How Should I Sell My Pizza Parlor? A Closer Look
You’ve worked for years or decades to build your pizza parlor into what it is now. However, you’re ready to move on, either to build a new business or retire.
Either way, you need to know how you should sell your pizza shop. Then, you’ll be able to make the transition easy for you, the buyer, and any employees who will keep working there.
Keep reading to learn more.
Start Early
One of the best ways to sell your pizza parlor when you want to sell is to start preparing for the sale early. As soon as you know you want to sell, such as to retire, start planning your exit strategy.
You can decide if you want to mentor whoever buys your pizza business. This can be important if you want to make sure the recipe and menu items stay the same.
Another thing to consider is if you want the buyer to pay for the entire business upfront or if you’re okay with a financing agreement. Both can work, but each option can affect how much involvement you may need to have after you sell.
Starting your exit strategy early can also help you prepare current employees for the change. You can decide if you want the buyer to maintain your staff or if you may need to help people find new jobs.
Determine the Value
Of course, before you sell a business, you need to figure out how much it’s worth. You can determine the value of your business in a few ways, so consider which works for you.
One easy method is to use the book value, which uses the value of stakeholders’ equity. Another option is market capitalization, and that multiplies the price of shares by the number of outstanding shares.
You can also use methods like times revenue, discounted cash flow, or earnings multiplier. Consider meeting with an accountant or another professional to compare the valuations you get with different methods.
Then, you can decide how you want to set the price of your business. And you can compare different methods to find a fair selling price.
Consider Making Improvements
If your business valuation is lower than your ideal selling price, you may want to make improvements and updates. You might choose to buy some new equipment so that you can make more pizzas in the same time.
Or perhaps you decide to repaint the restaurant so that it looks better to customers and potential buyers. You don’t have to do anything to your business before you sell it, but improvements may help you get more interest.
Some buyers may not want to purchase a business that will require work before they can make a profit. If you can update old equipment or replace chairs and tables, you may convince more people to make offers.
This can be an excellent option if you don’t want your business to sit on the market for long.
Organize Your Documents
As you get close to selling your pizza parlor, you should organize essential business documents. Make sure you have recent tax returns, profit and loss statements, lease documents, and a list of your equipment.
You may have already gone through these when determining the valuation. However, it helps to go over everything and make copies of the documents that you can present to a broker or potential buyers.
Put a copy of all of these documents into a folder so that they’re easy to find and review. You can keep a copy for yourself, which can help you as you go through the process of selling your pizza parlor.
Find a Business Broker
You can sell your restaurant business without bringing in any help. However, working with a business broker offers a few benefits that you won’t get on your own.
For one, the broker can help you list your business in multiple places so that more buyers can find it. When you get offers, the broker may also help you weed out buyers who aren’t serious.
If you don’t want the public to know your business is for sale, a broker can also help. They can tell serious buyers about your business, so you can keep customers from learning about the sale.
A business broker may also help you negotiate for a better selling price. They usually charge a percentage of the final sale, so they can work to get the best price for both of you.
Advertise the Sale
If you don’t care who knows you’re looking to sell your pizza restaurant, you can advertise the sale. You can put up a sign in the window, or you can tell your employees or loyal customers.
Consider posting about it on your social media or sending an email to your subscribers. This can be a great way to attract buyers who have some sort of connection to the business.
For example, a manager may learn of the sale, and they may make an offer if they care about the restaurant. You may also have a customer who wants to buy the pizza place.
It may give you peace of mind to sell to someone who you know will take good care of the restaurant.
Pre-Qualify Potential Buyers
Whether you sell to someone who you know or not, you should pre-qualify buyers. You can ask buyers to provide proof of having the cash or that they can get a loan.
Pre-qualifying buyers allows you to verify that they intend to go through with the purchase. You won’t have to waste time meeting people who just want to know how much the business costs.
A business broker can help you go through potential buyers, so you don’t have to do the work yourself. Then, you can make sure you sell the pizza parlor to the best person possible.
How Will You Sell Your Pizza Parlor?
Selling a pizza parlor can be a tough decision, especially if you’ve owned it for years. Fortunately, you don’t have to drag out the process or worry about selling it to someone who will ruin the business.
Be sure you start planning for the sale early. That way, you can gather your documents, set a reasonable price, and you can compare different offers to choose the best one.
Are you ready to sell a pizza parlor? Register as a seller and get started today.
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Questions to Ask When Negotiating a Deal
Almost every sale of a business involves a high degree of negotiation between buyers and sellers. In this article, we share some of the questions you can ask yourself to prepare for this part of the process. After all, optimal outcomes are typically only achieved through proper negotiation strategies. Keep in mind that one of the key strengths possessed by Business Brokers and M&A Advisors is expertise and skills in negotiating deals.
Can Both Parties Split the Difference?
If the buyer and seller can’t agree on a number, one negotiating tactic is to have them split the difference. This is a tactic that is simple to understand, and it shows both parties that the other is willing to be flexible. This reveals a good degree of goodwill and can serve to not only keep both parties talking, but also lower any pre-existing tensions. When both parties are still at the table, there is still hope that a deal can be reached. This tactic serves to continue the discussions and can often be highly beneficial.
