Thou shalt not open your mouth, and maintain strict confidentiality through closing. Thou shalt honor thy financial records and maintain their integrity. Thou shalt sell, repair, or pitch old, unused, or broken equipment prior to first tour. Thou shalt sell, give away, or pitch obsolete inventory. Thou shalt not covet unrealistic pricing multiples that your Uncle Harry heard your business is worth and price the business realistically for buyer cash flow and financing. Thou shalt not take the name of your broker in vain. Be transparent with your broker and include broker in all communications (No surprises please) Thou shalt not take thy foot off the gas and work hard to maintain sales and profit performance while business is for sale. Remember to have fun with the sales process, and prepare for busy and stressful moments. Thou shalt not take low offers personally. Thou shalt keep your eye on the prize and keep the big picture in mind.

Not a Record to Brag About

Many would-be entrepreneurs never take the plunge into business ownership. There are plenty of roadblocks that prevent business ownership that are very real. Some of these roadblocks are fortuitous and help us avoid disastrous consequences. Some of these roadblocks are simply inappropriate timing or we can’t get a realistic deal for the current situation. However many times, these roadblocks are based on our fears. Not all fears are bad. Healthy fears can keep us from painful consequences, but subjective fears can be debilitating and paralyzing. There are four types of unhealthy fears that often become barriers to our success:

Ollie Newbold, head of corporate finance at Randall & Payne offers the following list of value drivers for Mergers and Acquisitions that are appropriate for businesses of all sizes.