Realize the Best Profit When Selling a Subsidiary Business   by Christine Harrell

in Finance / Accounting    (submitted 2010-02-28)

Put the Best Face on the Business
Potential buyers are going to look at the company's history in order to predict future profitability and recent history will be most important. This is a good time to embark on new marketing campaigns to boost customer traffic and improve revenue. If the company is losing money, you won't be able to get a good price for it.
Operating strategy just before a sale is not the same as the strategy for an ongoing business. Your outsourced accounting department has helped you structure the company's finances to minimize tax liability and many of these techniques involve putting assets in non-cash form. However buyers want to see good cash flow so you will need to ensure all liquid assets are in the bank and on the accounting sheet to be the most attractive to buyers.
Ensure Records Are Up to Date
Detailed and current financial data is an essential part of selling a company. Buyers who can't find the information they need will look elsewhere for investment opportunities. If your business has not been keeping comprehensive records, it is time to start. Sloppy or incomplete accounting data is not only bad business. It will put your company in a bad light with buyers.
Buyers will perform their own analyses of your business data and that requires current records. In today's fast paced information society, your financials need to reflect today's transactions not those from last week. Most outsourced accounting departments offer online bookkeeping services that make it easy for transactions to be kept current. Maintain updated records throughout the sales process since you never know when a buyer will want the latest information.
Cut Ties with the Company
Companies that operate together as part of a larger corporate structure often become interdependent. While this may be efficient at the time, it can make selling one of the companies difficult. The new owner wants to make a clean transition. It's often advantageous for both sides to retain business partnerships after the sale is made, but buyers should have the option of creating relationships with new businesses as well.
Analyze business operations with the help of your outsourced accounting department. Reduce dependence on the outgoing company so if the new owner decides to cut ties, your other operations won't be hurt. This often means bringing functions inside other companies or finding new partners before the sale, and it is better to do this planning in advance.
The sale of a company is not something that happens overnight. Time spent making your business look attractive will pay off in a higher sale price.