Transaction Services

Selling your business

Are you ready to move your business to the next stage of its life? Do you want to pass your enterprise on to another entrepreneur or investment fund? Perhaps you’ve made the decision to sell your business, but don't know quite where to begin? At our independent firm, we have comprehensive expertise here in-house and can support you throughout the sales process from the initial preparations, through the execution to finalising the deal. You will be assigned a personal advisor who will be your single point contact throughout the process. With our help, you can ensure total peace of mind as you hand over your enterprise.

Preparation

The first part of the preparatory phase is a business analysis: is it ready to sell? Are there any tax issues, financial points or legal matters that could be optimised? Is there a shareholders’ agreement that you need to take into account? Based on this thorough preliminary analysis, we can then determine the value of your business. Next, we draw up a detailed company profile (anonymous if required), setting out the essential details and legal information that purchasers will need to know. The financial, social security and legal information determined during the due diligence stage is made available in a virtual data room.

Execution

Once the preparatory stage is complete, it's time to put your enterprise on the market. In this phase, Vandelanotte searches on your behalf for a suitable buyer. We draw up an initial longlist and sit down with you to determine the potential buyers. Do you know a buyer who might be suitable yourself? We’ll be happy to establish contact to discuss details and handle the negotiations. It’s important during the negotiation stage that there is good rapport between you and the buyer. After all, handing over your business is first and foremost a question of trust: you need a buyer that you feel comfortable with.

Finalisation

Once you’ve come to an agreement with your buyer, all the details need to be set out in black and white in a buyout contract. Our legal experts will document all the terms and conditions and examine whether particular guarantees need to be included. You could also set up vendor finance if this is something you and your buyer want. In a vendor finance arrangement, the buyer typically pays part of the purchase price with a deferred loan from the vendor, so that the purchase can be finalised. Our focus during this phase is on finding a win-win situation for both parties.