UNLEASHING THE POWER OF BRAND RECOGNITION: A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR FRANCHISED RESTAURANTS

Photo by Erik Mclean

Brand recognition is not merely an accessory for franchised restaurants but a strategic imperative. Leveraging the power of a recognized brand requires a meticulous approach, integrating consistent branding, strategic marketing, community engagement, and a commitment to excellence.

Unleashing the Power of Brand Recognition: A Strategic Imperative for Franchised Restaurants
By Gary Occhiogrosso, Managing Partner, FranGrow

In the franchised restaurant industry, where every diner’s choice is a unique decision, the significance of brand recognition cannot be overstated. For franchised restaurants, brand recognition is not just a marketing buzzword; it is the linchpin that can take a business from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Here, we’ll cover the importance of brand recognition in the franchised restaurant realm, delving into strategies to leverage its power and resources for building awareness.

The Strategic Significance:
Brand recognition is the cornerstone of a franchised restaurant’s success, fostering consumer trust and loyalty. According to a study conducted by Nielsen, 59% of consumers prefer to buy new products from brands familiar to them. In dining choices, where experiences are intimately tied to consumer emotions, a recognized brand provides a sense of reliability and quality.

1. Leveraging the Power:

* Consistent Branding Across Locations:
Maintain uniformity in visual elements such as logos, color schemes, and messaging across all franchise locations. Consistency reinforces brand recall and strengthens the overall identity.

* Strategic Marketing Initiatives:
Devise targeted marketing campaigns that highlight the unique value propositions of the brand. To reach a diverse audience, utilize digital platforms, social media, and traditional advertising channels.

* Community Engagement:
Actively participate in local events and sponsorships to embed the brand within the community. This enhances visibility and creates a positive association with the brand.

* Customer Experience Excellence:
Consistently deliver an exceptional dining experience. Positive word-of-mouth is a potent tool for brand advocacy, contributing significantly to brand recognition.

* Leverage Technology:
Embrace digital advancements to enhance the customer experience. Develop a user-friendly website, offer online ordering options, and engage in social media to connect with a broader audience.

2. Building Awareness:

* Social Media Platforms:
Engage with customers on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Share visually appealing content, customer testimonials, and updates about new offerings to keep the audience informed and engaged.

*Local Partnerships:
Collaborate with local businesses, influencers, or organizations to expand the brand’s reach. Cross-promotional efforts can introduce the restaurant to new demographics.

* Public Relations:
Cultivate relationships with local media to secure coverage for events, achievements, or unique aspects of the restaurant. The positive press can significantly boost awareness.

* Customer Loyalty Programs:
Implement loyalty programs to reward repeat customers. Encouraging customer retention is as crucial as attracting new
patrons.

* Online Reviews and Ratings:
Monitor and respond to online reviews actively. Positive reviews build credibility while addressing negative feedback demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction.

Summing It Up

Brand recognition is not merely an accessory for franchised restaurants but a strategic imperative. Leveraging the power of a recognized brand requires a meticulous approach, integrating consistent branding, strategic marketing, community engagement, and a commitment to excellence. By employing these strategies and utilizing available resources, franchised restaurants can position themselves as formidable players in the competitive culinary landscape, reaping the benefits of a strong and widely recognized brand.

EXPLORING THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF FRANCHISING. A LOOK FROM BOTH SIDES

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Franchising presents a balanced mix of opportunities and challenges. While franchisees gain access to established brands and systems, they face constraints and ongoing financial commitments. On the other hand, Franchisors benefit from rapid expansion and reduced operational involvement but must manage risks associated with brand control and legal complexities.

Exploring the Financial Implications of Franchising.
A Look From Both Sides

Franchising in today’s economy, offers unique financial implications for franchisors and franchisees. This article explores into these aspects, providing insights for an expert audience familiar with the intricacies of business operations and financial management.

For Franchisees

Initial and Ongoing Investment: Franchisees pay an initial fee for brand rights and ongoing fees for marketing, royalties, and more​​. While these investments have several advantages, they can be substantial, especially in well-known franchises​​.

Business Assistance and Brand Recognition: Franchisees benefit from turnkey operations, encompassing equipment, supplies, and advertising plans. Additionally, the established brand recognition of franchises facilitates customer acquisition and trust, often leading to higher profits compared to independent businesses​​.

