Most entrepreneurs will agree that the ‘ecommerce business for sale’ phenomenon has occurred to them more than once. Some of the reasons may have been impulsive or circumstantial, and they may not have acted on it, yet the thought is a natural occurrence despite the actions taken place or not. In this article, we will discuss some of the reasons when it makes sense to put your ecommerce business for sale and also how to get a good deal in the bargain among other competitive deals and prices in the market.
Reasons People Put Up Their Ecommerce Business For Sale
People put their ecommerce business for sale for a variety of reasons. Some of them are listed here.
- Personal Reasons: These may be unique to each business owner. Sometimes it becomes difficult to keep personal and professional lives separate. Situations in which people are required to prioritise personal aspects of life can make it taxing to continue running a business with the time and devotion it requires. Changes in life circumstances like the addition of new family members or bereavement of someone close are some of the examples. Sometimes plain old fatigue can also become a strong enough reason for you to seek a sabbatical of sorts from the daily routine. This may also involve choosing a new career path, joining a learning program, seeking out other avenues in life such as taking time off for personal activities.
- Business Downswing: Highs and lows are a part of life, and by extension, part of the business too. Whether it is affected by global economic downswings or specific to your segment, there may be periods when the revenues are unable to offset the liabilities. A smart businessman is usually mentally and financially prepared for such downswings and/or major structural changes in the organization.
Having said that, when losses continue for extended periods it brings about a period of introspection with a tendency to cut your losses and move on. This is a difficult decision. If your ecommerce business for sale is witnessing an unnatural negative trend presently, (in other words, it has been successful in the past) most experts will advise against selling it since it will deplete your market valuation. However, the final decision needs to be yours based on the amount of money being lost and the cash reserves you have to keep you afloat.
- New Ventures: In general, entrepreneurs by nature are restless creators. Once their business has taken off and reached or about to reach the plateau stage they are eager to build something new. Or, a new business venture may present itself when you were not even looking for it. In such cases, it may be time to consider putting your ecommerce business for sale. This is also because when people start dividing their resources and time across multiple ventures it usually adversely impacts all involved.
How To Ensure Profit for Your Ecommerce Business For Sale
Once you have established your reasons for selling, (and we repeat for effect, it is very important to be clear about this) here are a few tips on how to conclude a successful sale and get good returns for whatever is next in store for you.
- Get Your Business Valued: when it comes to something you have built from scratch, it may be invaluable to you. But a practical and pragmatic businessman would like to know how others view their business and what is the target figure as per a formal business valuation.
- Choose A Selling Platform: you may choose a variety of mediums and platforms like marketplaces or classifieds to put up your ecommerce business for sale, although this will require a significant amount of effort on your part. Or you can choose professionals such as brokers and other intermediaries who can guide you into getting the right buyers. Another popular option is to engage with aggregators or private equity firms who can lap your business and get your good returns for it.
- Stay Organised: maintaining your financial statements, sales reports, supplier details, performance indicators and all other relevant documentation is a healthy habit regardless of whether you intend to put your ecommerce business for sale or not. It becomes more necessary during the selling process since it allows you to identify the chinks in your armour and prepare mitigation strategies for it, while also giving you the clarity you need regarding your business’ performance. Both these aspects will come in very handy when the selling process reaches the negotiation stage.
To summarise, businesses are built with a lot of labour and love. While the thought of selling it may be disturbing at first, if your reasons are clear then it may be the right course of action. Just remember to put in an equal amount of thought and dedication when you sell your ecommerce business online, as well.
