Tips How To Find a Business Broker:   

Intro:

 Other than buying a home, buying or selling a business could be one of the biggest investment decisions you will ever make in your life. Whether you’re seeking to buy or sell a business, employing a professional business broker can often be instrumental in helping bring either one of these goals to a successful conclusion. Below you will find a few suggestion and tips on how to find a qualified and reputable small business broker in your area.

Internet:

By far the most popular and efficient way to begin the initial search process to find a business broker is via the internet. You can either search for a national business broker directory like findabusinessbroker.com that has listing of brokers by state and cities, or search on a more local level by using search phrases such as “ Phoenix Arizona business brokers”. Either way you should hopefully be directed to a web site with contact information and more details about the services that the individual broker or brokerage firm offers to both prospective buyers and sellers.

 Yellow pages:

 Although not as popular since the emergence of the Internet, many business brokerage firms still place listings in major metro area phone books. These listings are typically found under category headings such as “business brokers” and “business sales”.

Referrals:

 Getting a recommendation or referral from another individual or business owner who has had a positive experience with a particular Business Broker is obviously a great endorsement. A few questions you may want to ask the referring owner or business buyer include: How responsive was the broker regarding following up and returning inquires? Did the broker perform more or less as promised? Was the broker helpful in the negotiating and closing process of the sale?   

Networking Groups:

 Groups like your local chamber of commerce will often have a member or two that are Business Brokers. If not, business networking groups can be a great venue to inquire if anyone can recommend a local broker as long as you are comfortable with possibly disclosing that you might be selling a business.  

The Interview:

 Some of the pertinent and important questions you may want ask when interviewing a prospective broker to represent when selling a business should include the following: How long have you been a professional Business Broker? Do you co-broke or share your listings with other qualified Business Brokers outside your office? How many businesses do you typically sell a year? What is your qualification process when screening a prospective buyer? How do you market your listings? How do you maintain confidentiality when marketing a listing? What are your commission rates, and are their any up front fees?

Some questions you may want to ask when looking for representation as a prospective business buyer should include: Do you have access to a data base of other “business for sale” listings other than your own or your firms? Do you co-broke or work with other brokers? Do you charge any up front fees to represent buyers? Do you work exclusively with buyers only?

 Summary:

 In short, today there are a number of ways and free resources available to find a qualified professional Business Broker in your local area and state.

About Author:

Ray Haiber has 10 years experience as a professional small business broker in Phoeniz Arizona with info at http://www.azbizbroker.com To find and research new franchises for sale visit: http://www.newfranchisesforsale.com