If your business is successful, then chances are you have poured most of your time, energy and spare money into it ... for what may hav e seemed like forever. Your company may have become your life ... an extension of yourself.
 
Can you really imagine life without it?
 
Is your family dependent on your business? Do you discuss it around the dinner table? Is your business an education and training ground for your children... a way for them to gain some working experience and earn some pocket money? Could it be that your business is like a member of your family?
 
On the other hand, is your business a ball and chain around your neck which you can't wait to get rid of? Or, when you first started, did you only intend to stay a short time and things sort of never turned out that way?
 
Whatever your situation, selling your business will be one of the most important things you'll ever do. It's very important that both you (and your family), and your company are ready to make the change. And it could be a big one!
 
For starters, you must be prepared to hand over the reins of ownership and management to someone else. You must accept that they might do things to your business that you would never have dreamt of doing. They may replace all your staff, they may change the marketing focus. They may even grow your business to the great heights you always hoped for but never quite achieved. On the other hand, they may destroy everything you've built up.
 
I saw it happen recently. A friend successfully sold a very profitable business, only to watch it disappear "off the face of the earth", a short time later. This can be very disheartening especially when the new owners won't listen to your experienced advice.
 
With careful preparation you can alleviate much of the stress, from what will probably be, the biggest sale you'll ever make! And ... you'll only get one chance at it. There's only one opportunity to put on a price tag that represents your years of toil.
 
Do it once - Do it Right, because once yougve signed the sale documents - it's all over! It's history!
 

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© Noel Peebles - author of "Sell Your Business The Easy Way"