Turning an idea into a competent and profitable business is the utmost priority for many entrepreneurs. As exciting as it may be seeing your venture keep its doors open, for one reason or another, you might find yourself wanting an exit strategy.
IPO, stepping down for others to lead or acquisition are the conventional exit strategies for startups. The latter being the most prevalent exit strategy. Or even the main idea of setting your startup was to sell it eventually. Nevertheless, early prep work will bolster your startup’s value for sale.
It’s not a walk in the park to improve the value of your business before a sale. Still, every entrepreneur intends to maximize the value of the startup they have put many resources into. However, it’s achievable by heeding and relying on the following tested and proven techniques that have suited entrepreneurs before.
7 Key Steps to Boost Your Startups Value for Selling
Seek Advice
Great investors and advisors can help you prepare your startup for sale. An experienced outside advisor will give you an expert’s valuation and guide you to a consistent sale process.
Advisors will also help you figure out the perfect moment to set up your startup for sale. They may play a part to ensure you find the right buyer while ensuring you secure a genuine and accurate worth of your venture.
Increase Your Profitability
Rarely will a potential acquiring company offer a considerate value for a startup, only breaking even or incurring losses. Proof that your business is currently profitable and the profits will keep up the upward trend will guarantee a better deal.
Reduce expenses by cutting overtimes and excessive staffing as much as possible. Find channels where you can cut costs and increase profits to improve your bottom line.
Good retained earnings on your balance sheet is an alluring factor to many prospective buyers.
Have A Long-Term Strategic Plan
Having a long term formal plan with measurable goals and milestones gives prospective buyers an idea of leveraging your startup’s operations to turn a future profit. This not only provides your business credibility but also assures greater profitability and higher business value.
Stand Out From The Crowd
It goes without saying that a unique product or service gives your startup an upper competitive edge in the market. It’s vital to showcase to prospective new business owners what makes your startup stand out from competitors.
And this doesn’t necessarily depend on your final products. A customer-centric approach that distinguishes you from other businesses guarantees the potential buyer’s advantage over their competitors.
You can have existing clients or long-term clients vouch for why they prefer doing business with you and what keeps them coming. Not to forget, any positive reviews on social networks will be an added benefit.
Highlighting your startup’s uniqueness expedites your acquisition success, and you can command a higher price.
Develop Your Human Capital
Investing in human capital is one of the most critical steps towards increasing your startup’s worth.
The majority of new prospective business owners want to keep the employee turnover rate as low as possible, especially if they are unfamiliar with your startup’s industry. Cultivating a high-quality management team together with the lowest level employees adds value to your startup. This is hugely beneficial to startups with minimal tangible assets.
Experienced, talented, motivated and well catered for employees are pathways to sustainable business growth and massive business value.
Also, it’s essential to disclose the prospective deal to your team. This sorely should be your responsibility. Remember, your workforce joined your startup for a mission and placed their loyalty in you. You have to inform them that the acquisition is the best path to attain that mission.
In any case, if your team gets informed of a potential deal from the prospective buyer or other sources, it would break trust and may lead to a high turnover rate.
Highlight Both Tangible And Intangible Assets
Owned assets, such as land, equipment, furniture and inventory, will determine the value of your startup. Also, intangible assets such as contracts and agreements, client relations, and many more can boost its value.
Don’t coy from showing off your most valuable assets. Highlight their grand hallmarks and enduring quality.
Also, listing the prices of both physical and intangible assets can help you figure the tentative worth of your startup.
Establish Repeatable Processes That Will Continue When You Are Gone
This technique comes in handy, especially if you have decided to sell your startup after lifting its value ultimately. The potential buyers have to understand how you set up your business from the ground. If your venture is lucrative and you are the only one capable of keeping that trend, it may be hard for future business owners to accept your deal.
Your methods have to be teachable and repeatable. Already you may be having the advantage of having a successful and impressive startup. But, the prospective owners must learn how to cope after your departure.
Final Thought
These 7 key steps to boost your startup’s value for selling put you in the spotlight for a successive acquisition, improve sales, profit margins, and build a successful startup.
