Section two
Questions owners ask
Ten questions that come up in almost every first conversation, answered without the hedging that usually surrounds them.
- 01Is this business actually sellable?
What makes a small online business sellable, which characteristics rule it out, and how to test the question before starting a process.
- 02When is the right moment?
How to judge the timing of a sale: results, personal readiness, seasonality and the difference between a good moment and an urgent one.
- 03Who actually buys online businesses?
The types of buyer active for small online companies in Europe: individuals, operators, aggregators and investors, and what each of them wants.
- 04How long does it take?
Realistic timescales for selling a small online business, from preparation through marketing and investigation to a completed handover.
- 05Does the owner have to stay on?
What buyers expect from a seller after completion, how long support periods usually run, and how to agree an involvement that ends.
- 06What happens to the team?
What a change of ownership means for staff of a small online business: legal position, timing of the announcement and what buyers usually intend.
- 07Can only part of it be sold?
Options between keeping and selling a company in full: selling a share, selling one brand, bringing in a partner or appointing a manager.
- 08What if the seller changes their mind?
What happens when an owner withdraws during a sale process, at which stages that is costly, and how commitments accumulate.
- 09How is it kept confidential?
How confidentiality is protected during the sale of a small business, what a non-disclosure agreement does, and what to do if word gets out.
- 10What happens to the name?
What a change of ownership means for a brand name, a personal name used as a brand, and the trademark registrations behind them.