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.
