Prepare for a Marathon

Today, it takes a bit longer to close deals than it has in previous years. We always tell our clients to start marketing their company about a year before they truly want to exit, because it will take about that long. Some of our fastest deals have closed in 100 days from the point of starting to market the company. Other deals have taken several years. Others never closed. Timing in the marketplace has much to do with finding a successful buyer, and the cyclicality of buyers being able to move on your company, may take some time if we want to maximize the sale price to a strategic buyer. In our experience, it is best to start the process early, with expectations of about a year.

To quote the article below, this couldn’t be truer in bringing a company to the finish line. “The process of selling a company is analogous to running a marathon. Every marathon is 26.2 miles long. The runners who have spent time training for it can expect to complete the race in a matter of hours, while those who begin unprepared are going to take far longer to cross the finish line, assuming they ever do.”

Please enjoy the article, Why Selling Your Company Takes Longer Than You Think.

All business owners should have an exit strategy in place as well as a road map for the future. Specializing in the sale of companies in the $2-5MM business, Josh Phillips at Creative Business Services / CBS Global is available for a confidential discussion on the health of your business and to help you decide if now is a good time to prepare a market offering. It is always important to seek a qualified intermediary who fully understands the balance and can provide guidance to both parties to bridge the deal – something that rarely happens without a seasoned intermediary to handle all sides of the transaction.