When most business owners think of selling online, they think of it as a Yes/No question: either they do sell online or they don't.

The reality is that there are so many possible new revenue streams you can create that it's not a Yes/No question.

Recently we launched a new online store for Distinct Impressions that's a great example. DI is an established boutique in historic Downtown South Boston, VA, that sells gifts, fashions, and custom apparel, and offers embroidery and screen printing services. Their e-commerce project now brings in:

• sales through the e-commerce site itself,
• sales through their Facebook page's Facebook Shop tab,
• and sales generated automatically by comments on specific Facebook product posts.

I read an article recently that gave 3 reasons for businesses closing when the owner wants to retire:

• internet competition,
• lack of loyalty among younger customers,
• and owners not being able to find a buyer. 

All of these reasons come back to one uncomfortable truth:

The average business owner has been watching the internet come roaring down the track for years and has made little to no effort to figure out how they could use the web to:

• improve their business operations and efficiency,
• increase customer loyalty,
• improve communications with customers,
• reach target markets they could have never dreamed of before, 
• and adapt their business to survive.

Build your business from the ground up like you're planning to sell it and you'll make better longterm decisions, develop better processes, and be more likely to not try to do everything yourself (nobody wants to buy a job). Chances are, these same things that make your business more sellable will also help you be better positioned to work with who you want, doing what you want, at the prices you deserve, so you'll get more out of the business while you own it – not just financially, but personally as well.

Did you know that around 2/3 of small businesses never sell and are closed down when the owner retires?

And of those that do sell, the average sales price is about 1/2 of what the owner thinks it's worth?

Add to that the fact that most business owners have the vast majority of their financial assets tied up in their businesses, and the prospects for the average owner to ever retire comfortably are slim.

According to Christopher M. Snider, President and CEO of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), 85-90% of the net worth of the average business owner is tied up in their business, yet "57% of respondents to their survey stated that lifestyle is not dependent on transfer of ownership of the business." That's called denial.