Your Business Has Been Listed for 6 Months: Now What?

It’s been six months since you listed your selling business. If it’s not moving, you’re probably wondering what’s next-especially with confidentiality still intact.

This guide walks you through straightforward steps to assess performance, tweak your profile, and ramp up visibility without starting over.

Let’s get your business sale back on track.

Your Business Has Been Listed for 6 Months: Now What?

Your business listing has been active for six months without a sale. Take proactive steps to reignite buyer interest.

Owner fatigue often hits after six months. Baby Boomers planning exits feel drained from operations and NDA inquiries.

Check your business broker’s performance. Review current market conditions.

Does your Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) and marketing package still draw serious buyers? Economic shifts or buyer interest in e-commerce might explain the stall.

Review your 12-month listing agreement now. Find quick wins to rebuild sale momentum.

Address common frustrations like senioritis, where motivation wanes, or concerns over employees, customers, and vendors during due diligence. Document feedback on financials, systems, processes, key employees, equipment, and locations to refine your approach.

Assess Your Current Listing Performance

Start by gathering data on your listing’s activity to identify what’s working and what needs change. Access your business broker’s dashboard for metrics on views, inquiries, and showings. This snapshot reveals if the marketing package reaches the right audience.

Compare your days on market to local benchmarks for similar businesses. Note patterns in feedback from the CIM, such as questions about financials, operations, or growth opportunities. Buyers may hesitate if details on customers, employees, or vendors raise confidentiality concerns.

• Track total views and unique visitors to gauge initial interest.
• Count qualified inquiries protected by NDAs from potential acquirers.
• Log showings and follow-up due diligence requests.
• Review buyer comments on valuation, scale potential, or exit risks.

Document quick wins already achieved, like improved processes or leadership transitions to build trust. If underperformance in certain areas stands out, prioritize updates to the listing before the 90-day mark post-review. This assessment sets the stage for targeted improvements.

Optimize Your Business Profile

A stale online profile hurts sales. Refresh it to show your true value. Platforms like Google Business Profile and broker sites serve as the first point of contact for potential buyers. Align these profiles with your Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) and marketing package to maintain confidentiality.

Target improvements that boost perceived scale, systems, and processes. Serious buyers look for evidence of organized operations and growth potential. Update profiles to showcase how your business stands out in the market.

Encourage your business broker or M&A advisor to review these changes before posting. This step reinforces confidentiality while signaling professionalism. Fresh profiles can attract more qualified inquiries within the first 90 days of renewed efforts.

Focus on quick wins like verifying contact details and adding recent testimonials. These tweaks build trust and position your business as ready for a smooth acquisition. Regular optimization keeps your listing competitive amid longer days on market.

Update Photos and Descriptions

Fresh photos and sharp descriptions grab buyer attention. Replace outdated photos with professional shots of key equipment, locations, and daily operations. Aim for 5-10 new images to give buyers a clear view of your setup.

Rewrite descriptions to spotlight systems, processes, and opportunities. For example, highlight an e-commerce platform that drives repeat sales or real estate assets tied to your operations. Use keywords naturally to improve search visibility on broker sites.

Ensure alignment with your CIM and marketing package. This consistency reassures buyers during due diligence. Updated content emphasizes scale and efficiency, appealing to those seeking a turnkey exit.

Test descriptions by reading them aloud for clarity. Include details on vendor relationships or customer retention strategies that demonstrate stability. These changes help combat perceptions of owner fatigue or underperformance.

Refine Business Hours and Services

Accurate hours and service details build buyer trust by demonstrating reliable operations. Verify and update business hours on Google Business Profile to reflect current reality, especially after any post-listing adjustments. This simple step avoids red flags during initial reviews.

Expand the services section to include scale elements like strong vendor relationships or proven customer retention strategies. Highlight recent improvements, such as streamlined processes or new key employees in leadership roles. These details show your business is primed for growth under new ownership.