Can the Buyer and Seller Better Understand One Another?
When it comes to good negotiations, one of the goals is for both parties to seek to understand one another. Sometimes a buyer or seller’s needs don’t even involve the numbers on paper. Instead, they may be seeking to adjust terms to make them more conducive to their overall goals. If you can keep an open mind and seek to better understand what the other party is ultimately looking for, it can go a long way in making the deal happen.
Can You Bring in a Professional?
There is an old saying that says “Never negotiate your own deal.” One of the benefits of bringing in a brokerage professional is that this third party won’t have the same level of emotional investment. This means that he or she can keep a neutral perspective and be more apt to see things from both sides. Sometimes a new perspective can work wonders. Further, a brokerage professional will understand the myriad of complex factors that must be successfully resolved before the deal is finalized. A Business Broker or M&A Advisor will have tips and techniques that can only be gained from years of first hand exposure to making deals happen.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
The post Questions to Ask When Negotiating a Deal appeared first on Deal Studio – Automate, accelerate and elevate your deal making.
How Can You Tell If a Potential Buyer is Really Serious?
When you’re trying to sell your business, the last thing you want is to waste time dealing with buyers who aren’t qualified and are unlikely to actually make a purchase. After all, you will not want to reveal details about your business to someone who may be looking to take advantage of the situation. Let’s take a closer look at how you can weed out legitimate buyers from those who are just kicking the can down the road.
Legitimate buyers will ask the right questions. They will have a keen interest in your industry and are seeking to gain more information. They will also be likely to ask intelligent probing questions about your customer base and the strengths and weaknesses of your business.
The best buyers will also ask logistical questions about your inventory and cash flow. It goes without saying they will want to know details about profits that are generated. Real buyers will also be concerned about wages and salaries. Their goal will be to ensure that your employees are taken care of and will be unlikely to quit.
Another area that you can expect serious buyers to ask about is capital expenditures. They will evaluate any equipment and machines involved in the business. They will also likely inquire about inventory that is unusable due to the fact that it is outdated or problematic. After all, if they are truly planning to buy the business, they would inherit any headaches.
A good rule of thumb is to imagine yourself in the shoes of the prospective buyer. What kinds of questions would you ask? If you find that a buyer is only asking the bare minimum of questions that only scratch the surface, odds are that they are not really interested. You can expect the legitimate buyer to ask about everything from environmental concerns to details about your competitors.
The best way to evaluate buyers is to turn to the experts. Your Business Broker or M&A Advisor will have years of experience in talking to buyers and will have a leg up on evaluating who is worth your time and energy.
Further, you would likely be overwhelmed with the process of handling buyer inquiries while you are still trying to effectively run and manage your business. A good brokerage professional will handle your incoming inquiries and only notify you of buyers who are suitable, qualified candidates. They will ensure that the highest standards of confidentiality are held along the way.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
The post How Can You Tell If a Potential Buyer is Really Serious? appeared first on Deal Studio – Automate, accelerate and elevate your deal making.
A Step by Step Guide to Selling a Bar in St. Louis
Perhaps the most famous bar in America is Cheers in Boston. The Cheers sitcom made the establishment more legendary than ever, portraying the ideal bar of people’s imaginations.
You understand how incredible that environment can be if you’ve ever owned a bar. But, just like Sam Malone, you may decide it’s time to sell your bar.
However, selling a bar is not as easy as it may sound. It requires a lot of work on your end, as you have to make sure the bar is a worthwhile purchase for a seller.
If you’d like to sell your bar business but don’t know where to start, don’t worry! In this guide, we’ll give you the essential information you need about how to sell a bar.
Preparation For Selling a Bar: Collecting Financial Records
When selling a bar, the first step is to get your affairs in order. First, collect your financial reports. The first thing any prospective buyer wants to know is that your bar business generates a profit.
Your financial reports alone won’t be enough to impress a buyer. You may not mind keeping all of your receipts in a small locker, but most buyers will be unimpressed with such a system.
These days, most businesses store their information in computer-based accounting systems. Start transitioning your books to electronic recordkeeping systems; this way, a buyer can trust that you store your records efficiently. In the mind of your prospective buyer, this means they won’t have to install an entirely new system right away.
Make Sure Equipment Runs Well
Another thing to do before you sell the bar is to ensure your equipment runs as it should. Even if you don’t use the equipment, it’s best to fix it or remove it. Having defunct items in a bar is a significant turn-off to prospective buyers.
As you examine your equipment, it’s also wise to remove any item that’s not a part of your sale. Over the years, you’ve likely accumulated personal items and memorabilia that make the place feel like home.
However, buyers assume that anything they see in the bar is a part of the sale. If you don’t want to part with these items, it’s best to move them out before buyers see the premises.
Iron Out Leasing Issues
When buyers see your bar, they expect to run it in its current location for the foreseeable future. However, for that to happen, your bar needs to have a viable lease.
If your lease runs out in a few months, or even in a year or two, it can halt the buying process. The buyer may not want to invest in a bar that they can’t guarantee will remain in place.
