Does It Take Longer to Sell a Manufacturing Business Than a Webshop?

Yes, generally it does — but not because manufacturing businesses are "harder" in themselves. The difference lies in how many matters a buyer needs to investigate and address before a deal can be completed.

Why a webshop can often be sold faster

A webshop typically has fewer physical assets, no production employees to consider, and a transfer that's largely about digital matters — domain, platform, customer data and supplier agreements. Due diligence can therefore often be completed faster, because there are fewer and more manageable matters to investigate.

Why a manufacturing business typically takes longer

A manufacturing business brings several matters into play that can each extend the process:

• Machinery and equipment: Often requires an independent technical assessment of condition and real value, not just the accounting figures.
• Environmental permits: It needs to be clarified whether they transfer unchanged, or whether authorities will reassess the terms upon change of ownership.
• Specialized labor: The buyer needs to assess how dependent production is on specific key employees' skills, and how continuity is secured.
• Supplier agreements and supply chain: Often more and more complex agreements to review than in a webshop with few suppliers.
• Real estate: If the business owns or rents its premises, it adds another layer of matters to clarify.

Does that mean small businesses always sell fastest?

Not necessarily just size, but the business type matters a great deal. See our walkthrough of the difference between selling a large or small business for the full relationship between size, complexity and time spent.

Does the same apply to all types of service businesses?

No — a service business without physical assets and with few employees can resemble a webshop closely in time spent, while a service business with specialized staff, certifications or long-term contracts can take just as long as a manufacturing business. It's the complexity of the business type — not the industry label alone — that determines the actual time spent.

Can you speed up the process regardless of business type?

Yes, to some extent. Whether you're selling a webshop or a manufacturing business, good preparation significantly reduces the time — having documentation of machinery, environmental matters and supplier agreements ready from the start typically saves the most time precisely for the more complex business types.

Frequently asked questions

How much longer does it typically take to sell a manufacturing business?

There's no precise figure, but expect due diligence and negotiation to extend longer, primarily due to technical assessments of machinery, environmental permits and any supplier agreements that need review.

Can a webshop also take a long time to sell?

Yes, if customer data, supplier agreements or platform technology are complex, or if there's doubt about how credible the traffic and revenue figures actually are.

What's the most important preparation if I'm selling a manufacturing business?

Get an independent assessment of the machinery, clarify the status of any environmental permits, and gather documentation of supplier agreements and key employees' roles — that's typically where a buyer spends the most time during due diligence.

Regardless of business type: see the current selection of businesses for sale, or read our full walkthrough of why no two business sales take the same time.