Buyers for a business might have different priorities in their perception of value, but business owners must be prepared to appeal to all buyers to get maximum value. Mergers and acquisitions professionals look at key value drivers in analyzing a perspective client to determine if it is a sellable business and if the business owner is realistic in his or hers expectations. These value drivers may include strong products and services, sales growth trend, key employees, loyal workforce and many other items. It is recommended to work with a professional mergers and acquisitions advisor early in the process to understand the value drivers to prepare the business for sale.
Learn more about Value Drivers in this excellent article on Maximizing Your Business Value Before a Sale by Gary Miller.