If you had the foresight to create an online company years ago, you are likely ahead of the curve. According to Nasdaq, it is estimated that 95% of purchases will be through eCommerce by 2040. That means investors are motivated to get involved with eCommerce and internet business sales are booming. But what do you need to know when selling an Internet business?
The bad news is that a significant number of business sale transactions fall apart before closing. If you are considering selling your online business, it’s important to get informed so that you can maximize your profits and minimize risk.
Here are the top 5 things you will want to know when selling your online business:
1. Prepare your Internet business for sale
Before you publish your sale or start working with a website sales broker make sure your online business is actually ready for sale. Ensure you have written business contracts in place with key employees, suppliers, or contractors so they will remain with the business after the sale. Also make sure your intellectual property, spam, and privacy policies enable you to legally transfer information to the third-party purchaser. Have a professional look over (and supplement, if needed) your financial and tax information because you will need to divulge accurate and thorough financial information to potential buyers.
2. Determine your desired outcome
There’s more to selling an Internet business than simply deciding on a selling price. Determine how you would like to be paid (do you want to be paid a lump-sum or in installments?) and whether you will provide financing for the sale. Also, do you intend to stay with the business as a consultant or employee after the sale? If so, determine how long you plan on staying and what you want to be paid for your time (above and beyond the website purchase price).
Related Article: Sell An Internet Business – How To Avoid 3 Costly Mistakes
Do not make the mistake of offering ongoing consulting services without a solid agreement governing the terms of your consulting. Many internet business owners get stuck doing free work 90 days to a year post-sale just to keep the business afloat until the buyer is up to speed. You can avoid that.
3. Conduct a pre-sale legal compliance review
You will want to ensure your website is not violating any intellectual property, spam, or privacy laws before you even consider posting your business for sale. Legal issues in the business will reduce the value of your business, or worse, prevent a sale entirely.
4. Use the right professionals
There are plenty of well-versed professionals with respect to selling traditional brick & mortar businesses, but selling an online business is not the same. You will need to work with a professional with specific knowledge and experience in eCommerce business sales. An Internet business lawyer can help ensure you have the appropriate legal documents and field questions from potential purchasers to bring your deal to the closing table while minimizing risks.
5. Protect yourself against risks
Selling any business carries certain risks. Sometimes competitors act like a prospective buyer in order to gain confidential business information that they will use to compete with your business. Be wary of frivolous prospects by carefully reviewing letters of intent and seeking the advice of experienced internet business counsel. You also want to be cautious of contracts and legal documents provided by potential buyers, because those documents will be written in favor of the buyer, not you!
Also, if you plan on financing part of the sale, make sure you secure that part of the sales price with collateral to minimize the risk of nonpayment. Without collateral, it may not be financially profitable for you to pursue legal remedies in the event of nonpayment. By securing your financial agreement with collateral, you are protecting your ability to collect if issues arise.
While these are the fundamentals to selling an internet business, you will want to perform due diligence and learn as much as you can about this online business transaction process to ensure you get maximum value.
Do You Need Help Selling An Internet Business?
If you have a motivated prospective buyer and time is of the essence, it will be worthwhile to contact an experienced attorney right away. Attorney Young helps entrepreneurs sell their eCommerce business for a fair price while reducing your legal risks. If you are ready to sell your Internet business or simply want to learn more about the process, schedule a phone consultation with Attorney Mike Young and he will help you develop a road map to ensure you get what you want from the deal.
