Top 3 Mistakes NDIS Sellers Make (and How to Avoid Them)
Introduction
Selling an NDIS business isn’t like selling a typical small business. There’s compliance, registration, audit history, participant continuity, and a highly specific buyer pool.
At NDIS Business Brokers, we’ve seen firsthand how great businesses can fall short at the finish line,and not because they aren’t valuable, but because of simple mistakes that could’ve been avoided.
Here are the top 3 mistakes NDIS sellers make, and how to make sure you don’t.
1. Going to Market Without a Proper Appraisal
A lot of providers think they can just “list it for what feels right.”
But without a formal appraisal based on:
– Financials
– Registration groups
– Audit history
– Market demand
– Participant numbers
…you risk massively undervaluing (or overvaluing) your business.
The Fix:
Get an expert NDIS-specific appraisal/NDIS Business broker before listing. It protects you from lowball offers and gives buyers confidence in your asking price.
2. Selling Without Preparing for Due Diligence
NDIS businesses are under a microscope when it comes to buyer reviews.
Sellers often don’t realise how much buyers want to see:
– Participant service agreements
– Audit results
– Staff contracts and onboarding docs
– Tax returns, BAS, and payroll reports
– System screenshots and compliance documentation
Without these, deals stall or fall over.
The Fix:
Start preparing your due diligence folder *before* you list. A broker can guide you on exactly what you’ll need.
3. Taking the DIY Approach or Using a General Broker
This is where most good businesses go wrong. NDIS businesses are not cafes, gyms, or retail stores. And using a broker who doesn’t understand the compliance, transition process, or buyer concerns will cost you time, and potentially the sale.
The Fix:
Use a specialist broker who understands:
– Audit frameworks
– PRODA / myplace portal access
– Group registration impacts
– Buyer profile matching
– NDIS registration transfer, or share sale structure
Example: How One Seller Gained $100,000 More by Using a Specialist
We recently worked with a provider in Melbourne who had originally planned to sell their NDIS business privately. They were considering listing it for $250,000 based on revenue alone.
After coming to us for an appraisal, we uncovered:
– They had a strong audit history
– Their registration groups included 0101 and 0125 (high demand)
– Participants had long-standing service agreements
– Staff were all under contracts and the business ran with minimal owner input
We repackaged the business, handled buyer negotiations, and ran a proper due diligence process.
Final result: The business sold for $350,000 — $100,000 more than the seller expected.
That extra $100K was the difference between a rushed exit and a confident one.
The right sale starts with the right process.
Avoiding these common mistakes won’t just save you time, it can increase your final sale price, improve buyer trust, and lead to a smoother exit.
At NDIS Business Brokers, we help providers sell their business the right way, with real appraisals, qualified buyers, and end-to-end guidance.
Thinking of selling? Let’s talk.