What is a Buy and Sell Contract?

A buy and sell contract is a binding document between shareholders that guarantees to buy the partner’s share if ever he or she dies or leaves the business. The share will be sold to a partnership having the hope that the business will be in good hands. When you have a business, you may have been working for it for so long that you have come to love it and you want to ensure that it will not be abolished when you die. You want it to still stand and run as you have made it running for years. The buy and sell contract is the solution to this problem. It is also called a buyout agreement or a buy and sell agreement.

Taking care of a property for so long makes it hard for entrepreneurs to think that it will just fall apart when they die. To make sure that its legacy will continue, they can prepare a buyer for their business. They will be a seller of their business. A buy and sell contract is also applicable in other properties like a house or home, or residential purchase. Contract to buy and sell is also been done in real estate. The contract ensures a sure buyer for the property. This is very good because the heirs will not have any problem selling the property, especially if it is a business. Having a sure buyer can give a lot of convenience to the family. They can have the money from the purchase in real-time.

Through a buy and sell contract, the value of the business is also preserved. You can be sure that your partners will take care of the business because the business is already familiar to them. You will be able to manage hard situations through the contract. You can protect the interest of your business partners and your family. A buy and sell contract is a very good resort for anyone who has a business and wants to secure it. You can confidently leave your business to your partners, knowing that the business will still run the same way it has been running before.

Benefits of a Buy and Sell Contract

You may want to know the importance of a buy and sell contract. Seeing a buyout agreement sample or buy-sell agreement sample, you can know that it can benefit the buyer and the seller. We have prepared some of the benefits of the buy and sell contract. They are the following:

Preventing Outsiders to Control Your Business: If you love your business that much and you do not want it to be destroyed by your competitors, you should have a buy and sell contract that can ensure that only your partners can have your business. You can hand over your business to the people you trust. It may be hard to leave your business knowing that it can be controlled by outsiders who may not have concern for your business. But if you know that your business will be given to your partners who are already familiar with your business, you can be relieved knowing that they will take care of it. You will only entrust your business to people you already know through the buy and sell contract.Reassurance for Customers and Employees: Your customers and employees will be reassured that the business will continue if you will have a buy and sell contract. They will not fear losing the benefits that they can get from your company because it will not stop running. After all, your business partners are there to keep it running. Your employees will not fear that they will lose their job. Your customers will be reassured that they will still get your products. Even your creditors will be reassured that they will not lose their benefits from your business. All of them will be relieved knowing that your business will not come to an end if ever you will die. Thus, you can keep your employees and customers to be at ease while working or while engaging with your company.Supporting the Status of Your Business: You can be assured that the status of your business will remain the same because of the buy and sell contract. You know that your business partners will support your business. You know that they will not do anything to endanger your business. You can fully entrust your business to them because you know that they will always do good for your business. You know that they will keep the current condition of your business. You will not fear that it will be abolished after you are gone.Prevention of Unexpected Tax: Your family can save a lot if you will have a buy and sell contract. You can avoid unexpected taxes that your family and your business partners have to pay. The buy and sell contract is a good resort if you want to sell your property without your family worrying about high taxes. Guaranteed Buyer: You can be sure of a guaranteed buyer when you will engage early in a buy and sell contract. If you will die without having a buyer, your business will be at risk, having a chance for it to fall apart. But if you will sign a contract that will instantly sell your shares to your partners when you pass away, you can ascertain that you will have a sure buyer for your company. Your family will not have any problem with your business. They can instantly get money from your business that they can use to have a good life.Money for the Heirs: Your family can get sure money from your business if you will sell it early. They will not worry about debts that you have left. They can pay all the expenses and they will have money to pay for taxes. If your family does not know how to run your business, they just can entrust it to your business partners and they move along with the money that was given for the purchase. You can leave a good amount of your money to your heirs that can ensure their good life.Smooth Transition: Time is important in business. If you will die not ascertaining the future of your business, it will take some time for it to run as before. Your partners may not know what to do with your shares in the business. The worst thing is that your business can end. Through a buy and sell contract, your business will have a smooth transition that will make it keep running as well as before. You know that your business can continue without having any problem.Leaving the Business to People You Trust: You can have a good death knowing that your business will be entrusted to the people you trust. If you love your business that much, you should ensure that it will be given to people you know. Your family may not be able to run it for certain reasons so your best choice can be your business partners. When you have given a lot to your business for it to stand, it will be truly hard for you to see it destroyed, so you have to ensure that you can hand it over to the right persons. Leave your business to your business partners. You can keep the legacy of your business through it.A Secure Purchase Price: You can have a sure price for your property through a buy and sell contract. You can be reassured of a particularly good amount of money that you can leave to your family. You can be sure that your family will have enough money to plan for the future. You will not have a secure purchase price for your property unless you will make a buy and sell contract. There is a possibility that your family can sell the business cheap when you die. Or worst, they may not get any money if your business will start to fail. So, to secure the future of your family, you should sell your business at an early time.Access to Credit: It will be easier for you to enter a business loan agreement through a buy and sell contract. Banks can consider your business as stable because of it. They can lend you freely knowing that your business will keep on running even if you die. This can ensure their payment for your loans. Having business loans can be a good opportunity for your business to expand. Thus, you can enter more business opportunities because you can have good capital.