Coordinate with your broker to mirror these updates in the listing agreement and marketing materials. Buyers appreciate transparency about employees, customers, and operations. It positions your business as low-risk for a seamless acquisition.

Review competitor profiles for inspiration, but focus on your unique strengths. For instance, note any e-commerce expansions or real estate optimizations made in the last 12-month period. Accurate refinements enhance perceived value and speed up the path to closing.

Build and Manage Reviews

Customer reviews show strong leadership and healthy operations. They build trust with buyers during due diligence.

• Authentic feedback highlights customer loyalty.
• It shows employee stability.

Get real reviews, not forced ones. Respond quickly to show leadership. Buyers gain confidence in your operations.

Manage reviews across platforms like Google and industry sites. Track them weekly to spot trends in customer satisfaction. Use insights to refine processes before a business sale.

During the listing agreement period, strong reviews counter any signs of owner fatigue or underperformance. They support your valuation in the Confidential Information Memorandum. Buyers see consistent feedback as proof of scale operations.

Encourage Customer Feedback

Ask for reviews to find quick wins. It boosts your credibility with buyers. Target recent customers with simple requests.

Send personalized emails to customers from the past few months. Include a clear call to leave a review on Google, paired with a non-sales incentive like a thank-you note. This builds goodwill without pushing products.

• Train staff to request reviews after great service.
• Follow up with customers who had smooth experiences, like timely deliveries in e-commerce.
• Set a goal of 5-10 new reviews each month to show momentum to your business broker.

Integrate feedback prompts into your systems and processes. For example, add a review request to post-sale emails or receipts. This habit strengthens customer relationships and aids your exit strategy.

Boost Local SEO Rankings

Improving local SEO visibility exposes your business to more targeted buyers searching in your market. When your listing has been active for six months, refining your online presence can attract serious inquiries from local e-commerce brands or investors eyeing business sale opportunities. Focus on quick wins to stand out in crowded search results.

Start by optimizing your Google Business Profile with consistent NAP details, meaning name, locations, phone. Add keywords like selling business or business sale in descriptions to match buyer searches. Update photos of equipment, locations, and operations to build trust.

Claim and refresh listings on Yelp and key industry sites to amplify reach. Encourage customers and vendors to leave reviews highlighting scalable systems and processes. This signals stability to potential buyers during due diligence.

• Monitor rankings for terms like “Denver business for sale.” Respect NDAs.
• Respond to reviews promptly. Show strong leadership.
• Incorporate terms like acquisition or exit strategy naturally.

Track progress weekly using free tools, adjusting for market opportunities with average times like 127 days or up to 280 days. These steps reduce days on market and position your listing ahead of competitors.

Check Google Business Insights

Free insights show searcher behavior. Use them to attract better buyers and M&A advisors. After six months on the market, these tools show what draws interest in your business sale. Use them to refine your profile and boost visibility.

Analyze search queries to spot popular terms buyers use, such as equipment details or location specifics. Cross-reference this with your financials to highlight profitable areas. This helps prepare for due diligence by emphasizing strengths.

Check views by photo and action trends to see what captivates viewers, like images of key employees or machinery. Adjust your profile to feature top performers, such as adding more shots of operational equipment. Track these monthly trends for 90 days to identify patterns.

• Review photo engagement weekly to prioritize high-view content.
• Compare insights with listing agreement data for alignment.
• Update descriptions based on common searches, maintaining confidentiality.

Integrate with Website and Social Media

Seamless integration across channels amplifies your exit strategy reach, especially for Baby Boomers using firms like Green & Co. or GillAgency. Embedding Google reviews on your site builds trust with potential buyers. This step showcases positive feedback right where visitors expect it.

Link your social profiles directly to the business listing for consistent visibility. Share teasers from your Confidential Information Memorandum, or CIM, on LinkedIn to target M&A advisors. Use subtle posts like “Exploring growth opportunities in our established operations” to spark interest without breaching confidentiality.

