10 Questions to ask your Business Broker.

1. Do you have a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate?

   The business broking industry is regulated by the Estate Agency Affairs Board. A person may not claim any commission on a transaction if they do not hold a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate. 
   
   Aldes Orion only operates with brokers that hold valid FFC's, so you can tick this off the list

2. What services do you provide?

   A good business broker will be able to offer more than just pure advertising of your business. Your broker should be able to assist you with the following:

   • Assist you with a market related valuation on your business;
   • Explain to you a marketing plan;
   • Be able to give sound advice;
   • And be able to assist you with all agreements and legal documentation needed.

   Aldes Orion conducts a proper market valuation that we share with you, we explain our marketing plan and how we package your business to you, we will provide you with advice even if you don't like it and we prepare all contracts for you.  You can also  tick this off the list

3. How long have you been in the industry?

   Through the years we have seen many promising business brokers come and go. The fact of the matter is that selling a business is a hard and difficult task. A brokerage that has been in in industry for some time should at least give you an indication that it knows what it is doing.
   
   Aldes Orion makes use of experienced brokers that has knowledge of various industries, deal types and business areas.  Apart from the wealth of experience in Aldes Orion we can also draw on 32 years of experience from the Aldes Group.  You can also  tick this off the list.

4. Are you alone or in a group?

   You will achieve far better results using a broker that is working in a group and have a support system. Whilst there might be many professionals operating as brokers on their own, such individuals will not be able to reach the same amount of potential buyers as a broker working within a group structure.
   
   Aldes Orion makes use of the Aldes Group network with your blessing.  This immediately place your business in front of numerous brokers and their clients country wide, giving you the best opportunity to sell your business.  You can also  tick this off the list as the Aldes Group is the largest business broker group in the country and it therefore cant get better than this.

5. How do you screen the buyer?

   It is very important to know that your broker will only introduce qualified buyers. You do not want to enter into lengthy negotiations only to end up with a buyer that is not able to buy.
   
   Aldes Orion makes use of a screening system where every buyer completes a Buyer Profile and we ask all the tough and personal questions to ensure we protect yo and your business from buyers that should not be dealing with you.  Our process has trapped many scam artists from fake Letters Of Credit, unscrupulous business buyers to those that has great intentions but no means.  You can also  tick this off the list as we don't deviate from our screening process

6. Do you have buyers?

   An active broker will always have a few buyers on his books. These clients might have enquired with the broker searching for a specific business. Your business might just be the one they are look for.
   
   Aldes Orion has a list of buyers that subscribes to our newsletter and early warning notification system.  We have various preapproved buyers looking for a specific business and your might just be it.  We have sometime sold business in 24 hours to this base, but has also sold a large business with multiple outlets after a year without any advertisements due to the sensitivity and required discretion to a new buyer that we took on in 24 hours as it were the perfect match.

7. What can I do to receive top value?

   Your professional business broker should be able to assist you with sound advice on things to do to increase the value of your business in the market place. A broker that has been “around the block” will be able to point out problems /potential problems within your business that can be rectified before putting it on the market.
   
   Aldes Orion has a its finger on market perception that changes all the time.  Perception is reality in the eye of the beholder and we will assist you to understand market perception and how to manage the sale of your business keeping that in mind.

8. What do you not do/know?

   While this might seem like a stupid question, in today’s dynamic business environment it is quite impossible for any one individual to be a specialist on all matters concerning a business. Knowing what your broker can/cannot do will enable you to source any such other services needed from other specialists, such as labour consultants or accountants.
   
   Aldes Orion will quickly point out to you what we don't do, won't do and what is not our area of expertise.  We will in those instances refer you to an expert in that field that can assist you.  As example we understand the LRA (Labour Relations Act) very well and how it pertains to staff and the buying/selling of a business.  This is however a specialist field with various procedural pitfalls with ever changing case law over time.  In this area we will refer you to an expert if a complex situation presents itself.  At the very least we recognize these pitfalls.

9. Tell me about the market trends.

   It is important that you know beforehand what is happening in the world of business broking. This will enable you to align your business proposition correctly. In Southern Africa as an example the lending criteria of banks, funding houses have a huge influence on the selling of a business.
   
   Aldes Orion keeps abreast of all the market trends in business broking especially through the large number of deals we conclude and interaction with Aldes, the largest business broking group in the country.

10. Tell me about your success.

    The end result that you have in mind is to receive top value for your business. A brokerage that has been successful in the selling of similar type of businesses is a good indication of the expected results.
    
    Aldes Orion is a top award winning brokerage that sells numerous businesses annually across a spectrum of industries, areas, various deal types and sizes.  We are focused on results and loyal to a deal, thereby ensuring that both buyer and seller need to willingly conclude a transaction beneficial to all.  That ensure repeat business for us and we have a very good repeat business client base.

To sell your business you need a professional business broker that can deliver results