Selling A Business: Every Word Counts

When the statistics prove that over 70% of all businesses for sale that are placed on the market to sell - don't sell it always amazes me when business brokers and business owners write their "ad copy" to sell a business they have newspapers on their mind.

The best way to sell a business in the "old days" was to place an ad in the classified section in the local newspaper. Usually advertisers put as little ad copy as possible to both save money and have potential buyers call them for more info. Usually this way of advertising was a complete waste of time to all parties - since in most instances after the buyer found out about the details of the business being sold - it wasn't what they wanted.

The same attitude has prevailed in many instances now on internet advertising by business owners and business brokers. Most still use as little ad copy as possible - are they lazy? Are they still trying to make all potential buyers call so they can "collect leads?"

My research shows that motivated potential business buyers are more apt to call on an ad that has more detailed information. This strategy not only saves a lot of time for everyone involved, but also gives the seller or business broker more qulified buyers to work with.

An example of a well written ad description should look like the one below recently placed for a gas station for sale on USABizMart:

This Major Brand Full Service Gas Station Is Located On A Major Numbered Route At An Intersection With A Car Count That Exceeds 86,000 Vehicles Per Day. The Station Offers Full And Self-Service And Includes 4 Pumps, 8 Dispensers On Two Islands With A Full Canopy. One Of The Islands Has An Attendant's Kiosk That Sells Cigarettes, Oil, Windshield Fluids, Etc. The Station Has Two Repair Bays Equipped With Hydraulic Lifts And A Third Bay For The State Inspection Machine. There Are Approximately 30 Parking Spaces. The Station Is Open 6 & 12 Daily. Gasoline Storage Includes Two 15,000 Gallon Tanks. The 1,800 SF Building Is Located On .58 Acres And Is In Excellent Condition Inside And Out And. Rest Rooms Are Accessed From Outside The Station.

Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment: Includes Tire Changer, Tire Balancer, State Inspection Machine Owned By The Seller, A Bulk Oil System, And Parts Cleaning System. Also Includes Inventory Cabinets, Desks, File Cabinets, Miscellaneous Tools, Veeder-Root Tls-350 Tank Monitoring System, Alarm System And Wayne Pos System.

Lease Information: Buyer Will Sign A 3-Year Lease With The Company At $6,850 Per Month.

Additional Information: Seller Has Operated This Station For Over 5 Years And Will Facilitate A 1&week Transition Of The Business. Buyer Provides Financing. The Car Count Is Over 80.000 Vehicles Per Day.

Employees: 4 Employees, Including 2 Mechanics And 2 Gas Attendants.

Buyer Qualifications: Purchase Subject To Company Approval, Training And Certification. Due To The High Volume Of This Station, Previous Experience Running A Gas Station Is Important. Buyer Must Disclose The Financial Resources Necessary To Purchase The Business And Support The Operations For 3 - 6 Months. Financials Will Be Provided Upon Acceptance Of An Offer To Purchase.

Great Location - High Volume Gas, 3 Bays - 2 Repair, 1 State Inspection

Included In The Price:
Furniture, Fixtures And Equipment: $75,000.

Not Included In The Price:
Gas, Parts, Snack And Cigarette Inventory.

Sales: $3.3 Million. In 2004, The Station Pumped Over 1.4 Million Gallons At 16 Cents Per Gallon Profit. In 2003, The Station Pumped 1.3 Million Gallons. Repairs Average $30,000 & $35,000 Per Month And Are Very Steady. The Location Inspects 200 - 250 Cars Monthly. Cigarette Sales Average 50 Packs Per Day. Miscellaneous Oil, Windshield Fluid, Etc. Sales Vary. Annual Cash Flow Is Well Over $100,000.

Isn't this better than:

Branded Full Service Gas Station For Sale.

Which one would you most likely call in on?
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