In many cases, this results in buyers turning their attention to more secure locations. So, before you talk with any buyers, make sure the lease still has plenty of time left on it.
Make Any Necessary Staffing Adjustments
This step may be the most important step in your preparation. Often, bar owners have strong relationships with their staff — you’ve come to see yourselves as a team.
However, a buyer doesn’t care much about your bar relationships. They want to know that your staff can run the bar smoothly and efficiently. If the answer is no, they may not buy the bar.
Alternatively, they may fire your staff without much mercy. So, if you have staff that underperforms, it’s in your best interest to let them go. If it comes from you, they may have an easier time recovering.
Interview Brokers and Choose Your Representative
The next step is to find a representative for your bar. This firm serves as the middle man between you and the buyer, relating information to both parties.
Perhaps the most critical service that brokers offer is valuing a business. When you interview brokers, it’s essential that you ask each candidate how much they believe your business is worth.
Generally, most candidates will give similar appraisals for your business. It’s often in your best interests to avoid outliers in these appraisals.
How do you know you can trust a representative in valuing a bar? It helps to check their credentials, such as the following:
- How many years have they spent in this business?
- What was the representative’s business background before selling restaurants?
- Are they licensed?
- How many restaurant listings do they currently have?
- How many restaurants have they sold?
- Do they have prepared contracts for buying a business?
- Do they have any references you can contact?
If they can answer all of these questions favorably, you can likely trust their judgment in valuing your business. From there, you’ll move to the next step.
Signing the Listing Agreement
Once you sign the listing agreement, follow these tips to help the process go more smoothly. First, run the bar as though you weren’t selling it. Don’t begin reducing hours or making other significant changes.
Likewise, keep the establishment clean and open for showings before and after hours. Return any phone calls or emails from your broker as soon as you can and check in with them for buyer feedback.
Review and Accept Offers
When it’s time to accept an offer you like, remember to work with the buyer. Give them a few wins in negotiations if you can handle them. Likewise, grant them the freedom to inspect the bar for health purposes.
Make sure your CPA is on board to offer any due diligence information as well. Lastly, we cannot stress enough that you shouldn’t make significant bar changes while under contract with a buyer.
If everything comes back favorably, all that’s left is to attend the closing and collect your check. At this time, you’ll turn over any keys, codes, and passwords to the new owner.
Start the Process of Selling a Bar
Selling a bar can take time. If you’ve determined to sell your establishment, start preparing today! Begin by collecting your financial records and making any necessary adjustments with the equipment.
Once you’re ready to find a representative, consider our services! We offer top-notch representation to bars and restaurants across St. Louis. We’ll be happy to add your establishment to our listings.
If that sounds like what you need, don’t hesitate! Contact us today to learn more about selling your bar business.
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How to Sell and Successfully Launch Your Retirement
Many business owners are emotionally attached to their businesses, and it is easy to understand why. Typically, business owners invest not only a considerable amount of time and money into their business, but a good bit of themselves as well. Owning and operating a business often becomes part of one’s identity. However, the fact is that no one will work forever, as retirement eventually comes for almost every business owner. With this in mind, it is important to prepare for selling your business well in advance.
Brokerage professionals can take your knowledge regarding your business, and use it to help you frame your business in the best possible light. Your expertise in your business can also help a broker find ways to improve your business so that it is more attractive to potential buyers. With all of this in mind, let’s turn our attention to the key steps you should take when preparing to sell your business and transition into retirement.
Select Your Second-in-Command
Any savvy buyer will want to know that the business is well supported by a capable team. Buyers rightfully worry about having a smooth transition period, and nothing helps dispel those fears like having a proven and capable second-in-command standing by. When selecting this important individual, it is important that you pick someone that understands how your business works and is a proven asset to its operation.
Automate, Automate and Automate
Buyers can be intimidated by taking control of a business. Having a proven second-in-command ready to assist is one smart step. Automating as much as possible is yet another prudent move. In short, you want your prospective new buyer to feel more confident about buying and operating your business.
Make a “Smooth Transition” List
As the seller, you have the critically important job of removing buyers’ fears. When you boost their confidence that they can successfully run your business, you increase the odds that your sale will go smoothly. Making a smooth transition list, which includes all the steps that you can take to improve the odds of a buyer being successful, is a smart investment of your time and effort.
A good transition list will include information about how to work with key customers, employees and vendors. You want to ensure that your customers, employees, and vendors understand that a sale will take place, but also understand that the process will be smooth and trouble-free. Whether large or small, take any steps that you can to show buyers that the transition will be well-received.
The average business owner has, in fact, never sold a business before, and is unprepared for this very complex process. Since the process of buying or selling a business is a very complicated one, they should strongly consider working with an experienced Business Broker or M&A Advisor who can help guide them through the process. Brokerage professionals are experts at buying and selling businesses. They understand what both buyers and sellers want and need. As a result, they can help you take the necessary steps to get your business ready to be sold.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
The post How to Sell and Successfully Launch Your Retirement appeared first on Deal Studio – Automate, accelerate and elevate your deal making.
