Highest Price vs. The Best Deal When Selling Your Business
Naturally, as a seller you want the highest price you can get for your business. But in some cases, however, it might not be the best deal. There’s an old adage “You can’t separate the Price and Terms.”
For this reason, every offer should be reviewed carefully. When an offer is presented, naturally the first thing as a seller you look for is the “price.” If it is lower than anticipated, many seller’s first reactions are to decline the offer give it back, initiating the case for its being much too low. As a seller you should consider an offer carefully and avoid quick knee jerk reaction.
Here are a few alternatives that might offset a lower price:
• an offer with no or very few, and easily satisfied contingencies (can help to create a successful close)
• a consulting agreement or other deferred compensation- often can add up nicely for sellers
• a quick closing
• all cash, if that’s important
• employment contracts with relatives or long-time employee(s)
• business vehicle to remain with the seller
• buyer has a long success record indicating long-term survival
• short-term payment period if seller financed
When a professional business broker is involved, he or she can point out those areas that may offset the price, down payment or the structure of the deal. After all, the important thing is not what as a seller you get, but what you get to keep!
Read MoreWhen Running a Business When is it Time to Raise Prices?
Increasing the price of your products or services is, in most cases, the most difficult decision a business owner has to make. Looking at the negatives is easy.
• Our business is too competitive to increase prices.
• Our customers/clients are used to our pricing.
• Customers are too price-conscious.
• We won’t be able to get new customers/clients.
• We are known for low prices.
• We have a lot of repeat customers, they won’t pay more.
The list of reasons why prices shouldn’t increase could go on and on. The fear is always that people won’t pay the increase and profits will suffer.
Before considering a to raise prices, one must look at their current pricing method. Do you work on a cost plus a certain mark-up? If you use a mark-up percentage, are all items marked up by the same percentage? Do you try to maintain a price comparable to the competition? If you work on an hourly rate, for example consulting, when was your last increase? Have costs increased and have you increased prices to compensate for them?
Looking at the positives is also easy. Profits will increase; and the price of the business will increase based on the increase in sales and profits. Funds will be generated to do that advertising or promotion you have always wanted to do. With increased profits you can hire that extra salesperson you know will increase business; you can install the technology you know will increase service and lower costs.
As Ravi Mohammed said in his book, The Art of Pricing, “Let me ask you, will a 1% price increase really cause your customers to stop purchasing from you?” A 1% increase on a business doing $5,000,000 a year is $50,000 to the bottom line. On a business with sales of just $500,000, a price increase of only 2% would bring in $10,000 to the bottom line.
One does not need to increase prices across the board. On fast-selling items, increase the price more than on slow-moving items. By doing so, you can test the waters on increasing prices. As Ravi Mohammed also points out, “McDonald’s profit on hamburgers is marginal, but it has substantial profits on French fries and soft-drinks.”
You many decide not to increase your prices, but at least you have taken a look at your pricing policies.
© Copyright 2015 Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Read More