Selling your business is no different to any other sale in that it has both objective and subjective aspects. To get the best outcome from your business exit you need to work on both.

A potential acquirer of your business will look both at the facts and the story you tell. Different acquirers will place different emphasis on each. Business sales and valuations are assessed by various factors such as assets, financial record, risks and potential. The first two are pretty clear – they are what they are (or should be although different methodologies may result in different valuations). The second two, risks and potential, are more open to influence by ‘the story’ you tell. This story telling has a bearing on an acquirer’s perception of how ‘attractive’ your business is and how easy might be the purchase and integration.

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