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Selling a Business

Even with the best planning, the average timescale for selling a business is 6 – 9 months. This can be a huge distraction for you and your team and can make heavy demands on your time.  It’s important to recognise this and plan in advance to have the right advice and help from the start . We help you stay on track (and even calm and relaxed!) throughout the sale process. Our support and services are designed to make sure that you have the information you need to make key decisions at the right time, giving you the breathing space to keep your business running profitably while the sale process is going on.  Selling a business is similar to a sales and marketing process aimed at a large customer:
    • the product, i.e. the business, must be packaged and positioned for the buyer
    • the business must be prepared to pass rigorous examination by the purchaser
    • the negotiation process can be arduous and often lengthy
    • the contract is likely to be detailed and complex to negotiate
Obviously the rewards can be very substantial, though, so it’s worth doing the planning and having the expert support to help you achieve the sale in the way you want. Our long-standing success in selling businesses is based on proven methods by which we:
    • engage in a detailed research to find targets capable of buying and to whom your company would make a lot of sense
    • present potential acquirers with succinct, relevant information
    • help you and the acquirer learn to trust each other
    • help you prepare properly for every meeting with an acquirer and chair all meetings
    • negotiate the value and the terms on your behalf and minimise your face to face negotiation
    • help you respond to due diligence
    • project manage the sale process with your accountants, lawyers and tax advisers
Ultimately the KLO team is here to help you manage the process and optimise the opportunities presented to you. The main do’s and don’ts when it comes to selling are: DO: Prepare your business properly for sale Use our guide to the factors to achieve a premium valuation Appoint specialist advisors Ensure accounting and legal entity records are accurate and up to date Be conservative with financial forecasts Protect IPR Remember cash is king Maintain competitive bidding position.   DON’T Have unrealistic view on value and time scales Hide skeletons or bad news Incur non-productive costs or invest in non-productive assets before the sale process starts.