If you are planning to sell your business, one of the key questions you’ll ask is: “How do I find buyers?”

One way is to use the Internet and list your business in sites that brings business buyers and sellers together. Watch out, though, as many sites are sketchy at best. The most effective and reputable sites are:

• BizBuySell.com http://www.bizbuysell.com/ = This site has the biggest traffic in this area, and cost of listing your business for sale ranges from $59.95 per month to $99.95 per month. Businesses for sale also appear in Wall Street Journal’s online edition, ensuring more targeted buyers for businesses.
• BizQuest.com http://www.bizquest.com/ = Listings per month costs slightly lower at $54.95 – $74.95 per month. This site has partnered with Entrepreneur.com so listings are generate more visibility.

However, if doing it yourself is not something you’d want to do, you can enlist the help of business brokers and other intermediaries. You can find brokers at:

• Business Brokers Association http://www.ibba.org/ = This is a non profit organization of business brokers. Their site allows you to search for business brokers by state
• Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors http://www.amaaonline.org = represents buyers and sellers of businesses from “$5 to $150 million in transaction value.” Their services include due diligence, buyer/seller representation, business valuation, tax planning, legal, and financial advisory.
• You can also opt to enlist the help of business broker franchises such as VR Business Brokers http://www.vrbusinessbrokers.com