Finding and screening deals
Where businesses for sale come from and how to screen a listing in an hour.
- Businesses for sale by owner: how to buy without a broker in the middleBuying a business for sale by owner: the upside of no broker, the downside of messy information, and a checklist to bring structure to an FSBO deal.
- Cheap businesses to buy: what actually works at the small endAn honest look at cheap businesses for sale (under $50k, under $10k): when they're a job, when they're just equipment, and which small deals can work.
- Confidential information memorandum: how to read a CIM skepticallyWhat a broker's confidential information memorandum contains, what it usually leaves out, and the questions a CIM should trigger before you make an offer.
- E-2 visa businesses for sale: what to check before you buyBuying a business for an E-2 treaty investor visa: why 'E-2 ready' listings need extra scrutiny, the 'marginal enterprise' issue, and verifying earnings.
- Evaluating a small business for sale: a one-hour screenA one-hour screen for a small business for sale: listing math, owner dependence, concentration, trend, lease and red flags, with a scorecard.
- How to find a business to buyHow to find a business to buy: brokers, listing sites, direct outreach, CPAs and attorneys, industry networks, and how to use each.
- Seller financed businesses for sale: good deal or warning sign?Why some listings offer seller or owner financing, what typical terms look like, how they fit SBA rules, and the red flags behind generous terms.
- Working with a business broker when you're the buyerHow business brokers work from the buyer's side: who they represent, how to become a buyer they call first, what they won't tell you, and who pays the fee.