How to Write a Buy and Sell Contract

Have you seen a buy and sell contract sample or a buy and sell contract template? Are they enough for you to create a buy and sell contract? If not and you need some steps that you can use in writing a contract, you can refer to the following steps:

  • Step 1: Consider the Events for a Buyout

    There are certain reasons why a business owner will want to have a buyout for his or her property. Maybe the owner will want to resign or have retirement. Maybe disability has struck him or her. Maybe the business owner fears the state of bankruptcy. Or you simply want to have business returns after you die. For these reasons, the business owner can decide on a buyout that can ensure money for the purchase of his or her business. Consider the said reasons for you to be able to decide to have a buyout. These reasons may help you to prepare for your future or the future of your family.

  • Step 2: Consult a Lawyer

    You should bear in mind that you need a lawyer that can help you in your decision to a buyout. Hire a good attorney that can explain everything to you about it. Consult the condition of your business, how much you can sell it, and ask things about rights and obligations. The lawyer can help you draft a perfect contract that will be best for your business.

  • Step 3: Establish the Rights and Obligations

    After consulting the lawyer, you can go to your business partners and start talking with them about the buy and sell contract. Express your interest to have a buyout because of certain reasons. Negotiate with them. Talk with them about the rights and obligations that they can have through the contract. Agree on everything so that you can start to draft the agreement.

  • Step 4: Information of Parties Involved

    After the negotiation, you can start drafting the contract. Start with the information of parties. You must write your name and the name of your partners in the contract. Write the name carefully. Then place your address and contact information and the address and contact information of your partners.

  • Step 5: State the Purchase Price

    You and your partners should agree on a certain price for the property. This price is the payment for your share in the business. You have to agree on a payment method and payment terms that can ensure that you will have a good dealing. This price is the money that you or your family can get from selling your shares in the business.

  • Step 6: List the Property

    You must not forget to describe the property in the agreement. The partners should know the exact property or shares that will be sold to them. List all the assets that will be included in the sale. It can include business records, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other things.

  • Step 7: Add a Disclosure Agreement

    You should add a disclosure agreement in the contract. The agreement will keep the seller responsible for all liabilities that can be done with the property like bad credit and other things. The business partners then have a legal right to disclose information legally when these things happen.

  • Step 8: Sign the Contract

    After you have drafted the contract, show it to the lawyer for finalization. If the lawyer approves the contract, you can start writing the contract. After it is finished, you and your business partners can sign it. When everything is done, you can be confident that you can get something out of your business if ever something bad will happen.

FAQs

When should we make a buy and sell contract?

Just as soon as your business began, you can start to have a buy and sell contract. Without a buy and sell contract, you may be placing your business at risk. It is not bad to have a buyout agreement early. This can put security for your property.

How can bankruptcy affect a business?

Bankruptcy is one of the reasons why a buyout agreement will happen. If a co-owner is in bankruptcy, he or she might tell his or her partners the truth. If he or she has already signed a buy and sell contract, he or she can sell his or her shares and leave the business because of bankruptcy.

What if your business partner cannot pay the buyout?

If your business partner cannot afford the buyout or the 100% lump sum, he or she can pay 25% – 35% upfront and pay the installments in 3 – 5 years.

If you want to have security for you and your family, you should have a buy and sell contract. If anything happens, you can ascertain that you can get a good amount of money from your business. This money can help you and your family to continue having a good life. Well, do you need a template for a buy and sell contract? This post has 9+ SAMPLE Buy and Sell Contract in PDF. You can get one anytime that you like. Download now!