Article Contributed by Ray Haiber

As a business broker and franchise consultant I am often asked what the general process is to sell a franchise business. It’s a valid and important question because at some point the vast majority of franchise owners will want to sell their business for a variety reasons including retirement, relocation, divorce, owner burn out, etc. Here are some general tips below that all franchisees should keep in mind before putting their existing franchise business up for sale and will hopefully make the sales process unfold much smoother.

Contact the Franchiser

It’s important to let your franchiser know that you are considering selling for a number of reasons. Most franchisor’s have explicit rules (read your franchise agreement carefully) regarding the transfer of franchise unit to new ownership including buyer qualifications, disclosures, transfer fees, etc. Most franchiser’s can also be very helpful in the consummation of the re sale and may even have a prospective buyer on file who has expressed an interest in your specific location or territory.

Sale Preparation

Before moving forward with a listing it is imperative that franchise owners invest the time to prepare and provide sufficient information for a comprehensive listing package that should include a business summary profile, equipment & asset list, and most importantly current and past financial statements. Most prospective buyers will not move forward with a business purchase unless they and their advisors have been provided adequate financial information to verify the business is a good investment. I would strongly recommend that you consult with your accountant or book keeper to help prepare your business records to help validate and support your asking price.

As far as developing a business profile, most professional Business Brokers are very good at helping business owners at organizing and preparing a professional business profile which can be an instrumental tool in the sales process. A professional and thorough profile can also be invaluable in ultimately saving time for both the Seller and Buyer. You can find a business broker in you area by accessing a business broker directory on the web.

Pricing Your Franchise to Sell

Industry sales statistics indicate that the #1 reason why most small businesses and franchises don't sell is because they are overpriced. It’s very important for business owners/sellers to establish a realistic and credible asking price for their business that can be supported on a number of levels, including financial history and market comparables. You should consult with your franchise company or other franchise owners in your system about recent re sales in the market to give you an idea where the market is.

You may also want to find a Business Broker in your local area about demand and supportable pricing guidelines for your type of franchise business. It’s also important in most cases to offer terms to the prospective buyer because the majority of small business acquisition deals will not be acceptable for bank or SBA financing.

Confidentiality

Unlike the sale of assets like real estate, maintaining the confidentiality of a small business sale can be very important to the owner/operator for a number of reasons. It’s not unusual for employees, customers, and even vendors to become very concerned (or worse) if they become aware that the business for sale. Competitors may also use the knowledge of the business being on the market to gain potential unwanted and untimely advantages.

The best way to maintain the confidentiality of a sale is to hire a professional business broker or intermediary that has experience in confidentially marketing businesses and franchises for sale. This includes providing services such as screening, qualifying, and requiring prospective buyers to sign a non-disclosure agreement before releasing any confidential information.

Marketing & Advertising Your Franchise Business

Franchise owners today have a number of options when deciding how they would like to market and advertise their franchise business for sale. This includes going the “for sale by owner” route which has advantages and disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage being the potential loss of confidentiality and the possible negative effects it may have on the business and its chances of selling. The biggest advantage of a “for sale by owner” transaction is the owner obviously is not responsible for paying a commission to a Business or franchise Broker.

The most common option franchise owners choose when selling a franchise is to hire a professional business or franchise broker to handle the sale. Most brokers are only paid a commission after the sale is completed, so there is usually no up front expenses. They are also familiar with their local market and buyer demands, and can help maintain confidentiality as well as prepare and price a business for sale so that it has a good chance of attracting a qualified buyer.

As far as advertising, most brokers also employ a number of local and national “business for sale” web sites that can give a listing maximum & confidential exposure to prospective buyers. They also commonly work (or co-broke) with other professional brokers in their area that might have a prospective buyer for your business.

About The Author:
Ray Haiber has 10 years experience as franchise sales consultant as well as a professional small Business Broker in Arizona. Visit here to research franchise opportunities for sale throughout the USA, including existing franchises for re-sale.

• 1 Comments

  

Comments

That's really great topic. I am quite agree with all the aspects that are defined in topic to sell a franchises business. but these are not enough .you can also include some more things like :well understanding about business product, market strategies and knowledge about networking through different channels. it can be helpful for the folks who want to go forward with franchises.

Stuart
Business Opportunities

 Posted by: Stuart at February 6, 2009 11:50 AM

 Add your own comments

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)

What next?

 Digg it

 Save This Page

 Subscribe to GetEntrepreneurial.com

 Leave a comment

Next Article: How to Start a Home-Based Information Marketing Business »

Previous Article: Is Your Client Newsletter Boring Your Customers to Death? »

Marcel Sim is a GE Network Expert. View Marcel Sim's profile or read more articles from Marcel Sim. Learn more about the GE Experts Network.

Have an expert opinion on issues entrepreneurs and small business owners face everyday? Join the GetEntrepreneurial.com Experts Network and share your expertise with the community!

The new GE Experts Network is inviting seasoned entrepreneurs and small business owners to come on board and contribute small business advice to our community of aspiring entrepreneurs. If you have an effective way of generating sales or you know how to use social networking to connect with your customers, join us in providing wider entrepreneurial content that would benefit small business owners worldwide.

Click Here to Learn More >>

Related Articles

 Ooh Local Activities » If you can find and do great, local stuff at home, why not do great local stuff that’s run by local people...

 Necktie Reuse » New Startups: Narwhal Company is the inspirational idea of an everyday person that was looking to move away from the 9-5 lifestyle...

 Dog’s Collar Comes with Tweets » "Puppy Tweets" dog’s collar allows dog owners to follow their dog on twitter. This plastic tag (introduced by Mattel), comes equipped with...

 Friend of Trends » Trend Friend is an online (and smartphone accessible) gift idea database that allows users to quickly find the trendiest gifts based on...

Need more brand new promising business ideas and innovations around the world you wish you'd thought of? Visit CoolBusinessIdeas.com now!

Ever wanted to be the CEO of your very own Starbucks or Amazon.com? Fire your boss and be your own boss? Now you can, with BIZNESS! - the free biweekly business newsletter about new business ideas, opportunities and innovations from around the world. More than just new business trends, BIZNESS! helps the aspiring entrepreneur (you!) with small business advice, business tips, and entrepreneur resources and opportunities.

   Subscribe for free now!    

---