Owners selling a business have a long list of questions and no obvious idea which ones anybody can actually answer. Sorting them by who owns the answer is the fastest way to make progress, because it immediately reveals which ones are professional advice you should be paying for, which ones only the buyer can settle, and which ones are your own decisions being deferred as though somebody else could make them.
Ask the buyer, early and specifically
How would the purchase be funded, and what approvals does that need. What have you bought before. Who else is involved in your decision, and what is your timetable. These are fair questions, serious buyers answer them without offence, and the answers predict whether the process will complete better than enthusiasm does.
Ask your accountant and your solicitor, not the internet
What the structure means for tax, what a clause commits you to, what you are warranting, what happens to any debt. These are the questions where a general answer is worse than none, because the right answer depends on your entity, your jurisdiction and the deal. This site explains what documents are; it never tells you what yours means.
Ask a broker before signing, and ask yourself first
Of a broker: who specifically would you approach, what has sold in this sector recently, what does the contract cost me at my expected price. Of yourself: what am I optimising for, what will I accept, what happens if this does not sell. The last three shape every other conversation, and they are the ones most often left unanswered. A useful test for any question you are carrying: name who could answer it. If the answer is nobody in particular, it is usually your own decision waiting to be made, and carrying it around unmade is what makes the process feel stuck when it is not.
Questions people ask about questions to ask when selling a business
What should I ask a buyer first?
How the purchase would be funded. It is the question that most often separates buyers from people who would like to own a business, and asking it early costs nothing.
Is it rude to ask a buyer about their finances?
No, and experienced buyers expect it. What they will not do is answer before there is any confidentiality in place, which is the same protection you want in the other direction.
What should I never rely on a general answer for?
Tax, legal meaning and valuation. All three depend on your specific circumstances, and all three are outside what this site publishes.