offsell
Didn't sell? Questions owners ask

Trying again

Offsell.com editorial team · Last reviewed

Should I reduce the price after my business failed to sell?

The short answer

Not automatically. A price reduction helps only if value was the reason the business did not sell. If the cause was buyer coverage, positioning, information quality or timing, a lower price may simply give value away. Look at the evidence first: buyer feedback, offers received and comparable deals. Then decide whether to change the price, the business, the structure or the buyer search.

The Offsell view

Cutting the price is the easiest change to make and the hardest to reverse. Diagnose first.

What evidence points towards a price reset?

Evidence for a reset

  • Several buyers cited price
  • Offers clustered well below the asking value
  • The value relied on forecasts buyers did not accept

Evidence against

  • Few relevant buyers were approached
  • Buyers raised risk or fit, not price
  • Information was incomplete
  • Trading has since improved

What else could change instead of the price?

  • Improve saleability: reduce owner dependence or concentration
  • Change the deal structure
  • Widen or retarget the buyer universe
  • Wait for better trading or market conditions

Why offers can come in low

What should you do next?

  1. 01Collect all price-related feedback.
  2. 02Compare the asking value with offers and evidence.
  3. 03Rule out buyer coverage and information gaps.
  4. 04Decide on the change most likely to alter the outcome.

Find out why before you simply try again.

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Off-market · Confidential · What to do when a business doesn't sell