective and critical to do is the key performance areas of the business.  These key performance areas or metrics can show whether the business has all the parts working together and in a healthy manner or is in need of a tune up or radical surgery.  There are a number of key areas to a Performance Plan so let’s break them down.

The first area to look at is the financial statements of the business.  The first and most readily used is the Profit and Loss Statement as it shows the income and expenses of the business with hopefully the income greater than the expenses.  Just as important, however, is the Balance Sheet as this document shows the wealth of the business.  With an up to date profit and loss statement and balance sheet, a trained business appraiser can then calculate what the owner of the business could expect to get if they decided to sell it on the market.
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You’re a business owner who is thinking about selling your business. You’ve been doing this for many years but it’s time to retire, there is a health reason for selling, you’re burnt out, it’s time to sell this business and move to a bigger and better idea that you have.

So step one is the idea to sell. What should step two be? Step two is to make sure you have something to go to that’s better than what you’re currently doing. If you’re burnt out and are thinking of selling but you go to all the trouble to find a buyer of the business, get their offer and all of a sudden realize you’d sooner continue what you’re doing rather than sit on a beach or play golf 4 days a week or whatever. So step two is to make sure you are excited about what you’re going to move to.
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There are many things you need to do when planning to sell your business. There are also things to avoid and here are 5 things to avoid so you successfully sell your business.

1. Talking when you shouldn’t.
This may sound obvious but when you sell a business it’s more important to listen and ask questions than continually talk to try and “sell” the business. Often there is more information in hearing the type of questions being or not being asked and the follow up comments. If you are the only one talking that means there is little interest or other negative perceptions that need to be removed so the buyer is comfortable moving forward.

2. Failing to use common sense.
Selling a business rarely happens to the first buyer that comes along. There is a need to reveal information but only after the buyer provides enough information to show they are suitable buyers. This is one of the main reasons to use a broker to sell your business. They are trained and have the emotional detachment to ask appropriate questions to know not only if the buyer is truly serious but more important, qualified to be able to buy, finance, manage and run the business.
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Selling a business comes with a huge number of variables. The following consider 9 important areas you need to work through if you want to successfully exit the business you own.

1. Do I need to create and use a team?

Selling a business is not a solo job.  Just as you have a team around you to make the business successful, putting together an exit strategy and then executing it is a team sport. So don’t try and do it on your own. The members of your team to consider include:

• Accountant or tax agent
• Personal financial planner
• Psychologist or Business Coach
• Insurance expert
• Attorney
• Business Broker

Are you worried about the cost?  Your team will get it right for you, so it won’t be a cost but rather an investment.

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Selling a business comes with a huge number of variables. The following consider 9 important areas you need to work through if you want to successfully exit the business you own.

1. Do I need to create and use a team?
Putting together an exit strategy and then executing it is a team sport. Don’t try and do it on your own.
Members of your team to consider include:

Accountant or tax agent
Personal financial planner
Psychologist or Business Coach
Insurance expert
Attorney
Business Broker

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The following article is reprinted with the permission of Monty Walker at Walker Business Advisory Services, Wichita Falls, TX. Phone: 940-322-5086.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Patient Protection Act) was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. The Reconciliation Act has now passed the Senate and the House and will be signed into law by President Obama sometime during the week of March 28, 2010. Not withstanding the fact that amendments to the Act will likely occur, some minor and some significant, it is important for small business owners to understand the tax components of the Act which apply to them as it currently stands. All small businesses will be impacted with the following information hopefully of assistance to those businesses in the local Sacramento area.

For owners of small businesses and their workers, the recently enacted health reform legislation has some key provisions to pay attention to. The major ones include: tax credits; excise taxes; and penalties. But whether a business will be affected by them depends on a variety of factors, such as the number of employees the business has. This article provides an overview of the key tax provisions in the new law with the biggest impact on small business.
Tax credits to certain small employers that provide insurance. The new law provides small employers with a tax credit (i.e., a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax) for nonelective contributions to purchase health insurance for their employees. The credit can offset an employer’s regular tax or its alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability.
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