When selling a business, you have to abide by two general principles. Those are professionalism and confidentiality. These cultivate a good business relationship between the two parties and leave the individuals with a mutual respect for each other at the end of it all. If there is a lack of either, you may run in to serious problems and the seller may see the deal collapse. The biggest problem that people face when it comes down to it is the lack of confidentiality.
Potential Consequences
A breach in confidentiality severely affects the sellers, buyers, vendors and the business broker as well. Vendors can change terms and in turn, this has a negative impact on the deal itself because of bad faith. Cash flow may be affected, and it could set off a chain reaction that can end with the deal blowing up.
The breach in confidentiality could pervade through the entire business being sold and employers and employees within the company may have their faith shaken in the company’s future and their future within the company because of it. If, for example, the employees find out through a breach of confidentiality that the business is being sold rather than from their own boss or if there are rumors of a deal going sour, this may lead them to speculate and spread rumors of their own which can inculcate bad faith.
A breach of confidentiality on the part of the business broker can give the buyers cold feet and they can back out of the deal if they feel queasy. It can also result in them trying to blackmail the buyer in to backing down off their original offer and to sell the business for less.
And of course, then there’s the tremendous mental impact of confidentiality breach that causes immense mental stress to the parties involved. Business after all, is often a matter of people’s entire life’s work and their life goals. To see it affected by non-professionalism and a lack of ethics can crush the strongest of people.
Why you Should Always Consider a Broker
All this talk of betrayal and bad faith shouldn’t deter you, however. You can’t do anything more responsible while selling your business than contacting a business broker to help you do it. They know the industry inside out and can design confidentiality policies that hold the signees to their word. There is a lot to gain from hiring a business broker since the confidentiality agreements can be taken care of for you with your basic specifications in mind.
Business brokers recognize the tremendous value of keeping mum about confidential things and help you get the best deal for your company and make sure that the highest figure possible is maintained all the while the deal is being finalized.
This is the best chance you have of making sure that your business transitions smoothly to the best buyers and that you get the best deal that you can.
Serdar Kabul