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The hidden danger that can kill the sale of your business: preparation.

The hidden danger in most business sales isn't the buyer.....

.......It's the seller's lack of proper preparation.


Sellers come up against a lot of demands and expectations when they put their business on the market. Buyers will ask tough questions.


Past decisions will come under scrutiny. Compliance, finances and operations all need to be in order.


For the transaction to succeed, the seller must be fully prepared. Practically and emotionally.

If they’re not, buyers are likely to step back. Or worse, the transaction could turn toxic and result in a bad or ugly deal.


A rear view mirror of a winding road
The hidden danger that can kill the sale of your business

Ugly deals emerge in hindsight. The business collapses. Usually because of too much debt. Sometimes the business is crushed by the corporate culture of its new owner. Or there’s outright fraud.


Bad deals are harder to see. They don’t blow up. They just drag on. Forecasts fall flat. Funding terms get restructured again and again. The business limps along. Everyone loses: buyer, seller and the business.


Good deals, those that actually work, are good for all three.

  • The buyer gets what they paid for.

  • The seller walks away with capital and a good reputation.

  • And the business is strong and ready to keep growing.


Most people don’t realise how rare that is.


In my experience, about a third of business sales in Africa end up being bad or ugly.


That’s a huge loss of time, money and reputation.

In my upcoming Substack series, I’ll go deeper into what makes a good deal. And discuss how sellers can protect themselves from an ugly or bad deal by preparing properly. 


nous publication by Guy Addison
Let’s bring more nous to dealmaking in Africa.

nous: lessons and insights from dealmaking in Africa


A field journal on how strategy, capital and leadership intersect across African transactions.

Written by Guy Addison, Founder of AC Corporate Transaction Services, nous explores the discipline of value creation — from M&A and unbundling to integration, succession and transaction design.


For CEOs, investors, and advisors seeking practical intelligence on the art of dealmaking in Africa.



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