Buying or selling a business is a huge decision for those on either side of the transaction. Whether your company is the size of The New York Times or a small mom and pop, be sure you weigh the pros and cons carefully before moving forward. As the iconic About.com changes hands for a substantial sum, here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your next big acquisition or sale.
Big Deal
Sold to the highest bidder. IAC, a conglomerate owning a variety of online properties including Ask.com, bought About.com, with an Alexa rank of 37 in the US and 80 worldwide for traffic, from The New York Times Company for around $300 million this week, beating out an offer from Answers.com of $270 million in debt and equity. The sale was for less than the $410 million the newspaper company paid for the site back in 2005. TechCrunch
The biggest sale of your life. For most owners, the sale of a business will be the biggest of their lives. With so much riding on the outcome, it’s critical to get the process right. So it’s surprising that when the time finally comes, so many owners miss the opportunity to maximize the value they get from that business and the chances the sale will go successfully. The Guardian
Taking yourself out of the equation. If you want your business to be more valuable to an acquirer, the first step is to make sure it can operate and grow without you. For many entrepreneurs, this is a challenge not just because of the passion they have for their business. It’s also because many business leaders have allowed themselves to become indispensable to their company’s day to day operations. Inc.com
Virtual Value
Pleased to meet you, Alexa. When selling your Web business, one important factor to consider is your Alexa ranking. Though there are some issues with how Alexa calculates a Website’s ranking, the value can be important for a variety of reasons. Here are some tips for raising your ranking as a strategy to increase the value of your site. The Frugal Entrepreneur
Flipping your site on Flippa. Flippa, the Website best known as a place to buy and sell other Websites, has developed a tool to help provide valuations based on earnings, search rankings, and other factors. But some aren’t so sure the tool can be trusted. Here, Hesham Zebida gives his review of the new Flippa beta and a few more Website valuation tools out there. Famous Bloggers
Buyer Beware
Sizing up your opportunities. The greatest challenge in buying a business is determining whether it is worth the price you will pay. To figure this out, it’s necessary to exercise due diligence and look beneath the surface. Here are some suggestions from an example in which a potential buyer is determining whether purchasing a fitness business is worth the investment. Chron.com
Going for broke. One step to consider when trying to buy a business is to hire a broker to give you a hand in your search. The right broker can find you a business in your particular niche, help you secure financing, and assist you in a number of other ways when it comes to acquiring the business that is right for you. Noobpreneur
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