Selling a Business: Why You Shouldn’t Do It Yourself
1 December 2025
Selling a business is an enormous decision, one that involves a careful balance of financial strategy, emotional readiness, and legal processes. Selling a business is almost always, the most significant transaction in the business owner’s life.
However, for many entrepreneurs, the idea of managing both the operation of the business and the sales process simultaneously can feel daunting and ultimately be detrimental to both endeavors.
While selling your business without the help of professionals like brokers or advisors might seem cost-effective, the challenges and dangers of juggling both roles—running the business and selling it—are significant.
What follows is a discussion of why attempting this dual responsibility can be fraught with risks, more costly in the long run and why it may not be the most effective way to approach the sale of your business.
The Selling and The Running BOTH Require Focus
When you’re running a business, your attention needs to be fully dedicated to its operations, staff, customers, and ongoing projects. Trying to manage the sale at the same time divides your focus, which can have a significant impact on both. The complex, often time-consuming nature of preparing a business for sale demands a level of attention that can be difficult to sustain when you’re simultaneously trying to keep the business running smoothly.
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The process of selling your business includes assessing the company’s value, preparing financial documents, negotiating terms, and vetting potential buyers. If you’re spread too thin between these responsibilities and the day-to-day operation of the business, both will suffer. Customers may feel neglected, employees may lose morale, and important decisions in the sale process may be rushed or poorly executed. All of these can hurt your business’s reputation and, ultimately, reduce its sale value.
Emotional Attachment to the Business
For many business owners, the company they’ve built is like a second home—a personal achievement that’s been nurtured over years, if not decades. This emotional connection can cloud your judgment when it comes to pricing, negotiations, and even selecting the right buyer. When you’re simultaneously operating the business and trying to sell it, this attachment can lead to decision-making that isn’t entirely objective.
You might overvalue your business because of sentimental reasons, or you may undervalue it out of a desire to “move on quickly” and relieve yourself of the burden. Emotional attachment also makes it harder to detach from the business when necessary, which can hinder your ability to focus on negotiating with potential buyers in a calm and detached manner. In contrast, a professional broker or advisor will provide a more objective perspective, guiding you towards a fair price and proper terms, without the emotional baggage that often comes with the sale process.
Time Commitment and Complexity of the Sale Process
The process of selling a business is far more complex than it might initially appear. From financial audits, legal paperwork and marketing the business to finding qualified buyers, the workload involved is heavy. It can take months, if not longer, to prepare a business for sale and to find the right buyer. Attempting to juggle these tasks while running the company can lead to burnout, stress, and even a breakdown in either the business operations or the sale process—or both.
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For instance, you may underestimate the time required to compile documents like financial records, legal agreements, and operational manuals, all of which are necessary to present the business in the best light. Buyers will want transparency and evidence of the business’s profitability and potential, and creating this documentation can be a time-consuming task that takes you away from other crucial responsibilities.
Moreover, each stage of the sale—from attracting buyers, evaluating offers, and negotiating terms—requires its own level of engagement and attention to detail. Without a dedicated team or professional support, handling this process while continuing to manage the day-to-day operations of the business can be overwhelming.
Inadequate Buyer Vetting
One of the most important aspects of selling a business is ensuring that the buyer is qualified, financially capable, and genuinely interested in continuing the legacy of your business. When you’re juggling the sale process with day-to-day operations, there’s a risk that you won’t adequately vet potential buyers. This can lead to selling the business to someone who either isn’t capable of running it or, worse, has no intention of following through with the purchase.
A professional business broker or M&A (mergers and acquisitions) advisor can help screen potential buyers, ensuring that they have the necessary financial backing, expertise, and motivation to successfully take over the business. Without these experts, you may find yourself with a buyer who ultimately can’t close the deal, leaving you back at square one after weeks or months of effort.
Additionally, buyers may be less likely to take you seriously if they sense that you are overwhelmed or distracted. If they detect that you are not fully committed to the process or that you lack the time and resources to engage in meaningful negotiations, they may be less inclined to offer you a fair price.
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Legal and Regulatory Risks
Selling a business involves numerous legal considerations, from drafting and reviewing sales contracts to ensuring compliance with tax laws and regulations. Even minor errors in the legal process can result in costly mistakes or even void the entire transaction. Inexperienced sellers may overlook important details, such as non-compete clauses, intellectual property protections, or employment agreements that affect the value and sale process of the business.
Without the expertise of a legal advisor, you may miss vital provisions or unknowingly put yourself at risk. Missteps could also expose you to future litigation, particularly if the terms of the sale are poorly structured. For example, failing to properly address issues like intellectual property transfer or handling existing liabilities can complicate the process and delay the closing.
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An experienced transaction attorney or broker can help you navigate these complexities, ensuring that all legal aspects are taken care of and that you aren’t leaving yourself open to future disputes or unexpected liabilities.
Failure to Maximize Business Value
The process of selling a business is not simply about finding any buyer—it’s about finding the right buyer at the right price. To achieve the best possible sale price, you need to present your business in the most favorable light. This often involves strategic planning, including optimizing cash flow, reducing operational inefficiencies, and making the business as appealing as possible to potential buyers.
If you’re also trying to run the business while simultaneously preparing it for sale, you might neglect these value-maximizing steps, ultimately leading to a lower offer price. Many business owners don’t realize that minor improvements in processes, systems, or customer satisfaction can significantly increase their business’s market value. A broker or advisor will have the experience to guide you through these steps and help you position your business in the most profitable way.
In addition, brokers typically have a network of potential buyers they can reach out to, including investors, private equity firms, or other companies interested in acquisitions. Without a professional intermediary, you may miss out on opportunities to sell to a broader pool of qualified buyers, narrowing your chances of finding the right buyer who can offer you the best deal.
Increased Risk of Post-Sale Regret
When the sale is completed, you may feel a sense of relief and achievement. But the process of selling a business can sometimes lead to post-sale regret, especially if it was rushed or poorly managed. If you haven’t properly prepared for the transition, or if you were too distracted to handle the sale carefully, you may later regret the terms of the sale or feel that you didn’t get the best price for your business. This sense of regret can be compounded if the buyer proves to be unfit for the role or if the business’s future isn’t as promising as you hoped.
By having a clear plan, professional support, and time to consider all offers and terms carefully, you increase your chances of feeling satisfied with the outcome and avoiding regret later on.
The Bottom Line
While selling your business on your own may seem like a way to save money, the challenges and dangers of trying to run the business while simultaneously managing the sale process are substantial. Divided attention, emotional attachment, lack of time, inadequate buyer vetting, legal risks, failure to maximize value, and the potential for post-sale regret are all risks that can come with taking on both roles at once.
Ultimately, the decision to sell your business is too significant to approach without professional support. The help of experienced brokers, advisors, and legal professionals can make all the difference in ensuring that the sale process is smooth, that you get the best price, and that you’re setting your business—and yourself—up for success in the long run.
Check out our video series, “How Much is My Business Worth“on our YouTube channel.
“Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.“
– Babe Ruth
If you have any questions or comments on this topic – or any topic related to business – I’d like to hear from you. Put them in the comments box below. Start the conversation and I’ll get back to you with answers or my own comments. If I get enough on one topic, I’ll address them in a future post or podcast.
I’ll be back with you again next Monday. In the meantime, I hope you have a safe and profitable week.
Joe
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The author is the founder, in 2001, of Worldwide Business Brokers and holds a certification from the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) as a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) of which there are fewer than 1,000 in the world. He can be reached at jo*@*******************og.com
