Bit of advice, please?

[TraceyHand]

As you all know, I'm going to be selling up soon (Budget bumps)

Business is thriving at the moment and I feel it's an attractive business to a serious buyer.

Anyway, I digress slightly.
There is a chance I may have to close down the website for a week or 2. Personal reasons may mean I am unable to work in my home.
I can come back here to work but there may be a need for me to be away completely at some point.

My Q is this, do you htink this would reflect unfavourably to anyone wanting to buy the business?
I mean, obviously, if they're looking to buy, seeing it closed is hardly reassuring is it?

The problem is, I can't really have all and sundry (from a business POV) knowing my personal reasons, IYSWIM!

I could possibly struggle on and keep it going (it's not as if I don't need to money, the loss of income would be significant, tbh) but I fear there may be a point at which I have no choice.

I'm not making much sense, I odn't think... what do you think?

[pinbrook]

You could simply suspend ordering and say you are on holiday if you feel the closure will only be for a couple of weeks, or close it for all of August with the holiday excuse

[Luddite]

Its probably not what you want to hear, but i'd probably delay putting the business up for sale until things are abit clearer for you. That way you could temporarily suspend ordering until such a time as you can permanently relocate the business in order to either resurrect it, or sell it.

I appreciate that there are probably lots of 'ifs and buts' to your situation though - so this suggestion may be completely impractical.

Good luck with it all.

Nick

[TraceyHand]

actually, no, you're probably right
I've had another thought.
I'm considering going out to start looking for work NOW (which wasgoing to happen AFTER selling up) and then closing the site down. Wrapping up the books, stock-taking etc, and selling the business

Does that sound feasible? Would it be off-putting to a buyer to buy a business that has been temporarily suspended?

[pinbrook]

Would it be off-putting to a buyer to buy a business that has been temporarily suspended?

If the temp suspension was a week or so, you might get away with it, but any suspension of trade is going to have an effect on the value of the business. a closure or temp suspension would cause the new owner to have to build up new trade rather than take over something which feasibly could take orders the first day of ownership

[Buzby]

If it is just for a short while you could do what we are currently doing.

We will be closing for two weeks to complete some major building work and have put a notice on the site informing everyone.

We have also said that anyone prepared to wait until we reopen will receive a 15% discount when the order is dispatched in a few weeks.

We were expecting a quiet week as we got everything in order but sales have gone mad with the prospect of a discount. My customers would rather wait 2 - 3 weeks to receive their items in order to save money.

Kind regards

Jason

[TraceyHand]

If the temp suspension was a week or so, you might get away with it,

Well the suspension is pretty much going to be the time between me starting a job and finding a buyer so who knows how long that could be!

I think, all things considered, I'm going to have to put "life" first and do it anyway. Find job, close store, get affairs in order and hope that the closure isn't too long as to affect business too much.

Thanks, advice gratefully received

[RuralWeb]

You could set the stock levels to zero which is not as bad as suspending the store?

[wjcampbe]

Tracey,

Can you hire somebody to run things for you and keep the store open? Can they work out of "back here" wherever that is? It would be a shame to see the value of all your hard work reduced - just when you need to maximaise it.

[TraceyHand]

Tracey,

Can you hire somebody to run things for you and keep the store open? Can they work out of "back here" wherever that is?

Not really, Bill. "back here" is my home, with 2 kids to boot!

It's complicated but I think I'm going to have to set my priorities and then hope that the period between suspending and selling is short enough to get away with.

Thanks for your suggestions though

[TraceyHand]

You could set the stock levels to zero which is not as bad as suspending the store?

Interesting suggestion actually, thanks

[chris ashdown]

There is a chance I may have to close down the website for a week or 2. Personal reasons may mean I am unable to work in my home.
I can come back here to work but there may be a need for me to be away completely at some point.

Tracey

Sorry to hear of your problems, wish you all the best.

Regarding the above, in the past I have contacted local computer shops (small ones not large chain ones) and hired a notebook for a few quid a day, whilst I realise that you also have stock to sort etc, would a notebook give you the freedom to keep operating from another premisis.

If you have a lot of phone calls you can also get BT to re-direct them to another number or leave a answerphone message with the new number for the company

I would hope a investor would understand but much better if you could keep going or get a friend to help out rather than close the site for that time

[george]

Good luck anyway Tracey, the community'll be a lesser place without BudgetBumps



IYKWIM

[TraceyHand]

Good luck anyway Tracey, the community'll be a lesser place without BudgetBumps



IYKWIM

Aye!
who'll harp on about stock control when I'm gone, eh?

[george]

Would a part-time job be better for you till you get bb sold?