According to research, the typical timeframe for a business owner to receive their first offer after listing the business for sale is between 1 and 6 months. Business listings receive 3-4 inquiries per month on average, and the typical sales timeframe is 6 to 9 months when selling to a third party using a service.
Some businesses may receive 10+ serious purchase inquiries every month, while others receive just a handful over the course of a year. It all boils down to
- the specifics of the business,
- the local market, and
- the aggressiveness of the marketing effort.
The key is that you the business owner should be prepared for a process that can take several months, rather than expecting immediate offers. Proactively marketing the business to a wide pool of potential buyers is important to attract that first offer in a timely manner.