Presentation by Joe Saad

Often you see FISBO listings (For Sale By Owner). Not only for houses, but also for businesses.

Do these owners really think they are doing themselves a favor in trying to avoid paying Brokers commission?

When the owners of a business try to sell it on their own, what is their knowledge and experience in the field of business sales? Does they know the pitfalls and the dangers of such transactions?

Whilst they might sell one business every 5 years (at best) professional business brokers sell 50 times more!

Whilst they might think their business is worth $200,000, professional business brokers might find out it worth much more (sometimes) or much less (most of the time...

Whilst they may lose a potentially qualified buyer because of financing restrictions or difficulties, professional business brokers might bring to the table many financing solutions which might clinch the deal.

Whilst they might omit to foresee the pitfalls of “non-compete” agreements, “liquidated damages”, “hold harmless” other crucial elements of a business sales transaction that might protect themselves, professional business brokers will bring to the table a sleuth of ideas and recommendations that might do just that.

We have a saying in my home country (Lebanon): Give your bread to the baker to bake, even if he eats half of it… Whilst professional brokers are not going to eat half of anything, maybe 10% at best, they will deliver a bread that is perfectly “baked” which is ready, healthy and delicious to eat.

One thing for sure: My commission has never been an obstacle for the closing of a deal. Like everything else in a business transaction, commissions are not set in stone: they are negotiable.

Talking about negotiable, I can humbly say that the biggest asset of a successful business broker is the art of “negotiation”. We have successfully transacted so many business sales that we can always draw on our experience and knowledge to bring to the table solutions that neither buyers nor sellers may ever think of.

Our commission is not our only reward, fortunately: our reward also comes from the pleasure of helping business owners avoid bankruptcy sometimes, or helping them realize their retirement dream of travelling to visit their grandkids, or assisting a buyer into launching his or her dream of being independent and creative...

So in order to continue doing what we do best, there are bills to be paid and food to put on the table: that’s what commissions are for...

But the best part is: Brokers only get paid IF they perform… thus the commission.

That’s why hiring a broker to do the job is “risk free”, and payment is COD!!!