Marketing a business for sale by owner or through a broker on the Business Broker Journal Network offers several distinct advantages for you, the seller. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each approach.

How can business brokerages help me to sell my business?
If you are not comfortable tackling the task of selling yourself, a broker could be worth the fees you will pay. The sale of a business should be approached with much more formality than the sale of residence. Using a broker gives you an expert who can help you prepare your business for sale, find a buyer who will pay top dollar, and negotiate the details.

1.) Shouldering the load: Selling your business requires a great deal of time and attention, two things that you may not be able to spare while continuing the daily operational requirements of running your business. Passing selling, negotiating and closing responsibilities on to a business broker will allow you to focus on your business and keep you from being spread too thin.

2.) Confidentiality: When listing a business for sale by owner, the owner reveals that his enterprise is for sale, therefore affecting the relationship with the public and prospective buyers, employees, suppliers and other associates. A good business broker can market a company for sale in such a way that protects the owner’s identity and effectively screen potential buyers to ensure that they are qualified and serious about purchasing.

3.) Close Quicker: With a business broker working full-time on the sale, chances are the transaction will be completed much sooner and for a higher price. To find a business broker in your area, click on Find a Broker.

4.) Buyer Interaction: When business brokerages sell businesses, the owners involved are very rarely able to speak to potential buyers. Being able to speak directly with someone will give you an idea of how badly he wants the business and how he might run it so keep in touch with your broker regularly for updates on all prospect-related conversations.

Should I sell my business myself or work with a Business Broker?
Listing your business for sale by owner is one of the simplest ways to approach a very important business transaction. You’ve invested so much time, sweat and money into your business, and it can be difficult to entrust your entire future to a third party even if trust is very high. Can I really sell my business myself?” you ask. The answer is absolutely! Let’s examine more closely the benefits of selling a business independently.

1.) Cost savings: This is nearly always the primary concern for business owners who decide to sell their own business. The commission on the sale of a large business can be very lucrative for a broker, and take a large chunk of profit away from you. This can be especially dangerous if you are attempting to sell a troubled business. Managing the sale of your own business can keep much-needed money in your pocket.

Posting your business online is an easy and cost efficient way to advertise, and will reach infinitely more interested parties than advertising in print. At Business Broker Journal.com, you can list your business for sale by owner for only $49.95 per month. In addition, premier placement is available for a reasonable fee, giving your business additional exposure on the site. The average business takes between five and eight months to sell, and a online listing can dramatically shorten that statistic.

Whether you sell your business independently or use business brokerages, marketing on the Business Broker Journal network can help you gather the largest number of lucrative offers in the shortest amount of time, ensuring a win-win situation for both you and your buyer.

Public speaking can lead to a lucrative career on its own or it can simply be used as another (very powerful!) marketing tool for your small or home-based business. Regardless of the reason you plan to speak, consider recording yourself so you can use that recording for continued marketing success in the future.

Using video can be expensive and is a hassle to get organized. But an taking audio recording of you delivering your speech can be quick and simple to do if you have the right, easy-to-use tools. This really is one of those tech-type things you can do on your own even if you’re a beginner. Following is a list of what you need to know to record your own presentation with minimal effort and expense.

These two items are the only tools you need at your speaking event to get your speech recorded:

1. Recorder

I use an Olympus Digital Voice Recorder. Make sure when you buy your recorder it is digital so you can transfer the sound later to your computer. Also, choose a model that comes with a USB cable to transfer your recording onto your computer. Prices vary from $50 – $100.

2. Microphone

You’ll need a lavaliere microphone to attach to the recorder so the sound from your voice goes directly to the recorder without any background noise getting in the way. These microphones are sold separately and typically clip on to your suit jacket and simply plug into the recorder. Prices range from $15-$30.

Next, at your event there are a few things to know:

3. Be Prepared

Make sure your clothing has a pocket to slip your recorder into as you present. Tuck the wire from the microphone into your suit so it’s not distracting to the audience. A special note for women – Too many women’s suits and pants don’t have pockets and then you’ll be stuck having to carry your recorder during your whole talk, which is not convenient or practical. Be aware of this and make sure your new suit can accommodate your recorder (about the size of a cell phone).

