Getting Ready to Sell?

I've written before about closing your business, but a recent e-mail campaign (with the dozens of bounced e-mails) has brought this issue to my attention again. I usually try to find a new e-mail address for the ones that are bounced back to me -- and it's easier if the e-mail address includes the company domain name -- like info@yourresumesite.com.

But even then, I've got a list of more than 100 domains that no longer exist. That can be valuable real estate -- I'm half-tempted to go out and register them myself. After all, some resume writer out there spent a lot of time building up that brand name ... only to let it lapse if they left the business.

Does anyone know a business broker that does any work in the careers industry? I'd like to interview him or her for a future article -- and I think I could send some business their way.

In the March 2008 issue of Inc. Magazine, the "Ask Inc." column featured a question from a business owner who would like to sell the company in the next 18 months.

It made some very good points. Among them:

• "What is the business without me? Most of your company's value is in your relationships with clients and the knowledge you have gained from experience."
• Business owners should begin preparing for a sale 3-5 years in advance. (Of course, resume writers who are leaving the field for another career won't have that long. But ideally, you'd make time to grow the value of the company. That's the catch-22 -- if you grew the company, you probably would stay in the field!)
• Update any manuals you've written or materials you've created to make the business transition smooth -- to help a buyer understand the business -- it can't just be all in your head.
• If you're selling the business (and not just your client list or domain), make sure you have solid sales record documentation in place.
• Your client list is your biggest asset. Ideally, you've been keeping in contact with your clients, so the information is still "fresh." The ultimate value of your client list to a prospective buyer is how many of those clients he or she can convert/retain. If you help make the transition possible, your client list will be worth more.

Here are some additional resources:
Closing a Business Checklist (IRS)
Small Business Planner: Getting Out (SBA)

Autoresponders and A Sales Approach

I've been mailing to my non-Vertical Response e-mail list this week, trying to drum up respondents for my two open surveys (Conference Attendance and Subcontracting). Along the way, I get a fair number of e-mails back from autoresponders.

You know, the ones that usually say, "Hi! I will be out of the office until Monday, March 24. I will respond to your message when I return to the office."

Usually.

Sometimes they'll have a sales message. Like: "I'm sorry I am unavailable to respond to your message at this time. If you are interested in learning more about our services, please visit our website, www.yourresumesite.com."

But then I got this interesting response from one resume writer's autoresponder:

Subject: Resume Writing

I doubt that you can afford me. If you are still interested in this subject, please call.
(Resume writer name, CEO), Company Name, Phone Number)

Wow. I'm not sure what to make of that. Either she is *really* prequalifying customers, or she doesn't want the business. I'll have to follow up with her (when she's back in the office, of course), and see which is the case.

[PS - I use Vertical Response for my opt-in e-mail management for Resume Writers' Digest. There are no monthly fees -- you buy e-mail credits as you need them, for $.015 each (or, in bulk, for less than a penny each). Plus VR gives you the tools to simply create sign-up forms to collect your opt-in form. Plus, they have great templtes for creating your e-mails. If you'd like to try Vertical Response, e-mail me at RWDigest.com. You can try it for FREE and send 25 emails. Once you become a customer, you and I will both receive free email credits for the amount you purchase (up to 2,500).]

NRWA Conference Early Registration Deadline Approaching

You have until March 31, 2008 to take advantage of $60 savings on your registration for the National Resume Writers' Association 11th Annual Conference. It will be held Sept. 24-27, 2008 in San Diego, California.

Early Bird Registration is just $325. Wait until April 1 or later and the price is $385. For more information, visit www.TheNRWA.com.

The conference will feature sessions on website marketing, interviewing clients, assessment tools, minority job seekers, client agreements and more.

On a related note, I'm still looking for careers industry professionals to take my brief survey on conference attendance. Be sure to sign up for the Resume Writers' Digest mailing list (use form in the top right-hand corner of the blog) to be notified of future surveys. You can also receive our FREE "Best Of" Conference Preview newsletter (12 pages).

Hunting Dates of Employment

Ever have one of those clients that just couldn't remember when she worked for her employers?

Here's an idea:
Have her go to the local social security office and get dates of employment by using her social security number.

The listing is somewhat hard to figure out, but it does list all the employers and dates of employment as well as wages/salary paid to that person.

The document is confidential -- that's why your client has to go in person to request it.

Thanks to Camille Carboneau for this tip!