7 Reasons to Sell Your Business Now

It seems like we’re at a fork in the road. On the one hand, there are some positive signs that the economy has recovered from the downturn of 2008. At the same time, the unemployment rate and housing market can’t seem to manage more than a limp, Europe’s sovereign debt crisis is still headline news and banks continue to behave badly. It’s precisely because we’re at this inflection point that we see a lot of business owners hitting the eject button. If you’ve been thinking of selling your business, here are seven reasons to get out now.

Exit planning and the secret powers of time

I recently ran across a YouTube video called The Secret Powers of Time. Behind the clever animation is the voice of Philip Zimbardo, a social psychology professor at Stanford who explains that how we view time — our orientation within six human time zones — affects every aspect of our lives. Our perspective on time influences who we are, how we view relationships and how we act in the world.

Will selling your business fund your retirement?

Most owners have a dream of running their business for their working career, finding a buyer and then riding off into the sunset with no other planning. But without proper planning, the notion that your business is all it takes to get to retirement is usually a myth. Josh Patrick, financial planner, offers some strategies that will help ensure that you can afford to leave your business.

Why buy an existing business?

One of my first posts at the New York Times was titled “Buying a Business Instead of Starting One.” I illustrated the reasons for buying an existing business by telling the story of a business owner named Sam. At the end of the post, Sam is revealed to be none other than Sam Walton — founder of Walmart Stores, Inc. — who bought a Ben Franklin variety store in 1945 and turned it into the world’s largest retailer.