5 more seller finance options to consider when selling your business

The need to use seller finance when trying to sell your privately held company has come back into vogue due to the lack of third party finance being readily available. Some techniques less known and used, however, are available but require a clear understanding between the seller and buyer and may then need good legal agreements to clarify, protect and define the responsibilities of each of the parties. Here are five options both a seller and buyer may want to consider.

Option One: if the seller of the business has created intellectual property or some proprietary idea that they don’t wish to sell as part of the business transfer, but the buyer needs that knowledge or invention in the business, the seller and buyer can enter into a licensing agreement. The buyer would pay an agreed fee as a royalty.

Option Two: Another means of a seller receiving payment from the buyer of the business can be via Consulting Agreements. These would be constructed according to what works for both parties but provides a way of maintaining the continuity of knowledge the seller has from owning and operating the business while the buyer acquires that knowledge.

Option Three: If the owner of the business wishes to sell because they have arrived at retirement age but the seller has children working in the business, part of the purchase price negotiations could be the buyer extending a Family Employment Guarantee. This meets the need of the seller because they don’t have to worry about their children no longer being able to work in the business and it comes with a payment the seller is comfortable accepting.

Option Four: Two important benefits to most business owners are health insurance and life insurance. Health insurance coverage; especially for business owners with a pre-existing illness means they cannot readily change their health insurance policy to another company. Negotiating the purchase price where the buyer will continue to allow the seller to keep the same policy and pay for it can be a great benefit and relief to the seller. Life insurance and indeed other forms of insurance can be handled in the same manner.

Option Five: One of the advantages of being an entrepreneur is that you can claim expenses that an employee is unable to claim. Membership at the best golf course in town, driving the latest model car, an annual vacation to Lake Tahoe and other perks sometimes become necessities for some entrepreneurs. Structuring the sale of a business to continue the sellers ‘perks’ can be an appealing option; even if it’s only for a year or two.

Seller finance does not have to be restricted to purely a seller note on the transaction. A seller can be used to receiving many business ‘perks’ they have enjoyed from owning and operating their business. Allowing the seller to continue enjoying those ‘perks’ can be a good strategy when buying a business.