Lower Failure Rate and Buying Power: Franchises typically exhibit a lower failure rate due to their tested business models and support networks. Moreover, franchises benefit from the collective buying power, reducing operational costs through bulk purchasing​​.

Restrictive Regulations and Potential Conflict: Franchisees face limitations due to strict franchise agreements controlling business location, pricing, and marketing. These restrictions, while maintaining brand uniformity, can be constraining. Also, the close relationship with franchisors can lead to conflicts, particularly in decision-making and financial oversight​​.

For Franchisors

Access to Capital and Efficient Growth: Franchisors benefit from capital infusion through franchise fees, enabling expansion with minimal debt. Franchising allows efficient growth by sharing the burden of opening new units with franchisees, reducing the need for extensive employee supervision​​.

Increased Brand Awareness and Reduced Risk: Franchising increases brand awareness as the number of locations grows. The model also diminishes risk for franchisors since franchisees assume the debt and liability of new units​​.

Loss of Complete Brand Control and Legal Disputes: Franchisors relinquish some control over their brand, which can be affected by the actions of individual franchisees. Additionally, the close business agreement inherent in franchising increases the potential for legal disputes​​.

Initial Investment and Regulatory Compliance: Franchisors face significant costs in setting up a franchise, including legal and consultancy fees. Moreover, compliance with federal and state regulations adds complexity and operational overhead​​.

Conclusion
Franchising presents a balanced mix of opportunities and challenges. While franchisees gain access to established brands and systems, they face constraints and ongoing financial commitments. On the other hand, Franchisors benefit from rapid expansion and reduced operational involvement but must manage risks associated with brand control and legal complexities. Both parties must carefully weigh these factors to ensure a successful and mutually beneficial franchise relationship.

MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS AND PERSONAL BRAND

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Marketing your business alongside your personal brand requires a multidimensional approach that balances online and offline strategies. It’s about clarity in your business intentions, consistency in your messaging, and a commitment to building trust with your audience.

MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS AND PERSONAL BRAND
By Gary Occhiogrosso – Managing Partner, Franchise Growth Solutions

Marketing both your business and yourself is a strategic endeavor that hinges on a distinct brand identity and the creation of trust with your audience. It is imperative for small businesses, in particular, to leverage this dual approach to overcome challenges of limited visibility and resources​1​​2​. Below are key points expert marketers should consider when addressing this dual marketing challenge:

1. Align Personal and Business Branding: Your personal brand should reflect your business values, creating a synergistic relationship where each supports and enhances the other. When marketing your business, you inherently market yourself, making authenticity a crucial factor​2​.

2. Define Clear Goals and Target Audience: Any marketing strategy must start with a crystal-clear understanding of business goals and the specific audience you aim to reach. Establishing a target audience helps tailor your marketing strategies to the people most likely to respond to your messaging​3​.

3. Build Trust as an Expert: Marketing yourself is about more than visibility; it’s about positioning yourself as a trusted expert in your field. This involves a consistent display of expertise and engagement with your customer base, thereby building a reputation that can lead to expanded clientele​4​.

4. Utilize Search Engine Marketing: Incorporating SEO and search advertising in your strategy ensures that your business ranks highly on search engine results pages (SERPs), which is essential for visibility and lead generation​5​.

5. Leverage Social Media Effectively: The organic and paid use of social media can play a significant role in marketing efforts. Regular interaction, content sharing, and advertising on these platforms can drive engagement and attract potential customers​5​.

6. Email Marketing for Engagement: Email marketing, when used to nurture leads, trigger action based on customer behavior, and maintain engagement, can be a highly effective tool for keeping your brand top-of-mind with your audience​5​.

7. Encourage Word of Mouth: This age-old marketing technique remains one of the most valuable. Encourage reviews, referrals, and testimonials to leverage the power of satisfied customers as brand ambassadors​5​.

8. Content Marketing: Develop a content strategy that includes various formats such as blog posts, ebooks, and reports, to educate your audience, showcase your expertise, and improve your online presence and SEO​5​.

9. Offline Marketing: Despite the digital focus, offline strategies like event sponsorships and trade shows remain relevant, offering a tangible experience to your audience and creating personal connections that digital marketing often cannot match​5​.

