On the other hand, without knowing your motives, sellers and brokers won't be able to be creative in their response to your needs. Different buyers will choose to handle this differently. Ask if the seller has given any thought to how the business can be financed by a buyer. This is an essential area of inquiry if you are trying to save time. Most sellers are unrealistic in the early stages of selling their business, even if it is listed with a broker.
Sellers usually hope for an all-cash buyer.
It is very important to find out how much of your cash the seller and broker think is needed to buy and run the business. If expectations vary too much at this early stage, you may be wasting time. You will typically need cash for the down payment, closing costs and working capital. Most sellers, when they start the selling process, don't understand the needs of business buyers. So, whatever you say to a seller, be gentle and proceed slowly to avoid offense.