How do I prepare an office furniture dealership for sale?

A contract furniture dealer sells to businesses, often through projects that run for months. Buyers will want to see how that work is won, delivered and repeated. Preparation is mostly about putting it on paper so a stranger can follow it. Start early, because several of the documents come from third parties.

Manufacturer agreements and consent

Pull together every dealer agreement you hold with furniture manufacturers, with territories and renewal dates. Then ask each manufacturer, in writing, what it needs if the ownership changes. Some will want to approve a buyer. Your lawyer can tell you how the sale structure affects this, and doing it early avoids surprises late in the process.

Projects, quotes and the pipeline

List the projects under way and the quotes you have out, with the client, status and who is managing each one. A buyer will want to know what is committed and what is only hoped for. Keep the list honest. Say which quotes are likely and which are speculative, and be ready to explain how the pipeline has behaved in the past.

People, relationships and premises

Buyers look closely at who holds the client relationships. If you are the main contact for the biggest clients, plan how to introduce your sales staff and the buyer. Document the design and install team, what each person does and how long they have stayed. Gather the warehouse and showroom leases, and ask your lawyer how a sale affects them. If you use a broker, ask whom the broker acts for and how fees are set.