Chapter 5: The sales material — listing, sales prospectus and key figures

The sales material is your business’s public face during the sales process. It needs to spark interest among the right buyers and give them enough information to judge whether they want to go further — while protecting you from revealing too much too soon. Good material typically consists of three layers, which the buyer gains access to step by step.

The listing

The listing must be specific enough for the right buyers to recognise an opportunity, but general enough that competitors, employees and customers cannot guess which business it is. Create it via Create listing.

What the listing should contain

• A precise title: “Profitable webshop with its own brand in the pet sector” says more than “Webshop for sale”.
• Industry, region and year established — region rather than town if the town would make the business recognisable.
• The business model: How does the business make money, and who are the customers?
• Key figures: Revenue and profit — possibly as a range.
• The strengths: For example repeat customers, own products, a long lease, permanent staff.
• What is included: For example domain, stock, equipment, supplier agreements, social media.
• Handover: How long you can help, and when the takeover can take place.
• Reason for selling — brief and honest.

Discretion in the listing

On Sitavo you control how much is shown. Make active use of the options, especially if it could harm the business for the sale to become known.

• Choose a discreet sale. The seller and the business are then hidden, and buyers see “Seller with verified identity”, the industry and the region instead. If you want to gauge interest first, a “Market test” shows the listing to verified buyers for a limited period.
• Choose “Price not disclosed” if you would rather receive offers or discuss the price with qualified buyers.
• Show revenue and profit as ranges (e.g. DKK 1–5m) so the figures cannot be compared directly with published accounts. You still see the exact figures yourself.
• Require an NDA before buyers see the full figures, details and documents — or show the listing to verified buyers only. See Visibility and NDA.
• Use neutral images — avoid shopfronts, signs, logos and interiors that could be recognised.
• Avoid unique details such as a distinctive product, a well-known customer or an exact address.

The sales presentation

The sales presentation — also known as an information memorandum or sales prospectus — is the document the buyer receives after signing an NDA. It tells the full story of the business and should give the buyer a basis for making an indicative offer. Use Sitavo’s sales presentation, which is structured as a presentation with one section per “slide”.

1. Cover and summary: What kind of business is it, and why is it interesting — on one page.
2. The business and its history: Founding, development and milestones.
3. Products and services: What is sold, at what prices, and how is revenue distributed?
4. Market and competition: Who are the competitors, and what sets the business apart?
5. Customers: Customer types, distribution, loyalty and dependence on large customers.
6. Sales and marketing: Channels, campaigns, traffic sources and costs.
7. Organisation: Employees, roles and the owner’s current tasks.
8. Operations and suppliers: Processes, systems, premises and key suppliers.
9. Finances: Key figures for 3 years, normalisations and budget.
10. Growth opportunities: What could a new owner do that you haven’t got round to?
11. Reason for sale and the deal: What is being sold, the preferred structure, process and timetable.

Create the sales prospectus from your listing

1. Go to My listings, open the listing and choose the Sales prospectus tab.
2. Click Create prospectus with AI. AI writes four sections — summary, why buy, growth opportunities and handover — based on the information you have given in the listing.
3. Read the sections through and edit them so they sound like you and the facts and figures match the listing. Empty sections are left out.
4. The cover, key figures, finances, operations and deal terms are taken from the listing each time the PDF is generated, so the prospectus always reflects your latest figures.
5. Click Download PDF, or click Add to data room. In the data room, buyers with an NDA receive the prospectus with a watermark showing their name.

The key figures sheet

The key figures sheet gathers the most important figures in one place: revenue, gross profit, costs, EBITDA and net profit for recent years, the normalisations made and industry-specific key figures. Use Sitavo’s key figures sheet. Choose the key figures that make sense for your type of business:

Checklist before you publish

• The listing does not reveal the business’s identity, unless that is deliberate.
• All figures match the accounts and the key figures sheet.
• It is clear whether the figures are normalised, and how.
• The sales presentation is ready to be sent once a buyer has signed an NDA.
• The data room has been prepared (see chapter 9).
• You have chosen a pricing format: fixed price, open to offers (possibly with a minimum offer), “Price not disclosed” or auction — and whether to set a bidding deadline.
• You have a plan for who responds to enquiries, and how quickly.