In conclusion, marketing your business alongside your personal brand requires a multidimensional approach that balances online and offline strategies. It’s about clarity in your business intentions, consistency in your messaging, and a commitment to building trust with your audience. By incorporating these strategies into a comprehensive marketing plan, you can establish a strong brand presence that resonates with both current and prospective customers. An expert marketing plan will consider these facets as interrelated components of a successful brand strategy, ensuring that each element reinforces the other for maximum impact.

Learn more about Branding and Franchising here
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This article was researched and edited with the support of AI

ENSURING BRAND QUALITY: 11 THINGS TO CONSIDER

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Ensuring brand quality is an ongoing, multi-faceted endeavor. It involves meticulous attention to consumer-facing images, a consistent brand voice, distinctive logo and color choices, and an unwavering commitment to the brand lover. Moreover, understanding your brand position, maintaining product consistency, and staying attuned to consumer trends are equally crucial.

Ensuring Brand Quality: 11 Things to Consider

With evolving businesses and ever-shifting market dynamics, the quality of a brand emerges as a cornerstone that often dictates its success. The brand, much like the beating heart of a company, represents its values, ethos, and promise to the consumers. Whether you’re at the threshold of launching a fresh brand into the market or strategizing to elevate and refine an already established brand, maintaining impeccable quality is non-negotiable. This commitment to quality transcends the visual aesthetics. It delves deep into the experience, consistency, and trust the brand establishes with its audience. In an environment where consumers are bombarded with choices, ensuring your brand’s quality becomes a priority and a mandate for survival and growth.

1.Consumer-Facing Images
Visual representation defines the very first impression a consumer gets about your brand. High-quality, relevant images capture attention and convey a message about your standards. These images should consistently resonate with what your brand stands for.

2.Brand Voice
Your brand voice exemplifies the personality of your business. Is it playful, formal, or inspirational? This voice must be consistent across all platforms. It’s not just about words; it’s about the tone and the emotions they evoke.

3.Logo and Color Palette
A logo is the face of your business. It should be memorable and reflect your business’s ethos. The color palette, on the other hand, evokes emotions. For instance, blue often signifies trust, while red can evoke feelings of passion or urgency. They should tell a coherent, compelling story about who you are.

4.The Brand Lover
The brand lover is your ideal customer – champions your brand, becomes a repeat customer, and spreads the word. Understanding and catering to this persona ensures brand loyalty and, in turn, increases lifetime customer value.

5.Brand Position
Where does your brand stand in the market? Your brand position is the unique space you occupy in the minds of your consumers relative to your competitors. Knowing and solidifying this position can guide your marketing strategy.

6.Product Consistency
Quality assurance is vital. Consumers should know what to expect each time they interact with your brand. If there’s inconsistency, trust erodes.

7.Competitive Advantages of a Strong Brand
A strong brand is a competitive advantage. It instills trust, assures quality, and can justify premium pricing. Moreover, a robust brand often increases customer loyalty and referrals as a growth catalyst.

8.SWOT Analysis
To ensure brand quality, periodically conduct a SWOT analysis. Identify your brand’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This strategic tool not only helps in addressing current challenges but also in leveraging potential opportunities.

9.Consumer Trends
The modern-day consumer is informed, dynamic, and ever-evolving. Brands must stay attuned to changing consumer preferences and trends. Being proactive rather than reactive to these shifts can set your brand apart.

10.Pivoting Strategies
Change is inevitable. Despite best efforts, brands sometimes need to pivot to align with changing market dynamics or internal business shifts. Effective pivoting involves reassessing the brand voice, imagery, and even position, ensuring it continues to resonate with your audience.

11.Culture
Your company culture should mirror your brand values. Employees are brand ambassadors, and their belief in the brand often transcends to the consumer. A strong, positive internal culture fosters external brand loyalty.

Conclusion
To sum up, ensuring brand quality is an ongoing, multi-faceted endeavor. It involves meticulous attention to consumer-facing images, a consistent brand voice, distinctive logo and color choices, and an unwavering commitment to the brand lover. Moreover, understanding your brand position, maintaining product consistency, and staying attuned to consumer trends are equally crucial. Periodic SWOT analyses and the flexibility to pivot when necessary ensure your brand remains relevant. Finally, never underestimate the power of company culture in reinforcing and radiating brand quality.

