Customer Reviews

How to Sell Your Business - And Get What You Want!: A Pragmatic Guide With Revealing Tips from 57 Sellers

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are selling your business it is probably worth a few bucks to hear some words of wisdom from people who've been there. But I found it more applicable to large businesses, $10M and up, selling to corporations, etc. It is not really applicable to small businesses except in a general way.

Colin Gabriel has created an extremely valuable book that--at less than $25 U.S.--is an absolute must-read for anyone contemplating the sale of a business.

HOW TO SELL YOUR BUSINESS AND GET WHAT YOU WANT! is based on a series of interviews with 57 sellers of various businesses, followed by chapters that describe the critical steps in sequence, and a number of useful appendices, glossary, index, etc.

I expected a dry and (given the number of sellers interviewed) perhaps redundant read: on the contrary, the talk is lively and varied, and I couldn't put this book down.

Gabriel--a professional business broker--obviously knows his subject, but what amazed me most was how he got these sellers to open up and speak candidly about their experiences (not just the success stories, but what they'd do differently if they could do it over again). All but 4 of the 57 permitted him to identify them by name, which gives their advice and anecdotes a (reassuring) stamp of authenticity.

The book is intelligently organized and accessible. I particularly appreciated Gabriel's direct, no-nonsense approach, and the concise descriptions of each of the businesses he has provided in the Table of Contents.

If you are thinking of selling a business for the first time, get this book--if you wait and read it later (as I did), be prepared to have regrets!

Good insight from actual sellers of businesses. Much of the info was repetitive, but this just reinforced certain aspects of the sale of a business that were universal. Nicely organized. Quotes from each seller were organized by chapter, based on nature of who business was sold to (public co, financial buyer, foreign investor, etc). Additional chapters discussed different aspects of the sale process (preparation, brokers, LBOs, price, negotiation, letters of intent, etc). Great starting point to begin research on how to sell a business

There are many books of advice on how to start a business - but this one is invaluable for those who want to sell a business without making any mistakes. Very good pragmatic stuff for owners of anything from a small store to a large industry; a good way to learn from the experience of others.

I have read several books on this subject, and this was the only one I would call truly valuable. If you are thinking of a sale, or a merger with a larger company, I can't think of a better source of wisdom than the hard-earned experiences conveyed here in very concise, and surprisingly interesting, anecdotes from people who have already done so.

I particularly appreciated the numerous comments on situations where the seller expected to stay with the company (as a consultant or executive) after the sale. Things they thought about, and things they *wish* they had thought about, are explained.

However, don't expect to receive extensive advice on how to determine what your business is worth as a specific dollar amount. The advice in this book is more about how to behave, what to worry about, when to get professional help, and so on.

Also don't expect to learn much about selling "weird" businesses. Most of the examples here are from people selling very conventional (and profitable) businesses, such as component manufacturers.

If you're selling any business, this is a good read and an efficient use of time, and may help you avoid mistakes. If you're selling a conventional business and expect to be involved after the sale (not just take the money and run), there is so much advice here that you *need* to read this book.

Practical, real life, and very well written book. Tells you exactly what to avoid, what to learn, what goes on during the process, everything you need to know, and everything you need to know more about. You'll realize people have different experiences & advice even though going through the same experience. Its not the hardcore M&A book for it doesn't cover that jargon. Great Book. I wanted to know how to sell equity for Growth Capital and it helped me loads. you can't go wrong with this.

This book was well written, but only if you are trying to sell a company worth millions of dollars. I am a small business owner and this did not help at all.

Good insight from actual sellers of businesses. Much of the info was repetitive, but this just reinforced certain aspects of the sale of a business that were universal. Nicely organized. Quotes from each seller were organized by chapter, based on nature of who business was sold to (public co, financial buyer, foreign investor, etc). Additional chapters discussed different aspects of the sale process (preparation, brokers, LBOs, price, negotiation, letters of intent, etc). Great starting point to begin research on how to sell a business