The business sale market is witnessing a bonanza. Despite this, some owners struggle to close deals. After all, value is in the eye of the beholder and sales operate according to simple principles of supply and demand. If you don’t create demand for your business it will be impossible to achieve maximum value. Here are the most common mistakes, and how to fix them.

If you’re selling your business, you can go through the stress and risk of selling it yourself, or you can hire a business broker to help ensure that you achieve maximum value. Brokers boast years of experience. They know what works and what doesn’t, and they know how a transaction should proceed. They can level the playing field between you and the buyer, offering a significant advantage at the negotiation table.

You’ve finally decided to sell your business. Whether this is an emotional decision after years of debate, an easy choice that you hope will be profitable, or a bridge to retirement, now the real work begins. Preparing your business for a sale is the most significant factor in the success of the sale. It can take years to get ready for a sale, and your preparation can pay off in the form of a more lucrative sale with more favorable terms than you otherwise could have expected.

It’s typical for owners to periodically contemplate selling their business. But how can you tell if it’s the right time to sell? The answer varies from company to company and is heavily dependent on the market. No matter the type of business you run or your motives for selling, there are three conditions that should be present for a sale to be a good idea.

Sellers sell their businesses for many reasons, but the chief among them is money. So every M&A advisor has encountered a client with value expectations that are sky-high. Many see selling price as a sort of business report card, and they want their business to get excellent grades. It’s also common for owners to let their emotions lead the way. They’ve put in years of hard work, the thinking goes, and so that hard work should come with a handsome reward.

Most owners can benefits immensely from working with a broker to help them sell their small to medium-sized business. While you can sell your business on your own, the process will be more stressful, and may result in a lower sale price with less favorable terms. The right sales team leverages the expertise of brokers who have helped sell hundreds of businesses.

It’s a familiar tale virtually every M&A firm has encountered: a family-owned chain is successful, but with multiple areas of improvement that may be red flags for buyers. Not wanting to miss out on a strong market, they go to market anyway. And after six months, there’s still no buyer. Worse still, the company is so consumed by the deal process that they’re unable to make improvements or continue building value.

If you plan to sell your business soon, you’ve picked the right time. Consumer confidence is high, and profitable businesses are earning top dollar in a booming economy. Yet many sellers seem overwhelmed. This sense of being overwhelmed can cause them to delay selling to a future date, when the environment for a sale might be less favorable.