Learn more about branding and franchising, click here
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This article was researched, developed and edited with the support of AI

TOP 10 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN GROWING YOUR FRANCHISE

Photo by Nicola Barts

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly enhance the chances of successful franchise growth. Understanding the complexity, protecting the brand, selecting suitable sites and franchisees, providing thorough training and support, respecting local market dynamics, planning financially, managing growth, and listening to feedback are all integral to the successful growth of a franchise.

TOP 10 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN GROWING YOUR FRANCHISE
By Gary Occhiogrosso

Growing a franchise can be a rewarding journey, offering an opportunity to amplify business success by extending a proven model across different markets. However, it is not without its challenges, and various pitfalls can hinder growth and undermine the business’s potential. Here are the top 10 mistakes to avoid when growing your franchise.

Underestimating the Complexity: Franchising isn’t just about replicating a business model. It entails legal considerations, marketing, support systems, and much more. Rushing into franchising without a comprehensive understanding can lead to disastrous results (Entrepreneur, 2020).

Failing to Protect the Brand: Your brand is your franchise’s core. Allowing inconsistencies in brand representation can damage the franchise’s image. It’s crucial to establish firm brand standards and enforce them across all franchises (Franchise Direct, 2020).

Poor Site Selection: The location of your franchise can significantly influence its success. Not conducting thorough research on potential locations can lead to poor performance and risk the viability of the new outlets (FranchiseGator, 2021).

Inadequate Training Programs: Franchisees need to understand the business’s core operations and values. An insufficient or poor quality training program can lead to operational inconsistencies and customer dissatisfaction (IFA, 2020).

Overlooking Local Market Dynamics: While a franchise model may work well in one area, it’s not guaranteed to succeed in another. Ignoring local market dynamics and not tailoring the franchise offering can result in failure (FranchiseGator, 2021).

Choosing the Wrong Franchisees: A franchise is only as good as its franchisees. Selecting franchisees based merely on their ability to pay the franchise fee, rather than their alignment with the brand’s values and their capacity to manage a business, can lead to problems down the line (Entrepreneur, 2020).

Neglecting Franchisee Support: Once a franchisee is up and running, the work doesn’t stop there. Not providing ongoing support can lead to operational errors and can cause franchisees to feel isolated and unsupported (Franchise Direct, 2020).

Expanding Too Quickly: While growth is desirable, expanding too quickly can strain resources and lead to mistakes. Franchisors must have a measured, sustainable growth plan (Forbes, 2021).

Inadequate Financial Planning: Franchising involves considerable investment. Lack of proper financial planning and underestimating costs can lead to financial troubles, impacting both the franchisor and franchisees (FranchiseGator, 2021).

Ignoring Feedback: Franchisees are on the front line and can provide valuable insights. Ignoring their feedback can result in missed opportunities for improvement and innovation (IFA, 2020).

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly enhance the chances of successful franchise growth. Understanding the complexity, protecting the brand, selecting suitable sites and franchisees, providing thorough training and support, respecting local market dynamics, planning financially, managing growth, and listening to feedback are all integral to the successful growth of a franchise.

Sources:

Entrepreneur. (2020). The Pros and Cons of Franchising Your Business.
Franchise Direct. (2020). The Top 5 Franchise Mistakes to Avoid.
FranchiseGator. (2021). Common Mistakes to Avoid When Franchising Your Business.
Forbes. (2021). 10 Key Steps To Franchising Your Business.
International Franchise Association (IFA). (2020). Best Practices for Franchisors.

How Do You Write A Good Brand Story

How Do You Write A Good Brand Story
By Jon Allo  

Your brand story differentiates you from everyone else. Otherwise, you’re just one more solution for the same old problem that customers can choose from, and usually without a standout differentiator they’ll base their choice on price. Most of the time, you do not want customers to choose you based on price alone. You want them to choose you because you’re you.
Telling your unique story starts with these questions:

When, Why and How Did You Start?
The best way to show authenticity is to be able to tell your audience when, why and you started doing what it is that you do. If you can tell your story in a way that your audience relates to you, and even roots for your success – even better.