4. Getting Testimonials

Here’s a little tip I learned from professional speaker, Tom Antion. Keep the recorder going after your talk while you answer questions from the people standing in line to speak to you. Immediately following your speech people tend to be thrilled with your content and will tell you what they liked best. You can use this feedback on your website saying, “According to one enthusiastic participant, …”

5. Uploading and Editing

When you get home from your speech you can simply pull out your USB cable, plug it into your computer and recorder and upload your recorded speech and testimonials to your computer. To edit, download free editing software like Audacity at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ to remove any sounds that don’t belong. After your edits are done burn your completed recording to a CD-R. After that they sky’s the limit for using the recording of your speech!

Just recently I lost momentum for the life I usually proclaim to love. I stopped going to the gym as regularly as usual and was eating more sugar than was good for me. At first I thought I was just feeling a bit worn out; I’d been pushing myself pretty hard and it made sense. Then I started to find it a bit of an effort to get out of bed in the morning. That frightened me.

Having been a success coach for years, I know how to manage my state. I don’t always want to but it’s like going to the gym regularly, you develop the “muscle memory” that allows you to respond automatically, even when you don’t feel like it.
There was obviously something in my blind spot that was evading my attention, so I decided to phone a dear friend of mine, who is a phenomenal coach, and ask her to help me work through the problem.

It was uncomfortable, as growth often is. There was much wriggling on my part; my friend, thankfully, refused to let me off the hook and eventually, the truth came out.
“What was the point of making so much effort when the results I wanted weren’t showing up?” I had mumbled petulantly. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realised exactly what was going on.

As much as I had faithfully promised to resign as general manager of the universe (Janet Attwood – The Passion Test) I had clearly assumed the role, again. Obviously, I knew better than anybody else when my plans should come to fruition, and by my calculations, they were behind schedule. As the ugly truth of my attitude became clear to me I realised that I had been living in direct conflict with one of my highest values: gratitude.

I was saying that what I had in my life, right now, wasn’t good enough. I wanted something bigger, better with more bells on before I would be satisfied. No wonder I was starting to feel so unhappy. And it wasn’t really a big surprise that the results I wanted weren’t showing up. If your partner brought you a present and you turned your nose up at it, he might not feel inclined to have his gesture dismissed again. I was shocked and ashamed but, thankfully, now that I had my attention on the blind spot I was already half way to seeing clearly.

Impatience had been a problem for me all my life, definitely an Achilles heel. I spent the next couple of hours reflecting on what that behaviour had cost me: when I had put strain the relationship with my boyfriend because of my unreasonable expectations or just missed the moment because of mentally rushing off into the future. There was a lot of apologising to be done but, thankfully, I am greatly loved and my friends and family were gracious.

During that period of time I felt a definite shift in my energy. I felt happier and lighter – more present in the moment than I had felt for ages. Finally, I understood the phrase, “enjoy the journey.” I had heard it countless times but it had never resonated at that level with me, before. It was important to me to really anchor my awareness I this new mindset, so I started to look for quotes that would help.

I was amazed by what I found. There were so many quotes by people who were at the top of their field, from all different backgrounds, that encouraged being in the moment: Sally Field, Marianne Williamson, Oliver Goldsmith, Voltaire, Einstein, Wordsworth and Henry David Thoreau. The most surprising one I came across was from Donald Trump, who said:

“I try to learn from the past but I plan for the future by focusing exclusively on the present. That’s where the fun is.”

“Well,” I thought, “If it’s the key to a multi-billionaire’s success, it’s good enough for me.”

And it has been. It’s incredible just how much happier and more productive I have been by focusing on the journey, instead of rushing towards the future. After all, the present is all that we really have. There are no guarantees how life will unfold but there is magic in every moment, if we just take the time to recognise it.