CHORAKAE · MOROCCO
Buying business assets in Morocco: understand the fonds de commerce
A business-for-sale advertisement may refer to a fonds de commerce, company shares, equipment or commercial premises. Clarify the transaction before comparing asking prices. The French term fonds de commerce should not be treated as a simple synonym for a company or a building.
Define exactly what you are buying
Buying operating business assets and buying shares in the company are different transactions. Commercial premises do not by themselves include a trading business, customers or equipment. Request a written schedule of included assets, exclusions and transfer conditions. Ask a qualified Moroccan adviser to assess the proposed structure and its consequences.
Check the lease, equipment, stock and operating documents
Request the lease and amendments, equipment inventory with condition and ownership evidence, stock details and documents relevant to the activity. Check the conditions for continued operation, authorisations and contracts with appropriate professionals. Do not assume that a lease, licence, brand or supplier contract can automatically be transferred.
Adapt your checks to the sector
For a restaurant or café, review sales by period, payroll, rent, production capacity, equipment and refurbishment needs. For retail, examine stock turnover, margins and supplier concentration. For an online business, request traffic sources, returns, margins after advertising and evidence of rights to digital assets. Similar asking prices can conceal very different operating requirements.
Separate the asking price from total funding
Allow for stock charged separately, transaction costs, repairs and opening working capital. A purely illustrative asking price of MAD 600,000 plus MAD 80,000 of stock and MAD 120,000 for repairs and working capital already totals MAD 800,000 before other costs. This is a budgeting example, not a valuation or a return forecast.
Verify sales and earnings before negotiation
Request accounts covering several years and recent supporting records suited to the business. Reconcile reported sales, receipts and expenses. Revenue is not profit. Identify exceptional income, seasonal trading and dependence on the owner. OMPIC’s Directinfo information can supplement the file; it does not replace current document checks.
Plan the steps from viewing to offer
Define your sector, area, total budget and capacity to operate the business. Visit, request missing evidence and work with your advisers on offer conditions, checks, timing and payment arrangements. CHORAKAE facilitates introductions. A listing or introduction does not guarantee profitability or completion of a transaction.
Continue your acquisition research
Source and verification
General preparation guide. Have qualified professionals review the legal, tax and employment implications and formalities for your particular transaction.