After selling nearly 100 businesses in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin from January 2012 through December 2012, Sunbelt Business Advisors business brokers and M & A Professionals are confident 2013 will be a favorable year to sell a business.
Selling a company looks to be an easier feat these days according to Sunbelt Business Advisors. Sunbelt’s offices in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Chicago, Illinois; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin saw a very busy 2012. Nearly 100 businesses sold in 2012, bringing forth an average sale price of $1.5 million dollars. Eleven of the total businesses sold had a selling price over $1 million dollars. Total sale price for all businesses sold was an astounding $140,168,675. Sunbelt Business Advisors has a dedicated team of M & A Professionals that handle middle market business transactions while most Sunbelt business brokers focus on selling small businesses. Sunbelt Business Advisors sold 80 small businesses or main street businesses with an average sale price of $277,400.
The types of businesses sold include service, manufacturing, distribution, franchise, retail, educational and telecommunication businesses. Last year Sunbelt Business Advisors business brokers and M & A Professionals sold anything from small family-owned manufacturing businesses to neighborhood laundromats to multimillion-dollar distribution companies. Service businesses sold the most with 46% of sales attributed to this industry segment. Distribution businesses accounted for 13% of sales while manufacturing businesses came in at 12% of the overall businesses sold.
Sunbelt Business Advisors is the national franchise coordinator for Sunbelt Network, which is the largest main street and lower middle market business intermediary firm in the world. Franchise businesses remained attractive options for buyers due to high success rates and on-going franchise support. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), franchise businesses in the U.S. account for 40% of all retail sales and provide jobs for some 8 million people. This could by why out of the total businesses sold by Sunbelt Business Advisors franchise businesses contributed 9% of sales. Businesses that included real estate in the sale accounted for 5% of total sales in 2012. Some businesses sold very quick, 17 days from market to close for a service business and another two service businesses sold in 25 days. Over a third of businesses sold by Sunbelt Business Advisors in 2012 included some form of seller financing. Seller financing continues to be a key selling point for buyers.
Due to these overall sales and figures for 2012, Sunbelt Business Advisors business brokers are confident 2013 will be a favorable year to sell a business.
