The transfer of a privately held company is a unique event in the life of a business. When the business Owner tries to handle that process on their own, widely varying outcomes can result, depending on how well the process is handled. Unlike most other sales transactions, the value of what is being sold (the business) is not easily determined. The scorecards that most businesses keep (financial statements and tax returns) are prepared on a tax basis, where tangible asset values are written off as quickly as possible, intangible asset values are not reflected, and the goal is to minimize taxable income.

Further complicating the process is that most Owners do not want anyone to know that their business is for sale. There's a good reason for this–disclosure could be devastating and could alarm employees, customers, vendors, lenders and others.

It is also true that if you find only one potential Buyer who is interested in buying your business, there is normally no sense of urgency or leverage. Under that situation you might not get the best price.  Waiting for that "one right Buyer" to come along is a recipe for under-selling or, worse yet, not selling your business at all.

Midwest Business Group is a full time, professional, experienced business brokerage practice. We work directly for you, along with your professional legal and accounting advisors, to help alleviate the potential problems and challenges associated with the valuation and selling process. As partners in the process, your success is our success. It is almost never too soon to start planning your exit strategy! It is always a good practice to have a contingency plan in place, just in case something unexpected happens that changes your current plans for the business. Our benchmark valuation process helps business Owners realistically plan for their ongoing business needs or future exit strategy.

CONFIDENTIALITY IN MARKETING

Realizing that confidentiality and the peaceful continuity of a business are vital to a business Owner, all marketing materials are developed in a manner that protects the identity of the Seller. Potential Buyers are screened and pre-qualified to ensure that their intent is serious,  and that they are committed to purchasing your business. These Buyers are then required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement before being allowed to review any information about your  business.

NEGOTIATION ASSISTANCE

During the selling process, many complex issues will be encountered that may have a material impact on the success of the transaction. Sellers will find it difficult to remain neutral after investing their lives and financial resources in growing their business. The experienced business intermediaries of Midwest Business Group are able to provide the focus and objectivity needed to keep negotiations on track. You will be kept well-informed throughout the negotiation process and consulted at every step along the way. We work with all parties to keep this emotionally-charged event running as smoothly as possible.

TRANSACTIONAL CLOSING SERVICES

How does Midwest Business Group close a much higher percentage of business transactions than many other business brokers? The answer is simple–we qualify our listings for financing before we ever present them to potential Buyers. We know in advance what makes financial sense to our prospective Buyers and their Bankers. Most businesses that we represent fully qualify for outside lender financing. That translates to the Seller receiving cash at closing. For those that do not fully qualify, we make certain that Seller is willing and able to provide the necessary financing options to create a sensible buying scenario. It is for this reason that we qualify our Buyers very carefully for their financial stability, credit worthiness and sufficient cash to satisfy the Seller.

By conducting a thorough investigation of your business' value, and by applying our knowledge of the available financing options, we can present realistic selling and buying options to both parties in the transaction, leading to a successful transition of the business.