What Is A Business Broker
What is a Business Broker?
The Business Broker acts as an intermediary between Buyers and Sellers of businesses. He is responsible of getting both parties together and his goal is to sell businesses.
The best way to describe the function of a Business Broker is to compare them to their closest relative…. the Real Estate Broker. The work of a Real Estate Broker is to locate Sellers of homes and match them with potential Buyers. In the event that the sale is closed they earn a fee. The Business Broker does exactly the same work of a Real Estate Broker, except that they sell businesses. Business Brokers assist business owners in preparing their business for sale, show the businesses that they have listed, prepare and deliver the documents necessary to close the deal, and assist in the closing of the business.
What are the functions of a Business Broker?
The Business Broker has as his clients business owners who wish to sell their company, and potential Buyers who wish to acquire a business.
The general functions of a Business Broker are:
- List businesses for sale.
- Assist the owner in the valuation of the business.
- Gather all the information of the company and request all the documents necessary for its sale.
- Produce a description sheet to promote the sale of the business.
- Promote the businesses they have listed.
- Entertain, guide, qualify and list potential Buyers.
- Mediate in the negotiations between Buyers and Sellers.
- Provide both parties with the professionals necessary to complete the sales transaction (Lawyers, Accountants, attorneys, tax, public notaries, etc.).
- Guide Sellers and Buyers in order to close the sale transaction.
- Educate and Mentor both parties until “closing day”.
The role of Confidentiality in Business Brokerage.
Confidentiality is the main reason for a Business Broker to exist and is what distinguishes us from a Real Estate Broker, due to the fact that the process for listing and marketing a business is very different.
Good relationships with employees, clients, suppliers and banks are very important for the well being of any company.
Any premature indication of change of ownership can alter these relationships and damage the competitive position of the business. Some of the consequences of a situation like this one are:
- Employees can get nervous and resign.
- Competitors can take advantage.
- Suppliers can stop supplying inventory or cut credit lines.
- Clients can stop trusting the products or services the business has to offer.
For these reasons and many others, confidentiality is of critical important in every stage of marketing. With the correct procedures, it is possible to minimize the risk of an untimely disclosure of information.
In every transaction there is the right moment to reveal that a sale is imminent. The correct timing of the announcement can contribute to a transaction without any setbacks, and reinforce the Buyers wish to proceed to a closing.
A professional Business Broker makes sure that all the information about the business is held in the strictest confidence during the entire process, until it is appropriate to reveal that the sale is going to happen.
Why should I use a Business Broker?
Advantages for the SELLER.
- You have a representative for the promotion, negotiation and sale of your business.
- You reflect a more professional image.
- You save time and money in the promotion and you can dedicate your time to keep running the business or other personal activities.
- Statistics show that the sales price of a business is 10% to 15% higher when the services of a professional Business Broker is used.
- You expose your business to a much higher number of qualified Buyers, due to the fact that a Business Broker is a specialist, has all the marketing means available and is dedicated 100% to this activity.
- You secure our professional services in the establishment of the sales price and the preparation of the sales materials for your business.
- The sales process is kept confidential until the right moment.
- A professional Broker can provide you with the professionals you require to cover all the legal, accounting, tax and government regulation aspects that are involved in the sale of a business.
- If the Broker is part of a national and International network, you increase the possibilities of selling your business and you will most probably cut the time that the process normally takes to sell a business.
Advantages for the BUYER.
- I will have professional support to define and focus my search towards the business that best suits me.
- I will be in contact with a greater amount of business options available for sale, to define between them the business that is according to my expectations.
- They can put me in touch with the businesses that are not currently available for sale but that can be of interest to me. For the right price every business is for sale.
- The Broker serves as an intermediary in the negotiations and can be a Messenger of “bad news” towards the seller.
- He can recommend the specialists necessary to complete the process: accountants, lawyers, attorneys, tax and notaries, etc.
- The Broker councils me through the whole process, starting from the selection process, the investigation of the business, all the way through the closing and post-closing aspects.
- And the best part about it is it’s free of charge as our fees are paid by the Seller.
Why Buy With Empire
Why should anybody consider buying an existing business instead of starting a new one?
An existing business has a history and typically has the capacity to generate income from day one, that helps you recover your investment. Successful businesses tend to be the ones that have been operating for a period of three years or more.
In additionally, the buyer receives the inventory at cost. Finally, the buyer obtains all the assets such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, trade marks, IP, and copywrites with their down payment. In most cases the owner of the business will hold a seller note, there by becoming the banker in the deal.
What Does EMPIRE Business Brokers Offer You?
SECURITY
An advantage in buying an ongoing business is that you, as the new owner, have an immediate cash flow and an established customer base. You do not have to build a business. You simply take over an existing successful business with the present owner’s assistance.
FINANCING
EMPIRE assists you in obtaining financing. Banks are reluctant to finance business purchases for several reasons. First, all small businesses attempt to minimize profits shown on financial statements to reduce tax liability. Also, a bank cannot manage a business if foreclosure becomes necessary. Therefore, over seventy-five percent of business purchases are financed by the owners, which demonstrate their confidence in the business ablity to substain itself.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Unlike the sale of real estate or franchises, the sale of an ongoing business is very confidential for both the seller and the prospective buyer. All inquiries are held in strict confidence. Meetings are confidential, and we are available after hours and on weekends.
EMPIRE continually updates its business listings in order to offer buyers and future entrepreneurs options that suit their tastes and preferences, as well as their investment possibilities.
Get to know our business listings!