There are so many moving parts to selling a business. The thought might make your head spin. But you’re certainly not alone. Selling a business is a big undertaking and a long process. While there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to the structure of a sale agreement, there are some surefire “right” ways to do things, and one of those things is to maintain confidentiality before and during the sale process.
Keeping your HVAC business sale confidential should be a priority for your company’s health and future. Keeping it confidential is not sneaky. It’s not hiding. It’s a smart business move. It is one that many sellers commit to and one that brokers, and business advisors will highly recommend.
Employees, customers, and vendors finding out the business is for sale may cause a downward spiral and negatively affect the value of your business. Employees may panic upon learning of the sale and find other employment. Customers may replace your service out of uncertainty. Vendors may demand payment payouts of invoices. All these things can impact your company’s value, leading to losing negotiating power with buyers. This means a lower offer.
One way to ensure confidentiality is to work with an HVAC business broker who will know the best practices, work on your behalf, and allow you to continue to run your company during the sales and negotiation processes. Here are five tips to keep the sale confidential:
1. Keep Your Business Name off the Listing
Getting your business information in the hands of potential buyers while staying confidential can feel like a balancing act. To maintain confidentiality, the first thing to do is to create a “blind listing.” This means building a business listing profile with plenty of information to generate interest without listing your business’s identity.
Potential buyers checking listings want a business description and to know the industry, sale price, size, cash flow, general location, real estate information, and number of employees. While creating your listing, put yourself in the shoes of a prospective buyer. Would your listing give away your identity?
2. Hire an HVAC Broker
A business HVAC broker will help you position your business in a good light, setting it up for the best offer possible while maintaining confidentiality. Your HVAC broker will advise you throughout the process, help you assess reasonable offers, and ensure you get as much exposure as possible to qualified buyers without compromising confidentiality. HVAC brokers also have their exclusive network of buyers who may not typically search the listing sites so that they can bring it to the attention of even more potential buyers. Your HVAC broker will be your best friend. The best part is the stress they’ll take off your shoulders.
3. Assess Potential Buyers
It feels good to get multiple offers, but which offers are legitimate and realistic? Is their offer fair? Are they going to help the business thrive? Do they have experience in the HVAC industry? How much money are they putting down? Are they able to get financing? What is their goal in purchasing your company? Are they a serious buyer, or are they just curious?
A quick and quiet sale requires getting your information to the right buyers. This means quality over quantity. Your HVAC broker will help you share information strategically, in stages, to weed out any non-serious buyers and keep a pool exclusively of serious buyers. There is no need to share too much information with the “curious” ones.
4. Use an NDA
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal confidentiality agreement that buyers must sign before learning the business’s name. This legally binding document outlines your terms of confidentiality, ensuring that prospective buyers will not reveal your intent to sell or any other sensitive and private information about your company. Your HVAC broker will help you craft a precise and professional confidentiality agreement.
5. Share Information in Stages
A business transaction has different stages; providing limited information in the beginning stages is important. Buyers will, of course, have questions along the way, and it’s essential to have a plan in place concerning which questions you’ll answer at which stages. Always answer questions directly related to the buying decision while saving process and procedural information for later.
As a business owner, you may feel compelled to boast a little as you share your accomplishments; there’s nothing wrong with that. Stay focused and maintain sight of the importance of a confidential sale. You might even save the most sensitive information for the due diligence stage. This stage means the buyer has already been through negotiations and signed a contract.
Confidentiality is a vital piece in the overall puzzle of selling your business. Contact an HVAC broker today to utilize these tips effectively and conveniently or receive an HVAC market valuation. You can work together to sell your business correctly and get a fair payout.
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It’s important to prioritize keeping the sale of your HVAC business confidential to protect your company’s future. Maintaining confidentiality is a wise business move often recommended by brokers and advisors. Discover five tips for keeping the sale confidential in the infographic.
