Maximize Value How can I maximize the value of my business? As a Transworld Business Brokerage, we are asked this question frequently. There are steps and strategies a business owner can employ when preparing to sell a business. The key is preparation – the better prepared your exit strategy is, the higher the selling price it will command, and the more likely it will sell. A few minor enhancements can dramatically increase the marketability of your business.

A great deal I got a call from someone who was in the process of purchasing a business from an Uncle. The Uncle wants a million dollars for the business which includes real estate, and is willing to sell to his niece on a contract for deed. The niece would pay for the business over time with the proceeds of the business. The niece, who currently works in the business, would eventually be the owner, without having to get approved for a bank loan or provide cash for a deposit. Seems like a win-win, right?

Some entrepreneurs seem to have a business "green thumb". They start a business, grow it quickly, and then miraculously sell it for higher multiples than most other similar businesses - without much forethought, following best practices or comprehensive business plan. Or they quickly build it, franchise then sell to a private equity firm.