How Murphy Business Brokers Sell a Business

At Murphy Business, the process that we use to sell a business has been honed over 25+ years. Our process offers the flexibility that you need to sell on your terms. At the same time, it delivers the rigorous attention to detail you need on a transaction as valuable and complicated as a business sale.

While Murphy Business Brokers are deeply familiar with this process, most business sellers are not. When you sell a business, the process is kept confidential. Because of this, few business owners know what this process entails.

At Murphy, we strive to be as transparent as possible about this process and how it works. So if you’re getting ready to sell a business, here’s a closer look our system.

Stage 1: Preparing to Sell a Business

If you want to sell a business, you and your business broker need to be on the same page. That’s why Murphy Business brokers never rush clients into engagement agreements.

Instead, we start with a no-strings-attached initial consultation. This gives us the chance to learn about your business, but also about why you’re planning to sell and what you’re hoping to get out of the transaction. At the same time, we’re able to explain our process for how to sell a business. That way, you’ll know exactly what to expect.

After your consultation, we’ll perform a broker’s opinion of value or a business valuation. Some business brokers will often valuate a business by applying a standard multiplier based on the industry. But at Murphy, we know that this is rarely a true reflection of market value. A formal business valuation is performed by a certified valuation specialist, giving you an accurate sense of your business’s market value. This will also help us identify areas where you can increase your business’s value, should you wish to do so.

Once your valuation is complete, we’ll reconvene to discuss your valuation and your next steps. If you wish to proceed, we’ll complete an engagement agreement and proceed to the listing and marketing stage.

Stage 2: Listing & Marketing the Business

When a client agrees to sell a business through Murphy Business, our next step is to create a custom marketing plan for their business.

While creating your business’s marketing plan, we have three core priorities:

    • Reach as many qualified buyers possible
    • Highlight the value offered by your listing
    • Maximize the chances for a timely sale

At this stage, we create a set of bespoke marketing materials. We develop an overview of your business, which will form the basis for your listings. We also prepare detailed documentation on your business, which we provide to qualified buyers after they’ve signed a confidentiality agreement.

To market your business, we target potential buyers through a mix of strategies. Typically, this involves two core marketing channels. Direct marketing strategies help us target buyers whom we’ve pre-identified as high-quality candidates. At the same time, we will list your business on national and international brokerage networks to attract the broadest and deepest possible pool of potential buyers.

We want to make sure that you’re not wasting time and resources on non-serious buyers or those without the means to complete your sale. So once your listing starts to attract interest, we diligently qualify buyers. When you sell a business with Murphy, we use our experience and expertise to narrow the field of possible candidates to the most qualified set of buyers, while maintaining the confidentiality of your sale.

Stage 3: Negotiating & Closing the Transaction

Before we sell a business, Murphy Business brokers want to ensure that the sale is a great fit for both parties. So once we’ve identified one or more qualified buyers, we’ll evaluate offers and help you identify top candidates.

After this, we’ll engage these candidates to negotiate terms of sale. Sometimes, negotiations to sell a business are relatively simple and straightforward. Other times, completing the transaction requires creativity. For example, if the business is considered a somewhat high-risk venture, we can structure the sale so that the seller accepts part of this risk. Having a business broker can be invaluable at this stage to prevent deals from coming apart.

When it’s time to close the transaction, Murphy Business will facilitate the completion of your sale. Our brokers can refer you to any financial or legal specialists whom you may need at this stage. At the same time, we will ensure that your sale is procedurally and legally sound. In many cases, we will assist the buyer by helping acquire traditional financing or a small business loan.

Selling a business can be a long and complicated process. But that process is worth it if you can sell a business at full value, while finding a buyer who will bring the same level of care and passion to the business.

Getting ready to sell a business? Call (888) 561-3243 today to connect with your local Murphy Business office.

Why Hire a Broker to Find Businesses for Sale?

With the proliferation of business listing websites, it’s become much easier to find businesses for sale. Because of this, some first-time buyers assume there’s little need to hire a business broker when buying a business.

That can be a serious mistake. While these websites have made it easier to find businesses for sale, the confidential nature of business sales keeps many of the best listings hidden from public view. Additionally, finding and buying a business remains a tricky, complicated process, particularly for first-time buyers.

Without a broker, you may struggle to find the right fit. And even if you do, you might have trouble closing the deal. So, before you start to look for businesses for sale, here’s why it’s a smart idea to hire a business broker.

Murphy Business helps business owners sell their business.

How Our Business Brokers Will Help You Find Businesses for Sale

We’ll Help You Understand What to Look For

A number of business buyers know what they want out of a business. But when they’re looking at businesses for sale, they’re not sure what look for in a business to make that happen.

At Murphy Business, our brokers are experts at determining what businesses have to offer, and how to read business listings to gather this information. So, when buyers need assistance finding businesses for sale, we know what to look for.

At the same time, we can use our experience from other transactions to help uncertain buyers narrow down their list of options. Based on your situation, skills, interests, and resources, we can recommend which types of businesses will be the best fit for your needs.

We’ll Help You Find Higher Quality Listings

When you’re searching for business listings on your own, you’ll face a number of hurdles. First, you might not know where to find the kind of listings you’re looking for. Second, you won’t have access to some of the top listing networks. Third, you’ll be less efficient than a broker, which means you’ll find fewer listings in the same amount of time.

By hiring a business broker to find businesses for sale, you can find better listings than if you were searching independently. Brokers will know where to look, will have access to industry networks, and can leverage their skills to find top listings in a shorter period of time.

We’ll Help You Avoid Easy-to-Make Mistakes

Buying a business is a tricky and expensive process. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for buyers to make unforced errors and mistakes. Here are just a few examples:

    • Missing telltale warning signs of a high-risk business listing
    • Accidental confidentiality breaches before a business is sold
    • Procedural mistakes in financial or legal paperwork

With a business broker, you won’t run the risk of deeply expensive but easily made mistakes. An experienced broker will know which pitfalls to avoid. At the same time, they’ll have a proven system to ensure that I’s all get dotted and that T’s get all crossed.

We’ll Help You Negotiate and Close the Sale

A business broker won’t just help you find businesses for sale. They’ll also help you negotiate terms of sale and close the transaction.

Brokers have experience on both sides of business sales, so they know how to accommodate any specific concerns or requests from business sellers. If you hit a roadblock during negotiations, a broker can often find a workaround well-suited to both parties.

Hiring a business broker can also refer you to legal and financial specialists that you’ll need when purchasing a business. They can also help you acquire purchase financing, through referrals to traditional sources or through an SBA loan.

We’ll Save You Time, Effort, and Stress

Finding businesses for sale takes less time, less effort, and less stress with a business broker’s assistance.

On your own, you’d spend who-knows-how-many hours going through listings. That’s time and energy that you could direct to other pursuits.

At the same time, searching for businesses for sale can be a deeply stressful process. Without a broker’s expertise to rely on, you may worry about settling for a less-than-perfect business. Or you might fret about making small mistakes with big costs.

With an experienced business broker, these concerns fade into the background. By conducting the legwork of your search, a broker will spare you the time and effort that it takes to find great businesses for sale. At the same time, you’ll enjoy peace of mind, knowing that your search is being conducted by an experienced expert.

Start searching for businesses for sale with an experienced business broker! Call (727) 725-7090 to connect with your local Murphy Business office.

Murphy Business brokers can help you purchase your next business