Is Your Business Ready to Sell?

Consistent, accurate tax returns with ATO — no outstanding lodgements or amendments.

Your salary, personal car, personal expenses run through the business — all quantified and ready to present to a buyer's accountant.

Up-to-date accounts showing revenue, cost of goods, and gross margin by month — not just a year-end tax return.

Know exactly what % of revenue each major customer represents — buyers will ask, and a clean answer signals control over your business.

A capable manager or team runs day-to-day operations, customer service, and decisions without requiring you on-site or on-call.

Customers know and trust team members beyond you. Introductions have been made, and contacts are in a CRM or central system.

You've thought through who covers each critical function when you step back, and at least one person is being developed for greater responsibility.

Pricing logic, supplier terms, key client preferences, exception-handling decisions — captured in writing so they survive your departure.

Written SOPs or checklists for the 5–10 most common tasks in the business. Doesn't need to be perfect — buyers want to see structure exists.

CRM, accounting software, job management or ERP — a buyer needs to take over a system, not reconstruct it from files on your desktop.

All employees have current, compliant contracts. No undocumented arrangements, unpaid entitlements, or off-the-books workers.

Business name, domain, trademarks, licences, and any patents are registered in the company's name — not yours personally.

Major supply or service agreements exist in writing and can be transferred to a new owner without customer approval (or you know which ones require consent).

Revenue is spread across multiple customers. If your top customer is over 30%, buyers will discount for concentration risk — or walk away.

Key suppliers have contact with other team members. Supplier terms and agreements are documented and not tied to your personal guarantee or relationships.

You know the terms of your property lease, equipment leases, and any business or professional licences — including whether they transfer automatically or require consent.

You've spoken to a tax adviser about whether you qualify for small business CGT concessions (15-year exemption, retirement exemption, 50% active asset reduction). Missing this can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Based on a buyer-style assessment — not broker promises or a rough rule-of-thumb. You know your adjusted EBITDA and the likely multiple range for your industry and profile.

You've thought through what you'll do with the proceeds: investment strategy, lifestyle, superannuation considerations, and what 'enough' looks like for you.

You've thought through who finds out about the sale and when — staff, key customers, suppliers. You have a plan for managing information carefully during the process.