Keep your operations and value message the same everywhere. Highlight key elements such as systems, processes, and financials in a unified voice. This approach strengthens your business sale narrative and reduces days on market.

• Embed Google reviews using simple widgets on your homepage.
• Connect social icons to your listing in the footer.
• Post CIM teasers weekly, focusing on valuation drivers like customer base and equipment.
• Review all profiles for matching details on locations and key employees.

Embed Google Reviews on Your Site

Start by copying the embed code from your Google Business Profile. Place it prominently on your about page or a dedicated testimonials section. This displays real customer experiences, signaling strong operations to acquisition-minded buyers.

Customize the widget to show recent reviews highlighting quick wins in service or scale. For e-commerce businesses, pair it with metrics on customer retention without revealing sensitive financials. Buyers value this proof of market position during due diligence.

Update the embed monthly to keep it fresh. Combine it with your marketing package narrative on leadership and vendor relationships. This integration fosters trust and supports your listing agreement goals.

Link Social Profiles to Business Listing

Add direct links from your Google Business Profile to LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. This creates a web of credibility for your business broker efforts. Prospects can easily verify your online presence and operations story.

Optimize profiles with keywords like selling business and exit opportunities in bios. Share content on owner fatigue solutions or scaling systems. Avoid specifics on employees or competitors to maintain confidentiality.

Monitor engagement to refine your approach. Use links to drive traffic back to your site.

These links amplify CIM teasers. Stay consistent to attract serious buyers faster.

Share CIM Teasers on LinkedIn

Craft short posts about your valuation strengths. Highlight recurring revenue or real estate assets.

Tag M&A advisors. Use hashtags like #BusinessSale or #ExitStrategy. Reach out to Baby Boomers in your industry for insights.

Try this teaser: “Mature operations with loyal customers ready for next-level growth. DM for details.”

It respects NDAs and sparks leads. Post at peak hours for best results.

Track responses. Follow up with brokers like Green & Co.

Use feedback in your 90-day plan. This makes your listing stand out to buyers.

Ensure Consistent Messaging

Match your words about operations, financials, and key employees. Use them on your website, listing, and social media.

Turn weak spots into strengths with clear processes. Buyers trust consistent stories.

Check all channels every three months. Show customer, vendor, and equipment opportunities the same way everywhere.

This keeps your 12-month exit on track. It fights owner burnout too.

Launch Local Advertising Campaigns

Targeted ads speed up sales. They beat typical timelines of 6-11 months or 9-10 months.

After six months, run local ad campaigns. Reach buyers missed by standard listings. Use Google Ads to target local searches like ‘business for sale’.

Set a $500-1000 monthly budget. Test ads without risking too much cash.

Use local keywords like ‘selling business near me’ or ‘business for sale [your city]’. Draw in brokers, advisors, and buyers in your field.

• Picture your buyers: experienced operators who want to grow.
• Or investors hunting deals.
• Test ad versions.
• Try: “Confidential business sale – NDA required for details.”
• Or: “Proven business ready for exit – Serious inquiries only.”

Track clicks to CIM requests or broker chats. Tweak winners to speed up your sale.

Track Progress and Iterate

Keep monitoring to spot issues early. Avoid owner burnout or slumps while staying secret from rivals.

Check regularly without tipping off staff, customers, or vendors. This keeps your business running smooth.

Set simple goals. Track profile views, buyer inquiries, or CIM downloads.

Review every two weeks with broker reports. Update your marketing pack to spotlight staff, gear, or online sales.

Fix weak spots. Tweak listings or valuations from feedback.

Meet advisors every three months. Check progress against your 12-month goal. Pivot after 90 days if needed, but guard your numbers.

• Track inquiries tied to specific locations or real estate assets.
• Monitor due diligence requests from qualified buyers.
• Evaluate owner fatigue and leadership transitions for Baby Boomers planning an exit.

Got SBA or PPP loans from 2019-2020? Note how they helped growth or chances.

Buyers trust clear records. Keep tweaking for the best exit.