I’m often asked for tips on how to improve my written communication when selling a business. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years.
If you’re looking to sell your business, you need to improve your written communication skills. If you can’t communicate effectively in writing, it will be difficult to get the price you want for your business. This is especially true if you are selling your business to someone who is not in the same industry as you are in. You need to be able to explain your business in a way that makes it easy for your potential buyer to understand.
The best way to do this is to write a business plan. A business plan is a written document that explains how your business works, what you do, how you do it, and how much it costs to operate. It also explains how much your business is worth and why you think it is worth what you are asking for it. Once you have written your business plan, you can share it with potential buyers. If they like what they see, they will be more likely to offer you a fair price. If not, you will have a better idea of what they are willing to pay and you can adjust your price accordingly.
Here are a few things you can do to help you write a better business plan:
1. Know your business inside and out
The first step to writing a good plan is to know your business well. You have to know the ins and outs of your business so that you can explain it to someone else in a clear and concise way. This will make it easier for them to understand what your business does and how it works. You also need to know what your competitors are doing so you can make sure that you are not being duplicated by them. You can find out about your competitors by talking to other business owners in your industry. They can tell you what they do and how they do it. They will also tell you how much they charge for their services and what they think your business should be charging.
You can also use the Internet to research your competitors. There are a lot of websites out there that will allow you to search for businesses that are similar to yours. For example, if you run a restaurant, you could search for “restaurants near me.” This will give you a list of all the restaurants in your area that offer the same type of service that you do. You could then contact the owners of these businesses and ask them what they charge to operate their business.
2. Know what you want to sell
Once you have a good understanding of your own business, it is time to think about what you would like to get out of the sale. What is it that you want the buyer to get from buying your business? Do you want them to continue to operate your business as it is now, or would you like them to make changes to the way it works? If you are looking for a buyer who is interested in making changes, you may want to consider selling the business as-is. If, on the other hand, you want a buyer that will continue to run your business the same way that it is currently being run, then you will need to make some changes to it.
3. Make sure that your plan is easy to read
One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make when writing their business plans is that they make them too long. You want your plan to be short and to the point. It needs to be easy to understand and easy to follow. If it is too long, your potential buyers will get bored and lose interest.
4. Include all of the information that you need
When you are writing your plan, make sure to include all of your financial information. This includes things such as your profit and loss statements, your balance sheets, your cash flow statements, and your income statements. You will also want to include information about your assets and your liabilities.
5. Include a section that explains your business
It is also a good idea to include a section in your plan that explains why you are offering your business for sale. This can be a short paragraph or a couple of pages. Explain what you like about your business and why it is a good fit for a potential buyer.
6. Make your plan easy to share
You should also make your plan as easy as possible to share with a buyer. This means that it should be written in plain English so that it can be easily understood. It should also be in a format that the buyer can easily print out and take with them so that they can read it at their leisure.
7. Include an appendix
An appendix is a section at the end of your plan where you can include any additional information that is not included in the main body of the plan. This could be information about the industry in which your business operates, any regulations that you have to follow, or anything else that you think would be helpful to the buyer. You should also include a cover letter with your plan. The cover letter is a letter that you send to the potential buyer after they have made you an offer. It is a chance for you to let them know what you think of their offer and why they should buy your business from you.
8. Proofread your plan
There is nothing worse than having a plan that is full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. When you are ready to send your plan out to potential buyers, you should proofread it to make sure it is error-free.