Why Imperfections in Your Business Don’t Make It Unsellable
When you start thinking about selling your business, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the “perfect” checklists:
Recurring revenue. Differentiated products. Owner independence. Pristine financials.
And while improving those drivers absolutely increases your business valuation, here’s the truth most owners don’t hear enough:
You don’t have to be perfect to sell your business for a great price.
In fact, some of the best acquisition deals happen because the business has a fixable flaw—something a strategic buyer sees as an opportunity, not a liability.
Why Imperfect Businesses Still Sell—Sometimes for a Premium
Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, knows this better than most.
Flippa’s marketplace connects thousands of business buyers and sellers—particularly small and mid-sized digital companies—and Hutchison has seen firsthand how buyers actually think.
On a recent Built to Sell Radio interview, Hutchison explained that most buyers aren’t hunting for flawless businesses. They’re looking for potential.
- A strong product but weak marketing? A buyer with marketing expertise sees instant upside.
- Inefficient operations? A seasoned operator sees room to grow margins fast.
- Poor customer acquisition? A company with distribution power sees a plug-and-play asset.
Real Example: How PetCoach Turned a Weakness into a Sale
PetCoach, co-founded by Brock Weatherup, built a marketplace connecting pet owners with veterinarians.
They had a strong product—but a major flaw: no scalable way to reach millions of pet owners.
Instead of burning time and money trying to fix it alone, Weatherup saw the smarter play:
Position PetCoach as the perfect complement to a company already holding the missing piece.
That buyer was Petco—with more than 1,500 locations and millions of loyal customers.
For Petco, buying PetCoach wasn’t acquiring a weakness. It was acquiring a solution they could scale immediately.
Your Imperfections Could Be Someone Else’s Advantage
The same principle applies to your business.
- Struggling with customer acquisition? You might be perfect for a buyer with a strong marketing machine.
- Operational headaches? You might be ideal for a strategic player who specializes in efficiency.
- Still heavily owner-dependent? You could attract a buyer with a leadership team ready to step in.
Key Takeaway: Position Your Business for Opportunity
This doesn’t mean ignoring the fundamentals of value creation.
Strengthening customer retention, recurring revenue, profitability, and owner independence always boosts your attractiveness to buyers.
But if you’re not perfect—and no business is—that doesn’t mean you can’t sell.
It means you have to position your company differently:
- Highlight your core strengths clearly.
- Frame your imperfections as opportunities for the right acquirer.
- Think strategically about who would benefit most from your company’s next stage of growth.
Because for the right buyer, what looks like a weakness today could become tomorrow’s advantage—and drive a better exit for you.
Want help positioning your business for maximum value—even if it’s not perfect?
Let’s talk about how to make your company irresistible to the right buyers.
📩 Email: paulwildrick@provengain.com
📞 Call: 925.963.9665
🌐 Visit: www.provengain.com
