Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory

A Neumann & Associates, LLC

October 9, 2008

How To Sell Your Small Business

By Joseph Eneldas

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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – October, 2008 – As small business owners, you know the hardships in trying to make a business successful. Making a return on your investment is the biggest challenge an owner can face, especially if the owner does not have time or patience to put into selling their business. After struggling for success, there comes a time when an owner needs to sell their business. The following is what an owner might want to consider. Know your reason for selling. A prospective buyer will always ask why you are selling as one of their first questions. The most reliable thing to do as an owner is to be truthful. Using the best possible wording, create a truthful, positive vibe about your business. If you are not truthful, the prospective buyer will eventually learn of the causes later on, which could cause more issues for you as the previous owner. Know the best time to sell. The best time to sell is when your business has started to grow and is on the path to success; it has begun to blossom out of its low time and into its high time. This theory shows the prospective buyer that your business is successful, giving the buyer a greater incentive to buy. It also gives your business a higher value. Know when to get professional’s help. As an owner you should consider using a business broker in the selling process. The prospective buyer will most likely have professional help, too. It is important to find a professional business broker who can read financials and has sold a business before. Know the value of your business. Knowing the value of your business will be very useful when a buyer approaches you. Having a set value, you will have the knowledge to know if the prospective buyer is undermining you with a low offer. A business broker can help place a value on your business, through an appraisal by a well recognized national firm. Know how to prepare your business for sale. Selling your business is like selling a car. As an owner, you must have all your loose ends tied up, deal with all legal requirements, and have all paperwork that the prospective buyer would need all together. The more organized everything is, the more attractive the business is to buy. All sufficient documents and paperwork should be in place. It is also important that the physical appearance of the business is maintained throughout the sale. Know how to find potential buyers. Potential buyers can be found from many different resources, with a good business broker, all the work will be done for you. More importantly, good business brokers are constantly in touch with many buyers, and if the broker belongs to a large network, it gives you even more access to buyers. Applying all these tips in the process of selling will help make a successful sale. Remain patient, and use all the resources you can and the right buyer will surely come along. Contact Achim Neumann if you are interested in selling or buying a business.

About A Neumann & Associates, LLC

A Neumann & Associates, LLC is a professional mergers & acquisitions and business brokerage firm having assisted business owners and buyers in the business valuation and business transfer process through its affiliations for the past 30 years. With an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, the company has senior trusted professionals with a deep knowledge based in multiple field offices along the East Coast and has performed hundreds of business valuations in its history. The firm’s competitive transaction fees are based on successfully completing transactions. For more information, please contact A Neumann & Associates at 732-872-6777 or info@neumannassociates.com

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Client Testimonials

“I've always had great respect for those who are excellent in their fields of endeavor. Gary certainly lived up to that standard. He was knowledgeable, persuasive, determined and ultimately the main driving force that culminated in the very successful sale of my business. Well done Gary!”

Stuart Zeiff, Seller

“ I appreciate your diligent approach to screening buyers and sellers as well as the high quality CIM that you produce.”

Andrey O, Investor

“Finally enjoying retirement after recently selling my business using the services of A Neumann & Associates. Joe Oddo provided the conduit to a successful transaction. Joe knew when to inject input and when to simply listen and allow the buyers to vent, step back and regroup. The outcome met our expectations and got us to the finish line, which included my staying with the company six months in order for the buyers to get their footing and keep our workforce in the loop. He helped at every step by providing his expert guidance & resources. Thank you!”

Emily Parker Myers, Co-Owner - Myers McRae

“I had been in touch with Karin and Gary from A Neumann & Associates regarding some opportunities and was looking forward to meeting with them. Hence, when they organized a seminar in Princeton, NJ, I was quick to sign up. The seminar was very informative as the team walked the attendees through various scenarios and referenced real life buying/selling situations they had been through. The sessions by Gary, Karin and Achim were crisp and focused and brought clarity to potential seller and buyers. I strongly recommend the team and look forward to continue working with them.”

Gaurav Tyagi

“Thank you for your Event on "How to value, Sell, and Buy A Business for Maximum Profit" and the insight into ANA’s approach on what is involved in the Business Exit for sellers. Garys Hervieiou's "Business Valuation", Achim's "Deal structure" presentation and Karin’s "Preparing the Package" are real street knowledge shared. They answered attendees questions which makes it more interesting for learning from others. Great for small businesses like us. The presentations were totally worth our time and travel for the event to Princeton, NJ from Rockville MD. Ravi Bhutani, President, CIPS”

Ravi Bhutani

“Gary, this is to thank you for an excellent job done in selling our business. We could never have done it without your professional expertise, dedication and time put in without reservation to make it happen. We will gladly and highly recommend you to anybody in our position.  It was a pleasure to work with you.”

Pat Iammatteo, Owner

“Your vetting is simply outstanding, among the best I've seen from a broker.”

Eric H., Investor

“I recently contacted A. Neumann and Associates about getting a valuation of my business done. I spoke with Marc, who explained the process in detail. After meeting with Marc in order to get a clear understanding of my business, and what I was hoping to accomplish. His patience in answering all my questions and his knowledge of the proper way to market my business gave me great confidence that this is the firm I will be using to sell my business for max value. Working with Marc at A Neumann & Associates was very easy and professional. I did not know all that was going to be involved in selling my business but they helped me through the process. What I thought was going to be a just another one of those pushy sales companies was just the opposite. Polite, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to talk to and deal with. I highly recommend this firm to anybody who wants to sell now or down the road. Marc not only knows his stuff, but actually is a real nice guy.”

Double Diamond

“Used A Neumann & Associates to sale my business. could not imagine having done it with out the patience and experience Gary provided. Thanks Gary,”

Dennis Frazier

“Working with Marc and his company was a pleasure. What I thought was going to be a just another one of those pushy sales companies was just the opposite. Polite, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to talk to and deal with. Marc handled most of the interaction and he has one of the greatest demeanors. Again, it was a pleasure working with him and his firm.”

Douglas DiCeglio
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Contact A Neumann & Associates, LLC

If you are considering selling your business, please contact us to learn more about our comprehensive service spectrum. Our experienced professionals will answer all your questions about selling a privately held business in complete confidentiality. Please fill out our contact form, or call us at 732-872-6777. We will contact you directly and will never identify ourselves to your employees.

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