Do People Really Trust Business for Sale Ads Anymore?

by Vanessa Lovie-Yousaf 30th of June, 2025

Do People Really Trust Business for Sale Ads Anymore?

Once upon a time, buying a business was seen as an achievable dream. Success looked like Uncle Tony running the local fruit shop that was always busy, or Jenny who owned the local Newsagency. Business owners were admired, respected pillars of the community. They had built something. And buying a business meant stepping into that legacy.

But these days? That dream has a lot more noise around it. Everyone from your accountant to your mate on Reddit has an opinion. The critics are loud, and the so-called business coaches are louder, shouting about systemising your life, buying businesses with “no money down,” or making millions whilst you sleep.

Business for sale ads used to represent real opportunity. There was more trust in the seller. A path to independence. A shot at doing something meaningful. But now, there’s a growing sense of caution, even cynicism, clouding the marketplace. People are asking, “What’s actually for sale here?” and bracing themselves for the potential pitfalls.

So, what’s going on? Is there an issue with the ads, or with the opinions around them?

I put it down to 6 reasons why people are more hesitant to trust business for sale ads these days. Even though there are thousands very profitable and successful businesses for sale.

6 Reasons for the Shift in Trust in Business Sales

1. The Rise of Online Skepticism

Ahhh, the socials, where everyone thinks they’re an expert.

Or worse, they get burned, and their burn story goes viral. Suddenly, people are hesitant to buy a cafe because Billy on Reddit lost $100,000 in a bad deal. Maybe Billy needed better advice or maybe he skipped due diligence. That doesn’t mean buying a business is a bad idea, it means Billy made a mistake.

Search “#businessforsale” on YouTube or dig through Reddit threads and you’ll find creators breaking down listings like forensic accountants calling out inflated figures, outdated websites, vague claims of profit, and businesses that (let’s be honest) probably need to close their doors.

While some of these breakdowns are genuinely helpful, teaching people how to read a P&L or identify red flags, others revolve around a single message that “All businesses for sale are duds". Yes, it got them views and interactions, but its also very misguided and not a true representation of the marketplace.

Whether or not it’s true almost doesn’t matter anymore. The perception is already shifting and not in a good way. Especially with the wave of Baby Boomer businesses hitting the market.

2. The Good Are Getting Lost

There are genuinely good businesses out there with solid operations, consistent profits and loyal customers. But they're not getting the exposure or traffic they deserve.

Many quality businesses aren’t being marketed properly. Whether listed through a broker or sold privately, the presentation often lets them down. They are using stock images, vague descriptions, minimal information and arent promoting the listing and taking those top positions. Sellers are relying too much on the “list it and they will come” strategy and that simply doesn’t cut it anymore. It can also impact their final sale price.

Good businesses need to shine. That takes clear documentation, stronger marketing, and a strategy that’s aligned with the realities of today’s cautious buyer.

3. Sellers Forgot to Plan

What’s that old saying? Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

Too many sellers think they can simply list the business and wait for a buyer to show up and “take over.” But without preparation, the sale is built on shaky ground and once it hits due diligence, the whole thing can crumble.

Sellers need to understand what it actually takes to hand over a business successfully. Buyers want to see solid financials, streamlined systems, documented processes, and realistic forecasts. If the buyer needs finance to buy the business, the lender will want to see clear books and some security. If none of that is ready, the deal becomes riskier, and the offer just get lower.

No buyer is going to hand over top dollar just because the business “has potential.” If they’re left to figure it all out themselves, they’ll either walk away or discount the price significantly to compensate for the chaos they’re inheriting.

And when this happens again and again, buyers become jaded. They’ve been burned by trusting sellers who talk a big game but can’t back it up. Both parties forget the most important part of the deal and that is, that a business needs evidence to back up the claims, not just a story.

4. Buyers Are Becoming More Educated

It’s 2025 and buyers are more educated than ever and have access to more tools, forums, and financial resources than any generation before them. They’re not just scrolling listings, they’re digging deep. I think its natural now to be cautious. Before people would trust Uncle Tony, today people are just becoming more cautious.

With a few online searches, buyers can figure out how your business operates, what your revenue streams are, where the expenses pile up, and whether the business model is actually scalable or just a full-time job in disguise.

If a seller presents the business one way, but the buyer’s own research tells a different story, red flags go up. They start questioning the numbers, the potential, and most damaging of all, the seller’s credibility.

That’s when the deal starts to go cold.

Buyers today want honesty. They know the difference between a self-managed operation and an owner-dependent hustle. If the business needs the owner working 60 hours a week to survive, that’s a different valuation and a different buyer.

Buyers want trust. If they see holes in the seller’s story, it creates mistrust not just in that business, but across the entire market if this happens repeatedly with each enquiry.

5. No One Wants to Be Embarrassed

Aussies are known for our tall poppy syndrome, we dont like to stand out and we definately dont like to fail publicly.

If someone’s buying a business, they want to succeed. They want their own version of Uncle Tony’s Fruit Shop. I think there is alot more fear of failure when buying an existing business than starting one from scratch.

Maybe it’s the upfront outlay. Maybe it’s knowing the previous owner made it work and feeling pressure to do the same. Either way, that fear is real and it’s pushing people toward startups over acquisitions, even when buying an existing business may be the smarter financial move.

6. The Struggle for Ownership Identity

When you start a business, it feels like yours from day one. You get to say "Im the Founder" and "I started this". But when you buy someone else’s business, there’s a weird in-between. You’re inheriting someone else’s story, stepping into their systems, their branding, and often, their relationships. And that can feel... less personal.

In a world where self-awareness and personal branding are more important than ever, this subtle psychological shift matters. It could be one reason why buyers are more cautious today. The business may be profitable, well-run, and full of potential but it might never fully scratch that egotistical itch of “this is mine.”

And for some, that matters more than the numbers.

So, as a Marketplace, What do we Think?

Are there good businesses for sale? Yes, of course

Should we trust Billy on reddit? Take it with a grain of salt, but don't do what Billy did. Do your due diligence.

I think it all comes down to honesty.

We live in a society where no one can seem to agree anymore. Just try to find one person on earth, everyone likes. It doesnt exist. Social media has only exasperated this tendency to “find issues” in everything. So naturally, that mindset has made its way into the business sales environment. After all, it involves a significant investment and a fair bit of risk.

At Bsale, we can only display what sellers or business brokers provide us with. We are after all a marketplace. But we can promote transparency, better listing quality, and encourage education on both sides of the deal.

If your business isn’t well prepared be honest about it, and at the same time be prepared for lower offers and less enquiries. You can’t expect someone to just walk in and take over the ‘chaos’ and to pay premium at the same time. If your unprepared. You need to accept the consequences of this.

Sellers need to know their numbers and get a clear valuation for their business. When they place it for sale the asking price needs to be representative of the net profit they are making. Whilst a seller can go on about potential and goodwill. Yes these are elements, but the business needs to be profitable and have a good ROI if they expect a good fast sale.

The good businesses need to shine.

And buyers, don’t lose faith just because Billy on Reddit had a bad experience. Use caution, yes. Do your research, yes. But don’t let one bad story stop you from finding a great opportunity. There are a lot of genuine, profitable, quality businesses for sale especially as baby boomers retire and look for new owners to take over their legacy.

Buying a business is a bit like dating "the right business is out there for you, you just have to keep looking"

Tags: buying a business selling a business