Resuming a business is an obstacle course. Even if the buyer expects it, He will have to tame the successive emotions that will overwhelm him. Explanation by Pascal Ferron, President of Walter France, business recovery specialist.
Leave your manager, Business Unit director, project manager or other to embark on business takeover does not always result from a long maturation. Even if we often thought about it by saying that one day, oui, We would like to get started, This often results from a shock imposed by uncontrolled events such as a somewhat rapid dismissal ... and yet, It would be better that the small seed of entrepreneurship has gradually pushed into the brain : have taken opinions, weighed the pros and cons, put aside his little jackpot ... before making the decision to get started.
The enthusiasm of the first weeks
At first, It's madly exciting ! You announce to everyone that you will take a business, You register for a training of business buyers, You contact the intermediation firms you explain why you are the best of the best, You make your file, You select your chartered accountant and your lawyer, Your potential future investors (Love Money or others) - training will have convinced you that, oui, You need several tips, at least two, but still, it will cost more than expected. In short, You are on your little cloud, full of enthusiasm and very busy. Everything will be fine ...
The hope of the first meeting with a first transferor
Really, You are lucky, fairly quickly, The intermediation firm organizes a first meeting with a transferor. Unexpected ! This is not the sector of activity you had thought of a priori, but good, We told you that we had to open up to other opportunities, So why not. And then it's really a beautiful business, A little smaller than what you thought, But with a beautiful margin. Geographically, It also sticks. Not really 50 meters from your home, But in a sunny region where you see yourself living. You study the seller's file : The more you immerse yourself, The more you tell yourself that it would be really great for you. You believe it.
The certainty that contact with the transferor is excellent
During the appointment, You live a big moment. This is an opportunity to expose to the transferor all the wonderful things that you have done during your career as Head of Department X, head of european area, Managing Director Group, or more modest positions, But where you have excelled. He can only be convinced that you are the man of the situation to multiply by four the turnover of his box. The transferor listens to you carefully, asks you questions ... which surprise you a little by their earth side on the ground. Yes, the transferor, his, is in the operational seven days a week. But hey, You are at the top, The appointment went very well according to you ; sure that in the second appointment he will give you his agreement !
The disappointment
The days pass, no news. You relaunch the intermediary. The transferor is on a business trip, The transferor has a problem with a large customer, Or the transferor went on vacation ... after two long weeks, The intermediary calls you to announce that the transferor does not follow up. You fall from above. " Ah good ? But why then ? The meeting went very well very well ? »From your point of view, oui, But the assignor was probably not convinced by your brilliant course of which he has nothing to do. It's a learning : next time, You will spend more time on your human qualities, your managerial skills, your adaptability ... you will listen to it more to try to be in tune with him.
Impatience
Bon, positivons, It has only been two months since you started your search, You will have other opportunities, You are sure. Oh yes, But we are early December, The holidays approach, For sellers, Now is not the time, They think of Christmas and winter sports. Was, You start to find the long time. Certainly, You watch good TV series in the afternoon on your sofa, But after a week you can no longer. You remember the intermediaries, who explain to you that this is not the right period, that for the moment they have no file for you, that we have to wait, be patient. To wait for ? You who lived 200 an hour in your executive position, You don't understand what is happening to you. The patience, This is not your strong point. It's annoying, It’s annoying not to move forward. And yet, Learning patience is fundamental in the process of business recovery.
Doubt and discouragement
It is generally at this time that doubts about your mind. And if I was wrong ? And if business recovery, It was not for me ? And if I couldn't find a business to take over ? And if it drags too much, My financial reserves will be born ? Because it is also at the same time that good souls reinforce your doubt : " Ah good ? You only had one appointment ? "You are sure it's for you, business takeover ? "You would have no interest in looking for employee work, anyway ? »And if, Fifteen days later, while, déjà, You are no longer at the top, An intermediary calls you to cancel a meeting, You enter the discouragement phase. Fortunately, You have chosen good advice, And they will fully play their role in these difficult periods to cheer you up and explain to you that disappointments and doubts are an integral part of the process.
Learning endurance and patience
So you take your pilgrim stick and start again, again and again. Because all the buyers who succeeded will tell you : In terms of business recovery, It takes one to two years to achieve your ends. It's long. You have to learn patience, Accept the time of sellers, who is not yours. The transferor, his, manages his business on a daily basis ; In transmission, He takes care of it "in addition", While for you it is, at this time of your life anyway, Your reason for living. Resume in two or three months can occur, But it is better to consider this as an exception.
The determination, perseverance and ... faith
What makes the difference, It is determination and obstinacy. A buyer who believes in his project, who fundamentally wants to resume a business, who gives itself the means and who knows how to overcome moments of doubt forever believing it with composure, again and again, This one will always succeed. And above all, Even if it's important, It is not the amount of the contribution that will be crucial. It is the contribution of the buyer who will know, thanks to his "niac", train his family in his wake, Intermediaries, the funders and ... the transferor !
