09-17-2026
Patience is Key: Why Business Sellers Need to Stay the Course During the Sale of Their Business
For many business owners, putting their company on the market comes with a natural expectation: If I have a good business and price it correctly, someone will buy it quickly.
Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way.
On average, it takes about nine months to sell a business, and it sometimes takes much longer. While that may seem like a long time, there are good reasons why selling a business requires patience.
Selling a Business Is Not Like Selling a House
One of the biggest mistakes business owners can make is comparing the sale of their business to the sale of real estate.
A house can often be marketed, shown to prospective buyers, inspected, financed, and closed within a matter of weeks or a few months.
A business is much more complicated.
A prospective buyer isn't simply purchasing a building or a collection of physical assets. They are purchasing an income-producing operation and taking on the responsibility of running it successfully after the seller leaves.
The buyer wants to understand the company's financial performance, customers, employees, operations, contracts, equipment, suppliers, competition, and future prospects.
That takes time.
The Right Buyer Is More Important Than the First Buyer
Every seller wants to close the deal. But the goal shouldn't be to find any buyer.
The goal is to find a qualified buyer who is capable of completing the transaction and successfully taking over the business.
A buyer may express interest early in the process, only to discover that they don't have sufficient capital. Another buyer may love the business but be unable to obtain financing. Someone else may make an attractive offer but ultimately decide that the business isn't a good fit for their experience or goals.
These situations are frustrating, but they're part of the process.
A business broker's job is to help identify qualified prospects and work through those issues so that the seller isn't wasting valuable time with buyers who are unlikely to reach the closing table.
Sometimes, waiting for the right buyer is far better than rushing into a deal with the wrong one.
Buyers Need Time to Make a Major Decision
Think about the decision from the buyer's perspective.
They may be investing a significant portion of their savings, taking on financing, leaving another career, or committing years of their life to operating the business.
They're going to have questions.
Lots of them.
They'll want to review financial statements. They may want to speak with their CPA and attorney. They may need to arrange financing. They'll conduct due diligence and investigate the company's operations.
That's not necessarily a lack of interest.
It's what a responsible buyer should do.
Sellers should expect serious buyers to take the time necessary to become comfortable with the purchase.
Financing Can Add Significant Time
Many business acquisitions involve financing, which can introduce another variable into the timeline.
A buyer may need to provide financial information, complete lender applications, obtain approvals, provide documentation, and satisfy underwriting requirements before the transaction can close.
Even when everyone involved is working toward the same goal, these processes can take time.
A seller who becomes impatient and starts pushing for an unrealistic closing date can potentially create unnecessary stress or jeopardize a transaction that is otherwise progressing well.
Patience can be especially important when financing is involved.
Patience Can Protect the Seller's Value
One of the biggest dangers of becoming impatient is allowing emotion to influence business decisions.
A seller may start thinking:
"We've been on the market for six months. Maybe we should drop the price."
Sometimes a price adjustment is appropriate. But it shouldn't automatically happen simply because time has passed.
There may be perfectly legitimate reasons why a transaction hasn't closed yet.
The right buyer may not have found the business yet. Financing conditions may have slowed the market. Buyers may be taking longer to make decisions. Seasonal factors may be affecting activity.
Before changing the price, sellers should work with their broker to evaluate the evidence.
How many qualified buyers have expressed interest?
How many have signed confidentiality agreements?
How many have reviewed the financials?
Are buyers raising the same concerns?
Are there comparable businesses competing for the same buyers?
Is the marketing reaching the right audience?
Those questions are much more useful than simply looking at the number of days the business has been listed.
Sellers Should Keep Running the Business
Perhaps the most important advice for a seller during the sales process is simple:
Keep running the business as though you're going to own it forever.
It can be tempting to mentally check out once the business is listed for sale.
Don't.
The business's performance during the marketing and negotiation period can have a direct impact on the transaction.
Continue taking care of customers. Continue managing employees. Continue controlling expenses. Continue investing where appropriate. Continue maintaining equipment and inventory.
A buyer wants to acquire a healthy, functioning business—not a company that has deteriorated because the owner has mentally moved on.
In fact, continued strong performance can become an important selling point.
A Successful Sale Is Worth Waiting For
Selling a business is often the culmination of years, or even decades, of hard work.
It deserves a thoughtful process.
The objective isn't simply to get a business under contract as quickly as possible. It's to find the right buyer, negotiate reasonable terms, complete appropriate due diligence, secure financing when necessary, and successfully reach the closing table.
That's why sellers need patience.
Nine months is not necessarily a long time when you're selling something you've spent years building.
The seller's job is to keep the business performing, remain realistic about the market, respond to qualified buyers, and work closely with experienced professionals throughout the process.
The right buyer may not be the first person who walks through the door.
But waiting for the right buyer can make the difference between simply selling your business and successfully completing a transaction that you're happy with.
If you're thinking about selling your business, go into the process with realistic expectations. Don't let impatience cause you to make unnecessary concessions or abandon a sound strategy.
You've spent years building your business. Give yourself the time necessary to sell it properly.
Have you considered selling your business and have more questions about the timeline to sell in your particular industry? Do you need to sell quickly and want to know how we can help? Ask us! Leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.
Michael Monnot
941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com