Key Mistakes Sellers Make

A strong exit strategy and working with your advisors will help you avoid these most common mistakes, all which fall under the category of poor planning:

• Making emotional decisions, rather than market-driven decisions
• Selling to the first or second buyer to come along
• Demanding all cash
• Losing confidentiality
• Burn-out from trying to run and sell the business simultaneously
• Selling your business yourself
• Misunderstanding the buyer’s process or motives
• Letting business coast
• Failing to qualify a buyer
• Inadequate financial statements and other records
• Lack of a strategic plan for the business
• Selling the past instead of the future
• Lack of negotiating experience in dealing with experienced buyers
• Putting a price on the business
• Bad timing (market conditions, business cycle, etc.)

A full 80% of self-managed transactions fail to meet the seller’s objectives. Let O’Keeffe and O’Malley guide you through the process for the best possible outcome.