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Corporate Finance

A guide to selling your business - part three: Marketing for sale

02/01/2025

As you prepare to sell your business, a robust marketing strategy will help convey its true value to potential buyers and achieve the best possible sale price.

However, even the most meticulous and well thought-through marketing plan won’t compensate for a business that has not been adequately prepared for sale. 

Our first article in this series  outlines the steps you should take to aid pre-sale preparation and prime your business for a positive outcome. In short, ensure you conduct a thorough assessment of the legal, financial, and operational aspects of your business, and eliminate any concerns or outstanding issues. 

You should also update your business profile and wider online presence, highlighting the competitive advantages of your products and/or services, and the unique benefits they offer your customers.

The next step is to engage a corporate finance adviser to provide a professional appraisal and an objective valuation of your business.

This will help set realistic expectations regarding its sale price, which will be critical as you evaluate offers from potential buyers. At Rickard Luckin , we would also look at similar businesses in your industry and region that have recently sold, in order to assess current market conditions and set a benchmark for the sale.

A list of potential buyers should then be agreed and refined. 

This process first involves determining the profile of your ideal buyer. Our specialist team at Rickard Luckin will use their professional experience and industry networks to market your business to credible parties who fit this profile.

Your adviser will also collaborate with you to compose the following documentation:

  • Teaser: an anonymous one-page summary of the business, intended to help potential buyers decide if they are interested in the sale.
  • Non-disclosure agreement (NDA): to ensure any business information provided to interested parties is kept confidential. 
  • Information Memorandum (IM): a comprehensive guide for potential buyers that provides essential information about your business.
  • Process letter: which outlines next steps, a deadline date for indicative offers and what details any such offer should include.

This set of documents ensures both clarity and confidentiality throughout the buyer-qualification process. 

The teaser – which does not identify your business – is initially sent to interested parties. Those who wish to proceed are then asked to sign an NDA, after which the IM and process letter may be issued.

Our Corporate Finance Team at Rickard Luckin will manage screening, enquiries and negotiations with potential buyers on your behalf.

We do this to help ensure that potential buyers have both serious intent and the financial capability to take part in the sale, before negotiating agreement terms as well as price, and assisting the due diligence stage. You should expect to receive regular progress updates – as well as friendly support – as the transaction progresses.

The right corporate finance adviser will provide both valuable expertise and experienced support throughout the entire transaction.

In our case at Rickard Luckin, this involves working alongside trusted legal advisers to finalise the sale: including drafting a Share Purchase Agreement and ensuring all assets, licences, and responsibilities are properly transferred.

We will manage the selling process from start to finish, drawing on our extensive professional networks to help identify potential buyers and facilitate a successful outcome.

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If you have any questions about the above, or would like more information specific to your circumstances, please enter your email address below and we will get in touch:
 

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