We help clients sell their small businesses through a thorough, confidential process of identifying qualified buyer prospects which often begins by cold calling larger companies to see about their growth-through-acquisition plans. Buyers come to us two ways: by referral through our extensive network of professionals or through their own Web searches. Whether we find them or they find us, each identified prospect must pass three levels of a test – what we call the three gates – to learn the specifics of a client’s business for sale.
Gate #1: Compelling Search – they have a genuine reason to want to explore the opportunity
Gate #2: Financial Wherewithal – they have the liquid capital, or ready access to it, to complete a deal
Gate #3: Non-Disclosure – they complete a confidentiality statement
If and when the prospect passes through these levels of qualification, they earn access to bits of information at a time. This baby-step process ensures all parties that fit is being determined every step of the way. Sellers can expect to be invited to engage in a conference call with qualified prospects, the successful completion of which will lead to a face-to-face meeting. The broker is with the client every step of the way.
While the market average to sell a private business is roughly ten months, Time’s Up in Franklin is proud to average half that time. This occurs not because we’re smarter than anyone else, rather because we’re very careful about selecting engagements where we believe we’ll be successful in a reasonable amount of time. It’s not a numbers game to us; it’s a qualifying game.