How Do You Want Customers to View You?
As you write your story, it’s important to convey your values and ideals in a no-nonsense way. While you may be frightened of turning off some people, you really don’t need to worry about that. Those people aren’t your audience. Your audience consists of the people who can relate to your story, share your values, and want to be part of it.

Where Do You See Your Business Down the Line?
This is where you’ll try to dream big, and let your audience know where you see your business in the future. It also gives you the opportunity to refine consumer expectations toward what you offer rather than what the competition offers.

How you answer these questions is important.
You’re going to have many opportunities to do so via every communication you have with your audience – be it your blog, social media or even through the types of products you offer.

With the answers to these questions you can start to form your story and weave it throughout everything you do.

Share through Story Telling
Using an honest, no-holds-barred communication style to tell your story, your customers’ stories, and the story of your products is a good start. Use case studies, interviews, and in-depth relatable blog posts to accomplish this.

Share through Doing Good
Get involved with your community to give back something that is noticeable. You don’t want to do this just to get noticed, but you do want to pick something that helps people understand who you are as a business owner and what your business stands for.

Share through Experiences
You and your audience likely share common experiences that should be discussed. The more ways you can relate to them, the more ways they’ll see your offerings as unique and different.

Share with the Truth
Don’t hype, and don’t “blow smoke”. Consumers are smart today. They want the black and white truth of the matter. If it takes 20 hours a week to do what you do, and you’re teaching them, tell them the truth. If you’ve had to stay up overnight to work around children’s schedules, say so.

Share Everywhere
Don’t just “tell” your story on your blog in the “about” section. Tell your story everyplace. Use infographics, memes, blog posts, guest blog posts, articles, testimonials, good deeds and every possible way to spread your story. Be your story by your actions.

Branding is important for small business owners as well as large ones. If you have a limited budget, smart branding is perhaps the most inexpensive business tool you can create. To learn more about how to make you and your business stand out, download my free checklist, Branding For Small Businesses at https://jonallo.com/branding

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948

The Benefits of Partnering with an Emerging Brand!

They’ve studied their competition’s successes and failures and taken that knowledge into account while building their brand.

The Benefits of Partnering with an Emerging Brand!
By David Whalen in Franchise Brand

Growth as an emerging brand is often looked upon as an uphill battle in today’s crowded marketplace, but it can be a distinct advantage! Here are a few reasons why it might make sense to partner with one:

-Emerging brands strive to bring truly unique & fresh concepts to their customers
They’ve studied their competition’s successes and failures and taken that knowledge into account while building their brand. At HOTS, we’ve created a quick serve model that caters to the busy lifestyles of our downtown BinghamtonBinghamton clientele. The scene is a unique mix of college students and business people alike and HOTS caters to both without compromising our identity. Our menu focuses on the tried & trues of the “Burger & Dog” concept with some Upstate New York staples like the Spiedie and the Hot Plate. (Our take on the Rochester NY area Garbage Plate).

-Superior support and individualized attention
Smaller brands like HOTS have the unique ability to provide greater support and attention to our franchise owners than many of our large competitors can offer.
Here, you won’t be dealing with middlemen! Direct interaction and open lines of communication with our corporate office helps to forge meaningful working relationships with our franchisees at every stage of the their development. This support is critical to franchisees initial and ongoing success!
We also have more motivation to see our franchisees succeed than models that have already achieved vast growth. Your success is our success and we’re just as committed to it as you are!

-Getting in on the ground floor:
Getting involved with a brand in the early stages of development also offers franchisees several unique perks they won’t enjoy with more established brands. Here are a few;
Greater ability to influence and be involved with the evolution and growth of the brand: HOTS will be looking for franchisees to step up into leadership roles within the organization. We’ll also welcome feedback from franchisees in all areas of our business, from operations to marketing, menu design & more in hopes of instituting those innovative recommendations to improve our model!

Less rigid structure: Emerging brands offer restaurant owners much more flexibility in almost all areas of business ownership. From the structure of the franchise relationship, to menu and restaurant design, HOTS can give greater consideration to each franchisees unique circumstances. This includes greater financial freedom too. Many larger brands don’t offer their franchisees much discretion when it comes to how they operate their business and spend their money. At HOTS, we understand that owner/operators often know how to best allocate their capital and we take that into consideration when working with them to grow their business!

