New research from a company listing businesses for sale has highlighted the general consensus amongst business brokers that transaction volumes won't return to pre-recession levels for more than 18 months at least.
BizBuySell, a website which lists businesses for sale across America, has surveyed brokers about the state of the businesses-for-sale market and found that the majority – 52.6 per cent – remain rather pessimistic about the recovery of the sector.
One poll respondent said, “I don't believe we will in the next 10-15 years see 2000-2007 activity.”
This shared belief that the market remains challenging is shared by brokers and business owners in the UK too. One of the greatest concerns is a scarcity of qualified buyers, with brokers reporting that they are receiving fewer buyer inquiries this year than last.
Other concerns include a challenging market in which to get deals done - the majority of brokers say it is taking longer to close a sale this year than last – alongside a lack of evidence pointing to a fast recovery, which could be putting some buyers off.
Mike Handelsman, general manager of BizBuySell said, “The results [of the survey] unfortunately show that there are still many challenges and high levels of uncertainty in the business-for-sale market.
“Deals are still getting done, but business owners looking to sell in this market might need to be flexible and share the risk with potential buyers by offering seller financing,” he added. 
The business specialises in all kinds of made to measure curtains and blinds, both in traditional and more contemporary designs. The business also sells to commercial customers such as schools, pubs, restaurants, and residential homes.
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There has been a butchers at this site for over 60 years and the current owner has run it for the last 16 years or so. The business has been a real labour of love accruing many regular customers and a fantastic reputation whilst under the vendors ow...
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The bakery & shop has many regular repeat customers who call in for bread, rolls, cobs, cakes, pastries, pasties, pies and hot and cold filled sandwiches. It has been established for over 30 years and is currently up for sale due to the retirement of...
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