Securing a transaction is all about presenting your business in a way that will make a buyer chose your business over others for sale. It is about having built a business that can be sold or transferred.  It is about Being Ready for the transaction and that includes both financial readiness and mental readiness.

It is also about accomplishing your goals that were identified and developed during the exit planning process.  It is about selling on your terms and in your time frame. When you are Ready to enter into a transaction you are better able to control the outcome and have fewer “ugly baby” conversations about your company.  You have already uncovered most, if not all, of the variables that will cause your business value to be discounted and have taken the steps and addressed these issues.  You will not just be “putting lipstick on the pig” when you have prepared your business for this event, you will Be Ready.

When you are Ready, you know that your business has a different value to different types of buyers and have identified your target buyers. You also know how strong the market is not only in general but in your specific industry.  You know what similar businesses have sold for in the recent past to better position your company in the marketplace.

When you are Ready you understand that selling a business takes on many forms from equity sales to asset sales, external transfers to internal transfers, sales to private equity groups or to ESOPs. Knowing how the alternatives will affect what you get to keep after fees, expenses, commissions and taxes will allow any business owner to be flexible enough to understand and evaluate opportunities not just on the gross sales price but what cash and benefits remain after the dust has settled.

Having an experienced team brings their combined expertise to bear with alternative deal structures and strategies that often make the difference between a deal that accomplishes your goals or a deal that falls short.  Like an orchestra, not all team members are involved at the same time but when it is their time you can be confident that they will Be Ready with an understanding of the goals and the process.

Securing a transaction is often an arduous process with many obstacles to be navigated around.  Being Ready means that you have not only created a plan, built your company value but also that you have your collaborative team in place that understands the complexities of the transaction process through expertise and experience.

You can be sure that the transaction is the culmination of education, planning and effort that allow you to be in control of the process, and when you are in control you are Ready.