Are you licensed?
Are you a CBI?
Tell me more about you
Is your company independent?
Do you require an exclusive agreement?
How long is the agreement?
What is your fee?

 

Business Advisor Selection

When considering a business advisor to acquire a business, be sure to ask the following questions:

Are you licensed?

In California and many other states, a business broker must have a valid real estate license. If he is a broker, rather than an agent, that is even better.



Are you a CBI?

A Certified Business Intermediary, by the International Business Brokers Association, is the gold standard certification for business brokers. It ensures a substantial level of training, experience and professionalism in the field of business brokerage. The California Association of Business Brokers recently started a Certified Business Broker program that, while not as stringent or prestigious as the CBI, is a start.



Tell me more about you

Some business brokers have more skills and experience than others. Is yours the owner and/or a real broker, or just an agent within the office? Has he owned or run his own businesses? What kinds of businesses has he actually sold? Does he have a college or professional degree, perhaps in business, law or technology? Is he a true business advisor, who can advise you in other aspects of your business?



Is your company Independent?

An Independent business brokerage can offer service and innovation not offered by Franchised offices, which tend to use "cookie-cutter" approaches. For example, a Franchised office will often just throw business ads on the internet, while an Independent office might add more creative print and mail strategies to reach additional buyers and achieve higher selling prices. While Franchises will tout their the "billions and billions" of business sales, these figures generally refer to the entire franchise network. In reality, individual Franchised offices tend to be small and act alone, but lack the service and creativity of some Independent offices.


Do you require an exclusive agreement?

Let us hope so. Most good business brokers will require an exclusive representation agreement, which means that you will not employ other business brokers during the term of that agreement. If your business broker would accept an "open listing" or other non-exclusive arrangement, then he is probably either desparate to get a client, really a real estate agent posing as a business broker, or not planning to spend much on advertising your business. A good business broker will make a substantial investment in you, and expects a strong commitment from you in return.



How long is the agreement?

Most business brokers will ask for 6-18 months to sell your business. This is because the average business sells in 7.5 months, although some may sell faster and others, especially larger businesses, can take 18 months or even longer. If your business broker gets paid only when you close escrow, then you should give him a reasonable time to sell the business and recover his marketing investments. Don't expect the business broker to spend much on advertising, if he has only a short time to sell the business. If you want success, give your broker time to achieve it.



What is your fee?

Business brokers often charge a 10-15% success fee, payable as a percentage of the sale price at close of escrow, to sell a small business. They may also charge a $10,-000 - $20,000 preparation fee, along with a lower percentage success fee, to sell a multi-million dollar business. Fees for commercial real estate in the transaction are often 4-6%. As you can see, business brokerage fees can be 2-3 times real estate commissions, because there is a lot more work involved. If you receive a quote significantly below these figures, then tread carefully. Make sure that you are dealing with real business broker who: has a license and CBI; knows what he is doing; has sold businesses; and plans to really advertise your business. A 2-3% apparent "savings" in brokerage fees would mean nothing if the business is not sold, and pale in comparison to a 10-15% lower price due to inadequate marketing, or thousands in legal expenses due to transaction errors. Remember, you get what you pay for!

Although chemistry and trust will no doubt play strong roles in your selection of a business broker, the questions above should provide a sound foundation for you to make your final decision.

This may be one of the biggest decisions of your life.

   
     

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“I was happy with my experience with [BestSoCal]. Very professional and willing to help when the time came. Very responsive and hands on, not like my other experiences with agents and brokers. Very appreciated.”

Todd Uyesugi, Seller
Purrfect Auto Service

“[BestSoCal] has handled the sale in the most professional and complete manner possible. I am very pleased with the experience.”

Matt Ouwerkerk, Buyer
Purrfect Auto Service

“(The landlord) was difficult, but with Alan’s patience it all worked out for the best! Lino did an excellent job with customer service, always polite! Thanks!!”

Rich & Trish Lindsay, Sellers
The Good Day Café

“Alan was very helpful. Always returned our phone calls (not everyone does). He made us feel at ease, and found us the perfect business! We were looking for about a year. He made this a great experience. A million thank yous!”

Debbie Rosetti-Colacion, Buyer
The Good Day Café

“I am writing this note to express my extreme satisfaction with the way the sale of my restaurant was handled by Elizabeth Rebufat of [BestSoCal]. It was an amazing accomplishment considering the time of year and the type of business it is. Being the middle of November, I didn’t expect it to be listed and sold within 3 weeks, truly a tribute to the diligence of the agent and the great marketing skills of the brokerage. Excellent negotiating skills kept this in escrow, and kept the buyers motivated to purchase this business. It made the whole transaction less stressful for me. I am so glad I listed with Elizabeth, as I have found a new friend, and would absolutely do business with her and her broker again.”

Jason Reavis, Seller
Jason’s Provence Boulangerie

“You guys made everything very simple, and I never once felt that Elizabeth was biased toward the seller. I like how you did comparisons for us. You went out of your way to find industry information for us. Surprisingly, I bought a business I never would’ve considered because Elizabeth was able to assess our needs.”

Omar Toma, Buyer
Jason’s Provence Boulangerie

“Absolutely superb! Highest recommendations! Extremely professional!”

Marty Johnson, Seller
MiniPl8s

“Elizabeth kept in contact throughout the entire process and always answered any questions I had. She made me feel very comfortable during the whole experience. Great service!”