Bigger isn’t always better! For all of these reasons and more, consider partnering with an emerging brand like HOTS if you’re looking to enter the quick serve space!

Learn More Here:https://binghamtonhotsfranchise.com/

Getting A Higher Price When Selling Your Restaurant In 2019

Getting A Higher Price When Selling Your Restaurant In 2019
Chris Viscup a prominent New York Business Broker with Transworld said “One of the other most important parts of selling your restaurant is to make sure your books are in order. It will be your job to prove out how much money trickles down to you through the company and what this can look like to potential buyers.

Getting A Higher Price When Selling Your Restaurant In 2019
by Gary Occhiogrosso Contributor
Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

It’s 2019 and after years of hard work you’ve now decided to sell your restaurant, perhaps to open a different business, or retire or relocate. Whatever the reason, selling a restaurant requires a strong strategy, careful planning, and detailed preparation. In this article, we’ll explore some essential tips and steps needed to put you on a path for a quicker sale at the highest possible price along with a smooth transition.

Let’s Start With First Impressions.

The appearance of your restaurant not only matters to your customers, but it also matters to potential buyers. Bad “curb appeal” on the initial visit may be all it takes for a potential buyer to take a pass on a more in-depth look into the investment potential of your restaurant. Make sure everything inside and outside the restaurant is clean. If your establishment is a free-standing building, then the quality of care for the property will be an early indication of the level of care taken in building and growing the business over the years. Items like trimming the grass, keeping the parking lot and surrounding area clean and free of trash are crucial to curb appeal. Maintaining clean windows & glass doors, polishing handles, deep cleaning the grout in tile floors and shampooing carpeting are some simple things that will pay dividends to the buyers first impression. If the restaurant is a storefront location, then you’ll also need to make sure any cleaning and improvements that may be the responsibility of the landlord are taken care of before showing the business.

Nothing says “I don’t care” or “I’ve given up on this place” more than broken or missing equipment. If your kitchen equipment is not in 100% working order, it may set up doubt in your financial presentation regarding production capabilities. Also, nonfunctional equipment is detrimental to employee morale and productively. Ultimately that lack of productivity shows up on the Profit and Loss Statement (P&L) in the form of increased labor cost. Every part of the restaurant should present itself as credible to handle the current volume as well as to grow the business in the future. Make sure all of your equipment works. I can not emphasize enough to take the time in advance to replace or repair any broken equipment.

Remove personal items you do not intend to include as part of the sale. Doing this helps avoid any misunderstandings later between buyer and seller. For example, your personal laptop computer used for the business sitting on your desk may be mistaken as part of the assets for sale. Later in this article, we’ll cover making sure a complete equipment and asset list is written. However, the cleaner and less cluttered the visual aspect of the facility, the less chance for any misunderstanding when it comes time to negotiate.

And lastly regarding the facility, don’t be afraid to spend a little TLC money. Making a small investment, such as freshening up the paint, or replacing ceiling tiles, or reupholstering a ripped seat cover can go a long way to increase the visual appeal of your restaurant. These quick fixes will have a positive impact on your sale price and the time it takes to sell the business.

Put Your Financial House In Order Now

Presenting an honest, straightforward, financial picture of your restaurant is the most critical factor in determining accurate valuation and sale price. Professionally documented results regarding unit economics, profitability, and true owner benefit are what buyers, their accountant, and lawyer will be investigating in the due diligence phase of the process. Whether or not potential buyers purchase your restaurant depends on whether or not they think it will make money and provide a reasonable return on investment (ROI). Therefore, the financial information you provide to the buyer is the most significant factor in determining the success of the sale.

Ideally, you have practiced clear and organized bookkeeping since you started your business. If not, then arrange financial records going back at least one year before the time you list your restaurant for sale. That way potential buyers will have a trailing 12-month picture of the restaurant’s performance and trending. It is likely that buyers will ask to see a profit and loss statements and a balance sheet. If you are unable to create them yourself, have your accountant prepare them in advance so you do not feel rushed later in the sale process.

