The start of the year often gives the illusion of a new beginning. Diaries are slowly filling up, mailboxes seem to be breathing, and we are talking about resolutions. For some managers, however, January does not symbolize a momentum towards the future, but a long-considered decision: to sell their company.
This choice is never trivial. It is not taken on a whim, even less between two parties. And yet, the figures show that the start of the year is a pivotal moment. According to Bpifrance (2024), nearly 60% of SME sale projects are initiated between January and June. A period where everything seems more readable, more calm, almost more honest.
The end of accounts, the beginning of truths
January arrives with its freshly closed balance sheets. The figures are there, raw, without promises or excessive projections. For a buyer, it is a clear snapshot of the company. For a transferor, this is sometimes a difficult mirror to look at.
Giving in at the start of the year helps avoid gray areas. The performances are stopped, the loads known, the trends identifiable. According to an In Extenso Transmission 2024 study, companies placed on the market during this period benefit on average from a higher valuation of 8 to 12%, precisely because visibility is better.
But this economic rationality is not enough to explain the choice of January. There is something else, more intimate.
The emotional weight of a silent decision
For many leaders, giving in means agreeing to let go of what has structured their daily lives for years. The business is not just an asset. It is an extension of oneself, a sum of decisions, failures, shared successes.
The start of the year, with its slower pace, leaves more room for introspection. The holidays are over, the noise subsides, and the questions arise again. Is this the right time? Do I still have the energy? What will be left after?
Transmission experts note this: it is often these calm weeks that trigger action. Not in an emergency, but in a form of lucidity.
A strategic decision… never improvised
Giving in in January does not mean deciding in January. A successful sale is prepared over time. Two to five years, depending on the specialist firms. Internal organization, dependence on the manager, solidity of the management team, financial structuring: everything counts.
The start of the year acts as a revealer. It highlights what was anticipated and what was not. A company that is too dependent on its founder, for example, will see its value weakened, whatever the month chosen.
Giving in at the start of the year is therefore not a shortcut. It’s a moment of truth, where preparation finally meets schedule.
Transmit more than a business
Beyond the numbers, giving in means transmitting. Teams, a culture, a way of working. More and more buyers are sensitive to this. According to Bpifrance, more than 70% of takeover candidates now consider the social climate and the stability of the teams as determining criteria.
January offers a time of transition. A moment when we can organize the transition, support, explain. Where transmission takes precedence over simple sales.