James Taylor, Buyer
MiniPl8s

“Everyone, from Lino to Sylvia to Alan was very helpful and professional!”

Jeff Linder, Seller
SanTan

“Good, professional, efficient service.”

Jeff Bower, Buyer
Santan

“I want to thank [BestSoCal] for your professional services provided in selling my business. Special thanks to Randy Neyland and Jaime Gomez. You guys are special. I couldn’t do it without you. Again, I commend your services and thank you very much.”

Sal Garcia, Seller
La Torta Gigante

“…[BestSoCal] have been helpful and professional. We are satisfied with their performance. We would also like to continue to do business with them in the future. Randy Neyland was nice and great. We are happy and are ready to open. Keep up the good work.”

Omar Romero & Enrique Velazquez, Buyers
La Torta Gigante

“Excellent Rep. Always returns call very promptly. Never left me waiting. Always seems to keep client’s best interest first. A true pleasure to work with.”

Jerry Thibodeau, Seller
J & C Creative Designs

“Outstanding customer service. Easy, smooth transaction. Clear explanations; good understanding. Excellent marketing presentation.”

Joseph Zeeb, Buyer
J & C Creative Designs

“Incredible service from Alan. This was a tough sell and I’ll be grateful to [BestSoCal] forever!”

Tran Tracy, Seller
Ana Christina Salon

“Customer service from Alan Lippincott went above and beyond the call of duty. Alan was consistently supportive; professionally business focused during a very difficult settlement; and with a cheerful spirit. I highly recommend Alan as a business broker and would definitely use his services again.”

Carol Hartman, Buyer
Ana Christina Salon

“Outstanding organization, great teamwork. This was money well spent, and I frankly couldn’t have asked for anyone better than Elizabeth, and there was nothing I would have changed about the way she handled everything – exceptional!”

Stefano Riznyk, Seller
American Immigration Attorneys

“I was satisfied with doing business with Lucky Team Escrow, and would recommend [BestSoCal] to anyone.”

Henry Coronado, Seller
Hacienda Plaza Barber Shop

“We appreciate everything you have done for us. We are really happy about it! Jaime, Alan, and Randy, we appreciate all of you. We appreciate…Carol at Lucky Team Escrow who helped us a lot. Thank you all!”

Juan Ambriz & Laura Padilla, Buyers
Hacienda Plaza Barber Shop

“Our experience working with you has been extremely good. You made the whole transaction completely painless. You guys showed a very high level of professionalism and were very patient when things did not go completely according to plan. You actually helped us bring everything back on track to close the transaction in a timely manner.”

Jatinder Singh, Buyer
Advanced Car Stereo & Systems

“Elizabeth is a “breath of fresh air,” and it made my job so easy!”

Carol Jones, Certified Senior Escrow Officer
Lucky Team Escrow, Inc.

“[BestSoCal] did an exceptional, professional performance of all duties as commercial real estate representatives. I would highly recommend their service to colleagues without hesitation.”

Olva Jang, Seller
Top Banana

“This transaction went quite smoothly. Alan stayed on top of the process and made sure everything went as planned.”

Raili Classen, Seller
Inkwells Paperie

“It was a great experience! Thank you Alan for helping us with this. I’m very happy and we are thankful for all your hard work. You ROCK!”

Karen Abdul, Buyer
Inkwells Paperie

“ [BestSoCal], made the whole process of selling my business as easy as possible. I feel confident that all the legal steps have been taken and I can sit back and enjoy retirement. I would recommend this service to my friends.”

Mick Ofield, Seller
Design Works Advertising Agency
 

“Thank you for all your efforts! As a point of memorialization, without your help, I would have overpaid the purchase price by approximately $1,000,000!! You have been very professional with much patience! Thank you! ”

Steve Berggren, Seller
Ramtech Laboratories, Inc.

“I was very happy with Alan’s work, and when we met him he was on top calling, informing us in everything. All I can say is that we were happy with his service.”

Raul Rizo, Buyer
Flexible Plumbertool

“Excellent service. Prompt response on each and every issue.”

Alex Friedland, Seller
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill

“I would recommend Joleen to anyone who lists with [BestSoCal].”

Alice Billman, Seller
The Center for Body, Mind & Spirit

“Joleen made it happen! Kind & considerate, helpful! Alan gets things handled! Thanks very much!”

Debbie Drew, Buyer
The Center for Body, Mind & Spirit

“Alan was wonderful to work with, he made the process very easy for us. We would definitely work with your company and Alan again. Thank you for a well handled, smooth experience!

Spienello Deli Inc., Seller
Spinello’s Café & Deli

“The service from Alan was the best!”

Santiago Escobar & Jose Vidal Escobar, Buyers
Spinello’s Café & Deli

“Thank you for everything. I really appreciate your great endeavor to help me.”

Tristan Parque, Seller
Aim Mail Center #24

“It took longer than expected, but Elizabeth was very patient and made everything finish smoothly…”

Young Choi, Buyer
Aim Mail Center #24

“Alan showed the upmost in professionalism while carrying my sale from marketing to close. I would not only recommend him, but I would use him again.”

Xtreme Autosports, LLC, Seller
Xtreme Autosports, LLC

“Alan was very helpful with every step of the purchasing process. He was always available and answered all questions and concerns promptly.”

John Solitare, Buyer
Xtreme Autosports, LLC