We collected several tips and advice on how to improve your profile, to make it more attractive to a potential match.
General Advice
- Don't leave anything blank
- Be honest
- Use an appropriate profile picture
- Respond within an appropriate time frame
- Add details and concrete information on experience and/or projects and products
Profile improvement hints for business owners
- The listing specifies a location. Over 90% of business buyers will search for a business by state and many of those will narrow their search by a specific county. Even listings that are marked as confidential receive more views when they included a location.
- The listing appears in their search category. Over a third of business buyers search by a specific category of business. Your listing is even more likely to be seen by buyers if you select two categories.
- The listing includes key financials. Asking price is the most important financial figure and cash flow is the second most important figure buyers expect to find. Key financials enable serious buyers to find your listing in a search and contact you.
- The listing has a headline that stands out. Listings that highlight unique selling points in their headline, such as ‘profitable pizzeria in busy shopping mall’, are more likely to capture a buyer’s attention than a headline that says, ‘popular restaurant’.
- The listing has a well-written description. The description should include all the essential facts, focusing on what makes the business stand out from the competition, its strengths and future potential. A listing that’s hyped up and leaves out important details has little credibility with serious buyers.
- The listing has an attractive photo. There should be a visual representation of the business, even if it’s a stock photo. Buyers are less likely to notice a listing without a photo, they're also less likely to contact the seller to learn more.
- The listing has easy way to reach you. The buyer should receive a response from their inquiry within the first 24 hours. Serious buyers often get frustrated when sellers or brokers are slow to respond. A slow response can mean missing out on a great opportunity.
Additional advice: The listing includes seller financing. One of the biggest obstacles to buying a business is financing. If the owner is willing to carry part of the financing, that’s a huge plus. According to many business brokers, seller-financed businesses are more likely to sell than those that are not.