Why Some Businesses Don\'t Sell

1. Why Some Businesses Donʼt Sell
© 2010 Allen & Young Business Brokerage LLC 2500 N Tucson Blvd Ste 109 Tucson AZ 85716 T 520-327-4454 F 520-327-1271 info@allenandyoung.com www.allenandyoung.com

2. Reasons Businesses Don’t Sell
Bad or No Records
With the advent of such programs as Quicken, there is no excuse for any small business
owner to not keep good records unless of course you are still hell bent on playing the great
national past time – thinking itʼs cool to hide things from Uncle Sam and continue to cheat
yourself. (to hear some more thoughts on why you as a business owner should not play this
national pastime, take a look at Episode 7 in this series). No bank or even the Small
Business Administration will help finance the purchase of a business unless it has good
records and verifiable income.

3. Reasons Businesses Don’t Sell
The Goodwill is based on the owner
You, the business owner, shoulder the burden alone, and you are so close to your work
that you lose perspective. The business relies completely on your presence to operate
correctly. The business has no systems or procedures in place. People buying a
business want something they can step away from for a couple weeks and not have it fall
apart.

4. Reasons Businesses Don’t Sell
The Business is not priced correctly
You may have heard business owners say things like:
• “Joe sold his business which was just like mine for X dollars, so thatʼs where Iʼm pricing
mine.” Or....
• “I read in our trade publication that businesses in my industry sell for X times gross sales
so thatʼs where Iʼm pricing mine.”
Give yourself some credit. Your business is your business and there is no other business
exactly like it. Get third party, professional advice! Learning how to increase the value of a
business will go a long way to make sure your business is more marketable and more
attractive to potential buyers.

5. • We hope this provides you with a better understanding
of why some businesses don’t sell
• Regardless of where you live, we would be happy to
discuss the process of buying and selling a business with
you.
• If you have any questions, or to see a full list of
resources, visit us at www.allenandyoung.com.
• You can also call us at 520-327-4454
© 2010 Allen & Young Business Brokerage LLC 2500 N Tucson Blvd Ste 109 Tucson AZ 85716 T 520-327-4454 F 520-327-1271 info@allenandyoung.com www.allenandyoung.com