Make A To-Do List For Yourself

Financial statements aren’t the only aspect of getting organized. This step also includes creating a written list of all hard assets such as furniture, fixtures, small wares, and equipment. Also, a copy of your lease should be available for review in the due diligence phase of the transaction. Additionally, be prepared to document that all of the restaurant’s bills are up to date. Be ready to prove in writing that your sales and payroll taxes are current and paid in full. Employee payroll information needs to be in a presentable format and up to date. A to-do list will help you make sure everything gets done so that the sale goes as smoothly as possible.

The Hunt For Buyers

There are two ways to find potential buyers: find them yourself or hire a business broker. The process of valuation, listing, advertising, and vetting potential buyers is time-consuming and in my opinion, requires professional experience and know how. Although many sellers take this step on their own, a professional business broker can support the process by offering recommendations and presentations that save time and attract more potential buyers.

When you interview brokers, be sure to ask them how long they have been in the business of selling businesses, what their specialty is, how many listings they have now, and how many restaurants they have sold in the past year. Also, ask if they have prepared contracts for this type of transaction and how they plan to determine the value of your restaurant. Discuss their answers with your financial and legal advisors to determine if the broker has the right qualifications, experience, and track record.

One prominent New York Business Broker I spoke with said “One of the other most important parts of selling your restaurant is to make sure your books are in order. It will be your job to prove out how much money trickles down to you through the company and what this can look like to potential buyers. Without this component, you will either fall prey to lower offers than you would otherwise be getting, no offers, or end up with buyers wasting your time and never getting to the finish line. Not having good books leads ultimately to the two biggest deal killers – lack of trust and too much time for the transaction to close. With a good broker and good books, most of the heavy lifting is completed in the beginning, before putting the business on the market. Once you sign with a broker, there should be significant time dedicated to proving out the numbers – what they are, and what they could be. Every minute you spend in the beginning will save 5-7 minutes later.”

On the other hand, if you decide to go it alone and forgo hiring a business broker, then you’ll need to get some additional advice from your attorney and account. They can assist you with the proper valuation and selling price. Setting an unrealistic or emotional price on the business will slow the sales process or cause it to fail altogether. Actions to take also includes advertising and listing the restaurant on websites that post restaurants for sale. Keep in mind professional business brokers also use these websites, so competition exists. However, if you study these websites carefully, you should be able to get a good idea on how to word your ad for better results.

Always Be Ready

Whether you list your restaurant on your own or with a broker be prepared to show your restaurant to potential buyers at all times. Since you may have a buyer visit you unannounced, it means keeping the restaurant clean, fully staffed and well-managed no matter the day and time. You never know when a buyer might drop by to take a look. I also remind my clients that any customer in the restaurant may actually be a buyer doing some research before they contact you.

Once The Buyer Is found

At this point, if you’ve found a buyer and negotiations have been successful, then the final step is the paperwork necessary to complete the transaction. The paperwork usually starts with an “Asset Purchase Agreement.” Your attorney should prepare this document for you. The Asset Purchase Agreement details all the components of the sale. Items such as the sale price, the terms (if you are holding a note), a full and complete equipment list, the amount and value of the inventory you will have at the time of closing, the length of time (if any) that you are willing to train the new owner as well as any contingencies regarding the lease assignment from your landlord and of course a deadline date to close the transaction. Regardless of whether you’re working with a business broker or selling on your own, in all cases, I recommend you have your attorney involved to ensure the Asset Purchase Agreement covers all the various aspects of the transaction.

In addition, once you have a buyer engaged but before the final closing date, you should continue to operate your restaurant as if you are not selling it. Acquisitions sometimes fall through at the last minute, and you don’t want to create extra work for yourself in getting everything back up to par again if that happens.

Plan And Proceed

Smart and detailed planning will minimize glitches and deal-killing problems, throughout the transaction. Business Brokers warn: “The biggest disasters all come with one thing in common – wasted time. Without proper planning, not only may you decide to accept an offer lower than what you desire, but you will lose a good portion of your time getting there. As the saying goes – An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Make sure you front-load your business and get all the materials you need in order before you sell it.”

I recommend you spend the time upfront, planning the sale, organizing paperwork, investigating brokers and deciding the best time to execute your plan. Selling a restaurant can be a smooth, simple transaction if these tips along with the advice of your accountant and attorney are put into practice.