PREPARING FOR SALE

preparing

your business for sale

Buyers ask a lot of questions when looking at buying a business, so it’s a good idea to have your business documents organised and up to date.

Below is a guide to the type of information that is asked for by buyers:

Finances and Assets

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• Financial statements (for as far back as possible) – cash flow statements, annual turnover, and profit and loss statements

• Details of physical assets such as equipment, and stock

• Details of other assets such as goodwill towards the business and intellectual property

Legal information

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• Legal documents such as leases and insurance policies

• Registration papers such as business name certificates, Australian Business Number (ABN) registration papers, licenses, and permits.

Business Profile

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• Business history such as start date, ownership changes, and location changes

• Sales information such as reports and forecasts

• Market conditions such as details of competitors, and how your business compares to them

• Business documentation such as marketing, staff roster and customer service procedures

• Other such as opening hours

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Staff, Supplier, and Customer Information

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• Employee details such as job descriptions, skills and pay rates

• Supplier details such as supply agreements and supply prices

• Customer details such as customer numbers, customer profiles and direct marketing activities