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Couple Questions Bout Selling A Business
06-03-2015, 04:29 PM
Hey guys, curious if anyone here has ever sold a business? I'm looking to sell my ecommerce business. I had a couple questions...
1. Is it worth getting a valuation done by an accountant? I hear this can cost 5k to 20k and at the end of the day I imagine the other side will either want the same done or will lowball me so is it even worth getting that done?
2. What's the best way to find a buyer? Should I hire a broker? Put an ad up on a site? Contact my competitors?
My business did about 330k last year, typically I think it would be 3-5x earnings but I'm in a "high risk" I guess you could say industry so I'm getting a little over last years earnings would be more than generous.
Curious for any tips or advice from anyone who has sold a business.
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Couple Questions Bout Selling A Business
06-03-2015, 04:31 PM
Quote: (06-03-2015 04:29 PM)jamaicabound Wrote:
Hey guys, curious if anyone here has ever sold a business? I'm looking to sell my ecommerce business. I had a couple questions...
1. Is it worth getting a valuation done by an accountant? I hear this can cost 5k to 20k and at the end of the day I imagine the other side will either want the same done or will lowball me so is it even worth getting that done?
2. What's the best way to find a buyer? Should I hire a broker? Put an ad up on a site? Contact my competitors?
My business did about 330k last year, typically I think it would be 3-5x earnings but I'm in a "high risk" I guess you could say industry so I'm getting a little over last years earnings would be more than generous.
Curious for any tips or advice from anyone who has sold a business.
Why would you sell an ecommerce business that's netting you 330K in profit a year? Couldn't you just hire someone to run it for you if you are bored of it?
"Me llaman el desaparecido
Que cuando llega ya se ha ido
Volando vengo, volando voy
Deprisa deprisa a rumbo perdido"
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Couple Questions Bout Selling A Business
06-03-2015, 04:34 PM
Quote: (06-03-2015 04:31 PM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:
Quote: (06-03-2015 04:29 PM)jamaicabound Wrote:
Hey guys, curious if anyone here has ever sold a business? I'm looking to sell my ecommerce business. I had a couple questions...
1. Is it worth getting a valuation done by an accountant? I hear this can cost 5k to 20k and at the end of the day I imagine the other side will either want the same done or will lowball me so is it even worth getting that done?
2. What's the best way to find a buyer? Should I hire a broker? Put an ad up on a site? Contact my competitors?
My business did about 330k last year, typically I think it would be 3-5x earnings but I'm in a "high risk" I guess you could say industry so I'm getting a little over last years earnings would be more than generous.
Curious for any tips or advice from anyone who has sold a business.
Why would you sell an ecommerce business that's netting you 330K in profit a year? Couldn't you just hire someone to run it for you if you are bored of it?
Pull the money out, start up other ventures. You can do quite a bit with 700kish.
"Money over bitches, nigga stick to the script." - Jay-Z
They gonna love me for my ambition.
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Couple Questions Bout Selling A Business
06-03-2015, 04:50 PM
Best of luck my man and congratulations on getting the business to where it is today! This thread needs someone like Gringuito to help you out, guy knows all there is to know about the business world and its proceedings.
"Money over bitches, nigga stick to the script." - Jay-Z
They gonna love me for my ambition.
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Couple Questions Bout Selling A Business
06-04-2015, 09:16 AM
Go with Specter. He seems to know what he's talking about.
Catch is, you need to know how to value the businesses in your sector relative to your EBITDA, enterprise value, and net debt.
If none of these terms are ringing a bell then you probably should get a professional involved(although a CPA isn't what you need).
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Couple Questions Bout Selling A Business
06-04-2015, 12:53 PM
Jamaica, how much of the business is you (and your partner) personally working? Do you have a staff that handles all the day-to-day work while you are hands off? If you're personally required to be around to ensure the profits, don't be surprised by an offer that is a payout over time with you still working at the company. You can sell a business (something that generates profits even when you're not working) but it's very hard to sell a job (a company that requires you working to generate a profit).
How is the company structured between the partners? Are both of you on the same page with respect to expectations of potential offers? When I read the OP it looked like 330k of revenue, not EBITDA. Can you give an idea of which?
A few thoughts on valuation. As Harvey said there are industry standard multipliers as a starting point. If you have a highly valuable customer list this could add to your valuation. There are cases when a competitor will pay more than normal if your company is underpricing them and your market share will be more profitable for them than it was for you. Also, depending on how you structured your company there may be some tax benefits (basis step up) that could increase your value.
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Couple Questions Bout Selling A Business
06-15-2015, 03:37 PM
My go-to brokers are FE International. 10% commission, negotiable.
They understand online business better than any other broker I've used. This is probably more important than you're anticipating - having to school your offline broker on online business is the last thing you want.
Also, a good broker does more than 'spam a mailing list' as someone mentioned. They have real relationships with people you couldn't access otherwise. They will also fend off the hordes of time wasters you'd get from Flippa etc and those looking to rip your business model.