Business Advisors of Northeastern Indiana
At the Fort Wayne, Indiana, office of Morgan & Westfield, our business advisors exclusively serve the business owners of the Northeastern Indiana and Northwestern Ohio regions. Specific communities in these areas that we serve include:
- Indiana: Fort Wayne, New Haven, Edgerton, Harlan, Leo-Cedarville, Huntertown, Laotto, Spencerville, Butler, Artic, Hamilton, Auburn, Waterloo, Ashley, Angola, Garrett, Corunna, South Milford, Kendallville, Avilla, Albion, Wolflake, Merriam, Churubusco, Tri-Lakes, Collins, Larwill, Pierceton, Warsaw, Arcola, Peabody, South Whitley, Roanoke, Noblesville, Andrews, Huntington, Markle, Plum Tree, Buckeye, Bluffton, Keystone, Geneva, Jay City, Linn Grove, Berne, Vera Cruz, Monroe, Craigsville, Tocsin, Ossian, Decatur, Hessen Cassel, Hoagland and Monroeville.
- Ohio: Edgerton, Bryan, Ney, Sherwood, Hicksville, Defiance, Cecil, Junction, Oakwood, Paulding, Continental, Latty, Payne, Logtown, Scott, Grover Hill, Cloverdale, Convoy, Van Wert, Ottoville, Wolfcale, Middle Point, Venedocia, Elgin, Willshire, Glenmore, and Rockford.
By operating exclusively within the local communities that make up these regions, our business advisors are able to maintain a superior understanding of the marketplace. This knowledge enables our advisors to provide you with advice based on current market conditions , thereby allowing us to better serve you.
Our business advisors have also made countless connections with other local industry professionals, including bankers, lawyers, tax professionals, and accountants. These connections represent a potentially invaluable resource for you as you navigate the sales process. They also help our advisors stay connected to the local marketplace and gain more insight into its dynamics, ensuring that we are always able to provide you with the best possible service.
Seller Financing
At Morgan & Westfield, our business advisors offer services to address every aspect of your business’s sale. One of the most important services that we provide is assistance with seller financing.
Most business sales include some type of financing because most buyers do not have the resources or the desire to purchase a company outright with cash. As most sales require some type of financing, it is common for sellers to finance their own sale. This is a usual choice because, while it is not required, seller financing can be advantageous for both you and your buyer.
When you choose to finance your own sale, our business advisors will assist you in establishing a debt service and structuring your financing terms with your buyer. We will make sure that your financing terms are structured in a way that is conducive to successful repayment and that allows you to maximize the rewards that you can receive from financing your own sale.
Why You Should Finance Your Own Sale
Business owners are never required to finance their own sale; however, numerous incentives can motivate many owners to consider doing so. Because of these advantages, our business advisors at the Fort Wayne, Indiana, office of Morgan & Westfield recommend that any business owner who has the resources to do so should at least consider financing their own sale.
Some of the advantages to seller financing include:
- Seller financing indicates to buyers that you are confident in your company’s continued success, making them more willing to invest in your company.
- You can charge your buyer interest on your sale price.
- Because you can offer better financing terms than traditional lending services, you can command a higher price for your business in the market.
- Capital gains taxes will be assessed over the life of the note rather than in one lump sum when the business is sold.
- The financing process can be expedited, allowing your entire sale to be closed more quickly.
- You will be able to attract more buyers, creating a competitive environment that increases the market value of your business.
Mitigating the Risks of Seller Financing
Seller financing is not without its risks. These risks are often what make sellers apprehensive about financing their own sale. However, our business advisors at the Fort Wayne, Indiana, office of Morgan & Westfield can take steps to help you mitigate those risks.
The number one way to reduce the risk of financing a buyer who will ultimately default on payments is to screen buyers. At Morgan & Westfield, our business advisors will screen all potential buyers when they initially contact us to learn more about your business. We will consider two main factors when we screen potential buyers:
- Will they be able to run your business? For your buyer to make payments, they will need to be able to run your business. While they will receive some training from you (as it is a standard clause in most sales contracts), their background should indicate that they will be capable of operating your business. So our advisors will interview the buyer and look into their background, checking if they have any experience or knowledge that would indicate their capability to run the business effectively.
- Do they have a history of repaying their debts? One of the hallmarks of a quality buyer is that they have a history of repaying their debts. For this reason, our advisors will investigate their credit history to determine the likelihood that they will successfully repay their debt to you. Any prospective buyers who do not satisfy our credit-worthiness standards will not be allowed to move forward in the sales process.
Any potential buyer that we speak to who does not meet these criteria will be removed from consideration as a buyer.
Our business advisors can also mitigate the risks of seller financing by carefully structuring your financing terms. Our team, will structure your terms in a way that makes repayment more likely for your buyer, allows you to charge a reasonable interest rate, and sets forth a reasonable repayment schedule that is beneficial to both parties. Our advisors will even consult with our banking and tax accounting contacts to ensure that your sale is structured according to the best possible industry standards.
Selling Your Business through Morgan & Westfield, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Our business advisors are capable of facilitating the sale of any business in the Northeastern Indiana and Northwestern Ohio areas. The services that we provide can be used to guide you through the entire sales process — from planning your sale to closing, and everything in between.
To learn more about the services that we provide and how we can facilitate the successful sale of your business, contact the Fort Wayne, Indiana, office of Morgan & Westfield today.
