If you're running a restaurant that you intend to sell for a nice profit, then the decisions you make will heavily influence the outcome. This guide equips you with some efforts to maximise value from your restaurant sale. A good lawyer can make a huge difference to your sales plans because they are able to harness their legal expertise for your eventual benefit.

Sell When Your Bottom Line Is Positive

Most businesses tend to sell when they aren't doing well, but this could end up impacting the amount you're able to command for your restaurant. Buyers are not ignorant. They will visit the restaurant at different points and send incognito personnel to gain an understanding of how you operate. If you attempt to sell when your restaurant is doing poorly, you can almost always expect the potential buyer to negotiate heavily with you. On the other hand, if you attempt to sell when you're in the middle of a booming period, you can theoretically command a premium for your restaurant. Perception plays a big role when selling, so busy restaurants will certainly sell for a higher price than empty ones, even if everything else remains the same.

Understand Market Sentiment And Trends

The current sentiment of the market and existing trends will certainly impact the amount you can command for your restaurant, so pay close attention to them. For example, if food is the current trend and everyone is vying for a 'slice of the pie' then you'll likely have a few buyers lined up for your restaurant. But if current sentiments are focused on other industries like retail and fashion, then you may want to wait until people look at food as a viable investment once again. All businesses typically follow cyclical patterns, so make sure you sell at a point when food is the current trend to get top dollar.

Make Sure The Sales Contract Is Designed To Protect Your Interests

Hiring a lawyer will help you draw up a sales contract designed to protect your interests during the sale. Your lawyer will develop a contract to include all assets being transferred to a potential buyer. These assets may include everything from furniture and cash registers to kitchen appliances and cookers that already exist in your restaurant. If you desire, you can also include a clause about employee retention. Your lawyer may also include clauses about penalties if the buyer doesn't proceed with the sale after signing the contract. Without these clauses in place, you could end up making big mistakes during the sale.

Follow these efforts to successfully sell your restaurant for maximum value.

Share