Strategies to Qualify a Business Buyer

No matter how successful your small business is, finding the right buyer can be challenging for you. This is mainly because of a number of factors. For example, most buyers out there investigate different businesses as a hobby. This makes it difficult for sellers to qualify potential business purchasers who are really interested in purchasing their company. The asking price, the type of business you are selling, and the goals you are trying to achieve also have a strong impact on closing a deal successfully.

Here are some strategies that you can use to qualify a buyer

Experience in the Same Industry

First of all, you should ask potential buyers about their experience in the type of business you are selling. It is important to dwell deeper on this subject. You should tell the buyer that you want specific information about their experience in running a business in the same industry. You should be able to research to see if potential buyers are telling you the truth about their experience. This will help you determine if the buyer is genuine or a time-waster.

Buyer’s Financial Information

The second important thing that you should check in a buyer is their financial profile. There are some important questions that you should ask them:

• Do they have enough liquid cash on hand today?

• Can they afford your business?

• Are they planning to apply for a business purchase loan?

These questions will give you a clear idea of the type of buyer you are dealing with. If a buyer can’t afford your company, there is no point in giving them the name and address of your business.

Proof of Funds

Don’t forget to ask the buyer for proof of funds before providing them with any private information on your business. A real buyer will not hesitate to show you proof of funds. Fake buyers or those who are dreamers will fight you on this. This information will help you know if the buyer can pay the down payment.

Non Disclosure Agreement

After you are satisfied the buyer is real and if s/he wants to see your company, you should get him or her to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This agreement will protect your business. This agreement does not allow buyers to spread the word about your business that is on sale. This way, you can show your business to potential buyers and still keep this news confidential. If your employees, vendors, and competitors find out that you are selling your company, you will not be able to successfully run it.

Bear in mind that you need to provide potential buyers enough info about your business in order to get their attention. This is also important to know if the buyer you are dealing with is a real buyer or a time-waster. It is highly recommended to hire a qualified and well-recognized business broker to handle these things for you. Professional business brokers can quickly identify a real buyer because they deal with many buyers on day to day basis.