Steve Alexander, Partner, Accounting and Business Advisory.
Selling a business can be a stressful experience for a vendor, especially when the money involved is significant and will be a big part of their retirement savings.
For residential property sales, it is common to see properties “dressed” for the occasion. New furniture, rugs, linen, etc ‚may be displayed
to present the property in the best possible way. The theory being this ‘wow factor’ will enhance the chances of a premium being paid for the property. Real estate firms also encourage vendors to undertake marketing campaigns to further promote the property.
Marketing a business for sale is no different. To maximise potential offers, vendors should present the business to the market in the best possible light. Unlike residential property sales, many businesses for sale are not marketed in the public domain. They are often discrete with the marketing carefully targeted. This is due to confidentiality and sensitivity reasons.
The size and complexity of the business for sale generally influence the marketing campaign. An Information Memorandum (IM) is a really good tool to showcase the business. It enables prospective purchasers to get a good understanding of the business and the opportunity for them. IMs include both financial and non-financial disclosures.
A prospective purchaser relies heavily on the information in the IM. Non-binding offers or conditional offers are often made based on the content in the IM. A “due diligence” process/period then allows the prospective purchaser to analyse the information in the IM but also to uncover information not dealt with in the IM. It is at this stage that a deal can unravel if holes are found in the information.
