How to Sell a Business on Dealin

Selling a business isn't something most people do twice. That's exactly why it catches people off guard — the process is longer than expected, buyers ask questions you didn't prepare for, and the wrong asking price can leave your listing sitting there for months with no serious interest.

Done properly, though, it works. Thousands of Australian business owners sell through platforms like Dealin every year without a broker taking a large commission. Here's how to do it right, from account setup to settled deal.

Step 1 — Log In to Your Account

Go to dealin.com.au and log in. If you haven't registered yet, do that first — enter your email address, verify it, and complete your profile with your name and contact details.

Don't leave your profile half-finished. A complete profile builds trust with buyers before the conversation even starts. It tells them there's a real person on the other end of the listing.

Step 2 — Go to "Start a Listing"

You will see a navigation bar at the top of the page after logging into your account. Click on Start a Listing. It's also located in the left sidebar of your dashboard in the Selling section.

Step 3 — Select "Business For Sale" as Your Category

You'll land on a page with six category options:

• Marketplace — General items
• Motors — Cars, motorbikes, boats, planes
• Property — Residential and commercial
• Job — Advertise a vacancy
• Service — Offer a service
• Business For Sale — Sell your business

Click Business For Sale to proceed. This routes your listing to dealin.com.au/businesssale, where buyers specifically searching for businesses will find it.

Step 4 — Fill In the Business Details Form

You'll be taken to the Add New Business form. Fill in every field carefully — incomplete listings get fewer enquiries and signal to buyers that the seller isn't serious.

Here's what you'll need to complete:

• Category — Select the main category (e.g. Food & Drink, Retail, IT, Enterprise Services)
• Sub Category — Choose the most relevant sub-category
• Business Name — Enter your trading name
• Business Type — Select Business
• State — Select your Australian state
• Suburb — Search and select your suburb
• Post Code — Enter your postcode
• Business Address — Optional, but worth including if the location is an asset
• GST Included — Select Yes or No
• Sale Method — Fixed price or other available option
• Selling Price ($) — Your asking price in Australian dollars
• Confidentiality Agreement — Upload a file here if you want buyers to sign before accessing sensitive details

On that last point — use it. A confidentiality agreement attached to your listing filters out casual browsers and protects your financial information from anyone who isn't genuinely interested.

Step 5 — Upload Business Images

This step gets underestimated constantly. Properties with great photos receive a lot more views and enquiries compared to the ones without photos. Upload two types:

• Featured Image: It is the primary image displayed in search results. Recommended size for the image is 1000px wide × 500px high.
• Gallery Images: Several images of the property, equipment, interior, fit out, or important assets being sold.

If you're looking to sell a cafe then make sure to display the kitchen and front-of-house. Trade business? Demonstrate the equipment and tools. Don't use all of one photo of the house you are listing — it tells nothing to anyone and will indicate to prospective buyers that you did not bother.

Step 6 — Write the Business About Section

This is your pitch. A vague description gets ignored. A detailed, honest one gets enquiries from buyers who are already half-convinced before they message you.

In the Business About text editor, cover the following:

• What the business does and how long it has been operating
• Where it's located and who the target customers are
• What's included in the sale — equipment, stock, lease, staff
• Annual turnover and profitability (optional, but buyers will ask anyway)
• Why you're selling
• Growth opportunities for the new owner

That last point matters. Buyers aren't just buying what the business is today — they're buying where it could go. Give them something to see.

Make use of the formatting toolbar and bold key points. Add bullet lists where appropriate to help break up large chunks of text. If it's easy to read, more people will read it.

Step 7 — Click "List" to Publish

Once every field is filled in and your images are uploaded. Click the red List button at the bottom of the form. If you want to start over then hit Cancel and nothing will be saved.

Your listing goes live immediately on Dealin - Business for sale and becomes visible to buyers searching across Australia straight away.

Step 8 — Manage Your Listing From the Dashboard

After publishing, your Dealin dashboard is where you manage everything:

• My Listing — View, edit, and update your active listings
• Orders / Enquiry — See and respond to buyer messages
• Sold — Mark the business as sold once the deal is complete
• Close Listing — Remove the listing if it's no longer available
• Revenue — Track listing performance and any applicable fees

Check your dashboard regularly. Buyers who don't get a response move on fast.

Step 9 — Respond to Buyer Enquiries

When a buyer clicks Enquire Now on your listing, you'll get a notification through the platform. Reply within 24 hours — ideally sooner. Serious buyers are usually looking at multiple listings at once and if you're slow to respond. They'll find someone who isn't.

When you do respond, be professional and be prepared. You'll likely need to:

• Share financial documents — but only after a signed confidentiality agreement is in place
• Arrange an in-person inspection of the business premises
• Negotiate on the sale price
• Work with a commercial solicitor to prepare and finalise the Business Sale Agreement

Don't try to navigate that last part without legal help. A solicitor handles the contract, the lease transfer, and protects your interests through to settlement.

Key Tips for Sellers

• Set a realistic asking price — research what similar businesses in your industry have actually sold for, not just what they listed for
• Always use a confidentiality agreement before sharing any financial records with a buyer
• Upload clear, professional photos — this single step has more impact on enquiries than almost anything else
• Write a detailed Business About section — vague descriptions get scrolled past
• Respond within 24 hours to every enquiry — slow responses kill buyer interest fast
• Engage a commercial solicitor before finalising any deal, regardless of how straightforward it seems

List your business today at Dealin — free to register, visible to buyers across Australia, no broker commissions.