See Scott Hislop, President and Owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Minnesota, explain how we ensure confidentiality and professional transparency when selling a business.

See Scott Hislop, President and Owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Minnesota, explain how to stay focused on the business to maximize profit and more when selling a business.

During this interview, Scott Hislop, President and Owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Minnesota, sits down with WCCO morning news host Dave Lee to answer general business buying and selling questions. Interview details In this insider's look, Scott answers some of the common questions people ask about buying and selling a business. A few of the questions discussed in the interview are the following:

Seller financing is an attractive part of business acquisition. This happens where a business owner is willing to finance the buyer in the event of a business sale. The amount of financing usually covers part of the selling price. Combining that with a buyer's down payment or other source of financing can make all the difference when qualifying a prospective buyer. There are several instances where this setup makes the most sense to both parties involved, yet it's not the best option for all sellers looking for the successor. Here are some key things to know about seller financing:

When you consider selling your business, it is not uncommon to have little idea how to calculate value of your business or prep your business for sale. Trusting a business advisor or broker to help you learn everything from prepping for the sale, calculating value, and expectations of sales multipliers could save you time and sanity. Successful Steps for Prepping for the Sale of a Business There is more to selling a business than hanging a "For Sale" sign in the front window. Several considerations help direct prepping for the sale: Do you want employees, vendors, and customers to know immediately? If you do not plan to immediately inform employees, customers, or vendors that you plan to sell the business, you need an advisor to confidentially work on the sale. Keeping plans to sell your business as quiet as possible involves making sure financial and legal advisors keep your intentions private. If word of your plans gets out, you run the risk of creating uncertainty at the very time that you need to increase its worth. When should prepping start? Begin prepping as soon as possible. Business Insider quotes Ryan Guthrie, Director of the Private Equity Practice, BDO USA, who explains, "The majority of business owners who sell their business don't plan ahead in preparation of a sale. In most cases, a lot of things that could have increased the value of the business and decreased the risk for buyers was not done." When should I prepare financial statements? Prepare audited financial statements at least two years in advance, preferably earlier. Does making improvements really make a difference? When you need to make improvements and fail to do so, you have the potential risk of having to offer price concessions to overcome areas of weakness in your business. Calculating the Value - How and Why it's Important There is no one-size-fits-all answer for valuing a business. Several factors go in to determining value, including fair market value, investment or strategic value, intrinsic value, and other factors. Some business owners determine the value of their business on their own. However, prognosticating the value of your business can be tricky. Likely, this practice will result in either a price that's unrealistically high and turns off many interested parties, or produces a price that's unnecessarily low and keeps you from selling at full value. Expectations of sales multipliers and how it makes your sale successful Selecting the right multiplier becomes critical when valuing your business. Remember that a potential buyer does not have the same sentimental attachment to your business that you might have - and naturally so. Therefore, while you choose a higher multiplier based on what you determine as the proper sales multiplier, that does not mean it is the correct multiplier. You could even set the price too low due to using the wrong sales multipliers. Using sales multipliers allows potential buyers to translate the purchase into earnings when basing price or value on some multiple of the business's earnings potential. When you use the right sales multiplier, it potentially attracts more buyers. The right sales multiplier potentially results in a quicker sale than if you allow your emotional attachment to get in the way of valuing your business. Talk with an advisor to learn more.

We're all familiar with sports franchises relocating. Whether it's the Rams moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles, or the Seattle Supersonics moving to Oklahoma City and becoming the Thunder, certain things remain the same. As soon as word gets out that a franchise is even considering relocating, the bottom-line takes a hit. The same may be true of your business, which is why we've created TransWorld's privacy policy.Imagine that you own a successful real estate appraisal agency. You've done the math, consulted with advisors, and it's apparent that now is the best time to sell your business.

No matter if you are looking to buy or sell a business or look into franchising, you need someone – or several people – to lean on and look to as a resource. There are plenty of options when it comes to investment or business advisors, consultants, brokers, or other professionals who can help. How do you know who or what service you need when you’re ready to buy or sell a business? Know the difference between specialties and who serves who best.

The main goal of starting a profit-oriented business is financial gain. Therefore, when you are buying a business that already exists, you should be very keen of the financial statement of the firm. This will give you a clear idea of whether the business is worth investing in or not. As the business owner, you should have the financial records ready so that you know how much you will dispose of the business and how much profit that you will make. Below are some of the factors that you should have in mind when recasting your business.