Founders often feel tempted to announce a sale early. But telling customers or employees too soon can jeopardize the deal. Here’s when—and how—to share the news.

For founders thinking about selling their companies, we're fielding a lot of questions about whether they've missed their window. The answer depends a bit more now on market/buyer sentiment and their need for bank/mezzanine financing, yet still mostly on the businesses' transferability of economics and the founders' WHY in selling.

Founders are asking us if they should hold off selling in the pandemic. Surprisingly, the answer has more to do with the dynamics of their business than outside factors…