Dean Demeyer. Director, Chartered Accountant, Business Broker. 13 July 2026 – Launceston, Tasmania

After more than 40 years in business and commercial negotiations, I’ve learnt one simple truth: 

The market doesn’t care what you think your business is worth. 

That may sound harsh, but it’s the reality every business owner must face when they decide to sell. 

Almost every owner has invested years of hard work, long hours, financial risk and personal sacrifice into building their business. Naturally, they believe it is worth more than anyone else does. 

The problem is that buyers don’t purchase your past—they purchase their future. 

They are buying the profits they expect to earn tomorrow, not the effort you put in yesterday. 

An Overpriced Business Doesn’t Attract Buyers 

One of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s better to “start high” because buyers will negotiate. 

Unfortunately, that strategy rarely works. 

Today’s buyers are well informed. Before they even contact a broker, they’ve already compared similar businesses for sale, spoken to accountants, researched industry trends and, in many cases, discussed finance with their bank. 

If your asking price is significantly above market value, many qualified buyers won’t even enquire. 

You don’t receive low offers. 

You receive no offers at all. 

The Longer It Sits, The Harder It Becomes to Sell 

Every new business listing enjoys what I call a “fresh to market” period. 

This is when serious buyers are paying attention. 

If the business is priced correctly, inspections are booked, conversations begin and offers are made. 

However, when a business sits on the market for six, nine or twelve months, buyers start asking questions. 

“Why hasn’t it sold?” 

“Is there something wrong with it?” 

“Have previous buyers found problems during due diligence?” 

Even an excellent business can develop a poor reputation simply because it has been on the market for too long. 

Ironically, many sellers eventually reduce the price to a figure lower than they could have achieved had they priced it realistically from day one. 

Banks Have Their Own Opinion 

Many buyers rely on commercial finance. 

Banks don’t lend money because an owner believes their business is worth a certain amount. 

They look at the financial performance, industry risk, cash flow and market evidence. 

If the asking price is well above what the bank considers fair market value, finance may be declined. 

That removes another qualified buyer from the marketplace. 

Competition Creates Better Prices 

Here’s something many sellers find surprising. 

Businesses that are priced correctly often sell for more than businesses that are overpriced. 

Why? 

Because realistic pricing creates competition. 

When multiple buyers recognise value, inspections increase, negotiations become stronger and buyers are often prepared to improve their offers to secure the opportunity. 

An overpriced business rarely creates competition because buyers simply move on to the next listing. 

Your Business Is Worth What the Market Says 

As business brokers, we don’t determine the value of your business. 

The market does. 

Our role is to interpret the market by analysing recent sales, buyer demand, lending requirements, industry trends and the financial performance of your business. 

This allows us to determine what I call the Most Probable Selling Price—the price range where qualified buyers are most likely to make offers that can be supported by accountants and commercial lenders. 

That doesn’t mean your business couldn’t sell for more. 

It simply means you’re giving yourself the greatest chance of attracting genuine buyers and achieving a successful sale. 

My Advice 

If you’re thinking about selling, don’t ask yourself: 

“What do I want for my business?” 

Instead, ask: 

“What price will encourage qualified buyers to compete for it?” 

Those are two very different questions. 

One is driven by emotion. The other is driven by the market. 

The sellers who understand that difference usually achieve the best results. 

At Business Sales Exchange, our focus isn’t on telling you what you want to hear. Our job is to provide honest, evidence-based advice that gives you the greatest opportunity to sell your business for the highest price the market is prepared to pay. 

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t simply to list your business. 

The goal is to sell it.