We Sell Businesses

We need to keep reminding ourselves of this in the present turbulent times. As with many other businesses, the last 4 years have been tough for us – a battle to maintain sales and profits. We have reviewed our processes and systems, trimmed expenses (but you cannot cut your way to success) and focussed on our team and on the relationships we have built up over 50 years.

But we always get back to the basics – ours is a simple business: get a listing, market it, and negotiate a sale.

Listings – are critically important to us and we are fortunate that we get so many referrals and previous clients coming back to us. A good listing will have full information, no fishhooks, a genuine reason for sale, and a motivated vendor ready to meet the market. We want to sell the area, the history, and the potential – not just the figures.

Marketing – call me old fashioned but we believe the marketing is our job and therefore it should be at our expense. That’s why when you sell with us you won’t have to pay a cent until we sell your business. We understand the importance of confidentiality and of following up potential buyers. Our marketing includes 8 Internet sites, print ads, direct mail, and database marketing.

Negotiating – computers are wonderful (I love my i-pad) but they don’t sell businesses. People sell businesses. Our team aim to get face-to-face with prospects and to bring passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and honesty to the negotiating table. We work for the vendor but have an ethical responsibility to the purchaser. And our experience has taught us flexibility and lateral thinking in structuring deals.

Clyth MacLeod, Managing Director of Clyth MacLeod, Ltd., in New Zealand has over 40 year’s experience in business broking and business valuation. Clyth is also a director of Business Appraisals Ltd (business valuers), BizStats Ltd (a national database of business sales information) and Australasian Business Valuations Ltd (consultancy). The only business broker to be awarded a Life Membership by the Real Estate Institute of NZ and a Fellowship by the International Business Brokers Association he remains active in the industry and committed to leading a professional team.