By John E. Anderson
Benjamin Franklin once famously pointed out that nothing in life is certain, except death and taxes. But for business owners, there may be another certainty to consider: the day when you decide it’s time to move on… to take the next step in your life. For some, moving on will be an emotional decision: You’ve had enough of this business and need to do something else. Or maybe it’ll be about your health, or the health of someone important to you, such as a family member. Then again, maybe it’s just time: You want to spend your remaining years teaching your grandchildren how to bait a hook, showing them the wonders of Disney World, or simply enjoying your freedom. Whatever your reason, someday you’ll be ready to consider moving on. Which means you’ll probably want to look into selling your business. But selling your business generally depends upon the answers to three very simple, very important questions:
1. Do you have something to sell? 2. Can you prove it’s worth buying? 3. Can you find someone who’s interested? Let’s take a look at these questions and see how they might affect your decision .
Do You Have Something to Sell? This question seems pretty obvious at first. Of course, you have something to sell; you have your business. But is it something that’s saleable? To answer that, you need to consider another question: Can your business operate without you? For too many business owners, the answer to that question is a resounding “no.” Let’s look at a few other questions that will help you determine your answer:
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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