Paul Vasilyuk - Your Trusted Business Broker

07/10/2025

What can make a business unsellable?

These are some of the things that I've come across.

1. Too much debt. If a business has more debt than it is worth, it cannot be sold without the approval of creditors. Creditors can be banks, equipment lenders, and even landlords. Sometimes business owners owe unpaid rent.

2. Inaccurate financial records or no records at all. This makes it difficult to justify the asking price and value the business. Hiring a bookkeeper or accountant to clean up books is often necessary, especially if the business owner does not know how to do it alone.

3. No employees. Even though the owner may be earning a good income, he/she is the business. It's hard to sell something if the only income-producing piece will leave when the business is sold. You are essentially selling a job with some tools.

4. Little or no business earnings. This one is obvious: if the business is not making someone money, it is not a business. It is just an idea or a hobby. Buyers buy business for the income it produces. Business earnings are multiplied by a number that is appropriate for the type of business being valued to determine the price. If the earnings are zero, multiplied by a multiple of 2, 3, or 4 is still a zero.

5. Landlords can be a reason why a business doesn't sell. Sometimes the rent is too high, and sometimes the landlord is not willing to cooperate and offer a new lease or lease assignment.

If you are wondering if your business is sellable, contact me for a free consultation and market price analysis.

07/02/2025

The best thing you can do to improve the value of your business is report cash sales and pay taxes on them. Your cash sales boost your Seller Discretionary Earnings, and your business will be worth an additional multiple of that cash revenue.
For example:
A restaurant that would report an extra $50,000 per year in cash sales would be worth an extra $100,000, while it would only save maybe $10,000 per year in taxes, depending on their business tax rate.
A mechanical shop that reported extra $50,000 in cash sales would see it's value go up by $125,000.
When a business broker is adding back expenses that were not part of the business operations to determine the true financial benefit to the seller, these expenses can generally be verified because they usually have some receipts and are recorded on the income statements, but with cash, there is no record of it, so I could not add back the cash sales if it was never reported.
If you have more questions about this process, just reach out to me for a free consultation or a market price opinion of your business.

06/13/2024

Fantastic opportunity to own a growing and highly profitable business.

Own a piece of the booming home improvement industry! Our kitchen and bathroom store is ripe for the picking. 🍽️🚿
📞: (844) 424-9725 / 206-590-1792

01/22/2024

This is a common question many business owners have: Why should I sell my business with a business broker?

No matter what type of business you're selling, you want to do it right. Working with a business broker ensures you receive top-dollar for your business, as ...

12/14/2023

Business value is tied to the revenue and profit it generates for the owners. When business owners approach me to help them sell their business, I look at the seller's discretionary earnings (SDE) and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and multiply those figures by a factor that is appropriate for that type of business to determine the value of the business.
Often, business owners write off too many things, running some personal expenses through the business, and buying new equipment at the end of the year to minimize the tax burden. While this makes sense, it is not the strategy to use when thinking of selling your business. Avoid excess write-offs in your business, because the value of your business may be $2, $3, or $4 for every dollar of business profit. An extra $50,000 in profit could net you $100,000+ in the sale price of your business, far outweighing the tax savings. And always, consult your accountant.
Reach out to me confidentially if you would like to know what your business might be worth in today's market. My market price analysis is free. I'd love to help you.

06/07/2023

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/boost-your-business-sale-price-paul-vasilyuk

Hiring business consultants can provide several key benefits: Consultants bring deep industry knowledge and expertise, offering fresh perspectives and best practices to solve complex problems and implement innovative strategies. As external professionals, consultants provide an unbiased viewpoint, i

12/26/2022

09/14/2022

I have joined First Choice Business Brokers of Seattle to help people sell and buy small businesses. Please reach out to me for a free, no-obligation consultation if you have interest in either selling an existing business you own, or buying one. 🙂

We are licensed professionals who specialize in business sales. First Choice Business Brokers - Seattle Metro is on your side can help you navigate through the business buying or selling process.

09/12/2022

Hypocrisy at its best.