Search Businesses for Sale
Miami, Florida
Services & Contracting
Revenue: $18,954,000
EBITDA: $2,360,000
Employees: 25+
Southern Ontario
Automotive
Revenue: $17,290,000
EBITDA: $2,128,000
Employees: 25
Orange County, California
Wholesale & Distribution
Revenue: $17,250,000
EBITDA: $1,960,000
Employees: 19+
Greater Toronto Area
Services & Contracting
Price: $3,400,000
Revenue: $4,920,000
EBITDA: $900,000
Employees: 8
North America
Transportation & Logistics
Price: $4,500,000
Revenue: $3,380,000
EBITDA: $1,026,000
Employees: 20
Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
Services & Contracting
Price: $2,795,000
Revenue: $ 2,890,000
EBITDA: $930,000
Employees: 15
Toronto
Manufacturing & Industrial
Price: $1,200,000
Revenue: $2,450,000
EBITDA: $307,000
Employees: 8
Greater Toronto Area
Business Services
Price: $1,400,000
Revenue: $2,030,000
EBITDA: $559,000
Employees: 5
Central Ontario
Revenue: $1,440,000
Employees: 13
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling a Business
Why should I sell my business with Beacon?
You decided to put your business for sale in Toronto, Los Angeles, Miami or Washington, D.C., but now you're wondering how to sell your business. It's certainly not an easy decision to make, and at Beacon Brokerage, we know this can be both a scary and exciting time.
The truth is that most business owners we work for are exceptional when it comes to their own company and industry. However, when faced with the question of "how to sell my business," most owners have no clue where to start. This is why we created Beacon Advisors. We maintain a unique and proven process to help our clients buy and sell businesses in various industries.
Where do I start when I'm selling my business?
You’ve decided, “I’m selling my business,” — Great. Now, you will have to answer some hard questions before proceeding.
- How do I sell my business?
- When should I sell my business?
- How much is my business worth, and how should I price it?
What are the steps for preparing my business for sale?
Potential sellers should have their company ready to sell well in advance. A good owner or entrepreneur will build a company prepared for sale, in case of an unsolicited offer.
Planning should take place at least three years before the anticipated time you want to sell. You have to consider tax implications, changes to shareholdings, employee stakes, and the business's overall direction.
These are the steps you will need to take to sell your business effectively:
- Step 1: The first step in preparing a business for sale is to ensure that it can operate independently without high owner involvement. Owners must create a structured approach and train employees to handle operations in their absence.
- Step 2: The next step is to manage working capital and make sure that the company holds an optimal amount of inventory with an adequate turnover. Businesses that have trouble collecting receivables and operate on a negative cash flow cycle often deter buyers. It is important to make sure that the company is generating strong positive cash flow. This can be done by renegotiating contracts and credit terms.
- Step 3: Another important factor to consider is tax and real-estate planning. Seeking help from professionals for this purpose can go a long way in generating tax concessions and in reducing income tax liabilities during the sale.
- Step 4: From a financial standpoint, other than the obvious top-line growth, it is important to manage expenses in the years leading to the sale. Highly variable expenses with no significant effect on the top-line can be a sign of poor management.
Suppose the company experienced a recent drop in sales. In that case, it is advisable to defer the sale and focus on substantial revenue and cash flow generation so that hard facts can back the valuation. - Step 5: Finally, on the administrative side, it is important to start organizing paperwork and documenting procedures to make sure the company is clearly mapped-out for potential business buyers. Make sure that detailed documentation of financials, FF&E, property, legal contracts, business contracts and any other related paperwork is maintained and properly formatted for buyers and professional advisers. This will expedite the transaction process and increase your chances of selling your business at a higher multiple.
How long does it take to sell a business?
It's hard to say exactly how long it will take to sell your business as every transaction is unique. However, from our experience at Beacon, the minimum amount of time it takes for a small business to sell is 30 to 90 days once it has been listed on the market.
More often than not, the average time it takes to sell a business with revenues over 1 million is typically 12 months. Keep in mind that the process to get your company ready to sell may also take some time.
Realistically, how long it takes to sell your business will depend on many factors, including (but not limited to):
- What is the industry?
- What is the demand like in the marketplace?
- How many competitors are there?
- How well known is your business?
- How long have you been in business?
- How profitable is your company?
When is the best time to sell my business?
The best time to sell a business is when it has been generating consistent revenue growth and steady margins. While sellers are often optimistic about future success and the 'growth story', buyers need hard evidence of this growth before they agree to pay a premium for it.
If your business had a bad year and you are expecting sales to recover shortly, it is advisable to delay the sale until the company recovers. If the business signed major contracts (which will boost future revenue and EBITDA), waiting until the profits are realized can help increase valuation.
We recommend making sure that any pending litigation is resolved and going through a corporate clean-up to get organized before a sale.
We recommend making sure that any pending litigation is resolved and going through a corporate clean-up to get organized before a sale.
How does my business’s structure impact my selling?
A common question that we often get when an owner is thinking about selling their business is around human resources.
At Beacon Advisors, before anyone goes ahead with selling a business, we highly recommend they structure it to not depend solely on the owner.
Ideally, you should have a manager or a second in command in place who knows the company and the owner and can help a smooth transition to a new owner.
It will make the purchaser feel even better about buying when they know that they will have a team in place that will work with them to teach them what has worked in the past.
At Beacon Advisors, before anyone goes ahead with selling a business, we highly recommend they structure it to not depend solely on the owner.
Ideally, you should have a manager or a second in command in place who knows the company and the owner and can help a smooth transition to a new owner.
It will make the purchaser feel even better about buying when they know that they will have a team in place that will work with them to teach them what has worked in the past.
How long is a typical time for due diligence to take place once an offer has been accepted?
Size matters. Due diligence can last anywhere from thirty to forty-five days for small, single-location businesses with straightforward accounting and uncomplicated inventory.
However, due diligence can run forty-five to sixty days if the business has multiple locations and multiple sets of financial records. For medium-sized companies with dozens of employees, due diligence can run anywhere from forty-five to ninety days.
Contact Beacon Advisors to learn more about buying or selling a business today.
However, due diligence can run forty-five to sixty days if the business has multiple locations and multiple sets of financial records. For medium-sized companies with dozens of employees, due diligence can run anywhere from forty-five to ninety days.
Contact Beacon Advisors to learn more about buying or selling a business today.
Sell your business in Toronto, Los Angeles, Miami or Washington, D.C. or anywhere else with Beacon Advisors. At Beacon, we help take all of the guesswork out of the administrative prep work you will need to undertake to prepare your business for sale.
We will take the time and walk you through everything you need to know to sell your business for maximum value. We assist with everything from valuing the business to marketing the opportunity, negotiating the terms of the agreement to facilitating and coordinating the due diligence, to the completion of the transaction. We will let you know everything you will need to help give a prospective buyer confidence in purchasing your company.
Even if you are not ready to put your company on the market, give Beacon Advisors a call. We would be happy to provide a free consultation on how to sell your business in Toronto.
