I run a small kitchen design shop, been in business 14 years. Listed it for sale 6 months ago on one of the big marketplaces. Paid for the premium package, got professional photos, wrote what I thought was a solid description. In six months I have had exactly two inquiries, both from brokers trying to get me to relist with them. Zero serious buyers. I am not asking a crazy price, comparable shops in my area have sold for similar. What am I missing here? Is it the listing itself, the platform, or is the market just dead right now?
Listings
Why my business listing got zero traction online
Six months with two inquiries is pretty normal for the big marketplaces honestly. Most of those platforms are flooded with listings and buyers sort by revenue first. What's your asking price relative to revenue?
Could be the category. Kitchen, and bath design is a relationship business. Buyers in that space usually want someone with a boook of clients and a trained crew, and they tend to find deals through industry contacts or local brokers, not online listings. Did you list through a broker or direct?
Direct. I talked to one broker but the commission was steep and I figured I could handle inquiries myself. Maybe that was the mistake.
Not necessarily the mistake. Plenty of owners sell direct. But if you're direct, the listing has to do all the work a broker would do in person. What's in your description? Are you showing add-backs, seller financing willingness, transition support?
Also worth checking where you actually show up in search on the platform. I listed a landscaping company last year and it turned out my listing was buried on page four because I had a typo in the category field. Took me two months to notice.
What's your cash flow number and what multiple are you asking? If you're asking 3x earnings on a business that depends entirely on you being there, buyers will pass. Not saying that's your situation, but it's the most common reason listings sit
Asking around 2.5x seller's discretionary earnings. Owner financing available, I'm willing to stay on for a year. I thought that was was reasonable.
That is reasonable on paper. So it's probably visibility or presentation. Can you share the listing link or at least the headline? Often the headline is the whole problem. "Established Kitchen Design Business For Sale" tells a buyer nothing. "14-Year Kitchen Design Firm, $X Revenue, Owner Will Finance" gives them a reason to click.
Also, two inquiries in six months on a premium package seems off. Have you asked the platform for your listing view count? They usually have that data even if they dont show it publicly. If views are low it's a traffic problem. If views are high and inquiries are low it's a listing problem. Those are very different fixes.
I'd also stop paYing for the premium package until you figure out whether the platform even sends buyers to your category. Some of these marketplaces are basically lead farms for brokers. The inquiries you got might be the whole point of their model.
Second the view count idea. That's the first thing I'd ask for.