Here’s the thing: as a group of people who has personally created, grown and sold, not just our own companies, but those of other clients’ as well, at AEPIC Partners…
We know you can experience a sort of void after scaling your Amazon FBA.
The rush to scale to another figure may fade away and you find yourself looking for more.
This is what we experienced with our own companies too. And what most of our clients experience with theirs.
Entrepreneurs enjoy the excitement of creating something from scratch (or almost from scratch).
If this is a description of yourself, here are a few steps on how to sell an Amazon FBA business.
How to sell an Amazon FBA
What we’re about to share with you are the tips that we used ourselves and that we advise our clients to follow as well.
They come from the heart and we sincerely hope they’ll help you too.
Tip 1: Get a call with an advisor
If you’re wondering if this is a good time to sell, we can guarantee you that it is.
Any call with a M&A Advisor will reinforce that.
We strongly advise you to schedule a call with an advisor so you can have an assessment of your business.
An advisor will bring a new set of eyes to look over your metrics, your numbers, and your potential for selling.
A fresh set of eyes is great to avoid overlooking small details that can cost you money, and that you may not even be considering.
Tip 2: Get a fair valuation (or a plan)
“Fair” means fair.
Not higher, not lower; fair.
Fair won’t necessarily mean what you’re expecting to get.
But this is also an added bonus of working with a proper M&A Advisory team: you can work out a plan to sell for a higher valuation.
This potential plan for a higher valuation can mean changes to the current work of your Amazon FBA.
Don’t feel threatened by the plan and its possible changes! This is all for the best and to get you the best possible selling number.
Tip 3: Get the word out quietly
“Wait, what?”
Selling a business is a big deal for everyone involved in it – including your current customers.
If someone knows you’re selling but doesn’t grasp the whole picture, bad media can spoil the deal.
Customers can drop their orders, complaints can start coming in, and that’s terrible media for the business.
Getting the word out quietly means telling the right people that you’re selling.
Mind you, this is not an easy task.
It requires some secrecy, which is bound to be broken if you talk to the wrong people.
An M&A Advisor knows how to market your eCommerce the right way, so you don’t get caught in bad media.
This will ensure a safer, smoother process for all parties involved.
Tip 4: Make some noise
When the deal is sealed, that’s when you make some noise.
That’s when the media can finally cover the whole picture and market the selling of your business in a proper way.
You have several examples of this: YouTube being sold to Google is a good one.
People didn’t even know this was happening until the deal was sealed.
Tip 5: Get your money
After all is done, it’s time to get your money’s worth.
Most entrepreneurs are back in the game in up to 6 months, right after enjoying some well deserved vacations.
This is the emotional part of the whole process.
However, remember that you’re not saying goodbye. You’re merely opening yourself up to new opportunities.
Read this before selling
We couldn’t finish without also pointing out some things to be careful with.
Yes, hiccups do happen. They are minimized with an advisor but it’s important for you to be aware of them.
Negotiation
This is a key element and there are a lot more things that can go wrong than you can possibly fathom.
Negotiating with a potential buyer, whose only job is to buy companies as profitable as possible, is not the same as negotiating with a supplier. You need to understand this.
It’s a delicate process and you need all the help you can get.
Emotional response
Emotional response can kill the deal and you may not sell an Amazon FBA because of it.
This is also another reason to bring a third party like AEPIC Partners to the table: making sure no rush decisions are made and no emotional responses are given.
An emotional response can be an outburst if you don’t agree on the valuation, the future working of the business, etc.
Avoid these at all costs.
Never stop taking care of the business while selling
Just because you’re preparing to sell doesn’t mean you should stop chasing the best results.
It’s the exact opposite of it!
The more you work to increase your numbers, the more you can expect to get from the selling of your Amazon FBA.
Conclusion
There’s always a next step.
In eCommerce we urge our customers to always get their next product from our stores.
As entrepreneurs it’s only natural that we also have a next step coming in.
Don’t forget to always have an advisor by your side and you can rest assured that you will sell an Amazon FBA for the best possible valuation.
