Business brokerage is a relatively unknown profession. Very few business sellers or buyers think of business brokers as service providers before buying or selling a company. Moreover, business brokers rarely advertise their services through the media simply because their clients principally business owners who are ready to sell their businesses and who's business is sellable. Furthermore, there is generally a few number of business brokers in every city.
It could become a challenge for a business owner to find a business broker he/she can trust. Even friends, relatives and professionals rarely know of a business broker they could recommend.
The Internet is a good place to start. Internet savvy business brokers would have websites that are well ranked in Google. Calling these brokers will generally help the seller select the right business broker who is interested in his/her business. please not that most respectable business brokers would not list all the businesses they come across. Business brokers get generally paid only when the business sells, so they will not take a business they cannot sell, for example an unprofitable business.
Another venue for business sellers is to look for directories for large associations of business brokers such as the International Association of Business Brokers (IBBA). Broker members are generally successful brokers who satisfy the requirement of the association, who are interested in continual education and who are successful enough to afford the annual membership fees.
