Buying a business: start here
The whole process, the decisions before you start, and the questions to ask.
- How to buy a business, step by stepHow to buy a business, step by step: set your criteria, find and screen deals, verify the earnings, make an offer, finance it, close and take over.
- Absentee owner businesses for sale: what the listing doesn't sayWhat 'absentee owner' businesses really involve, why a manager's salary must come out of SDE, how lenders view them, and a worked example.
- Boring businesses to buy: the criteria that matter (not a listicle)What makes a boring small business a good buy: recurring revenue, many customers, licensing moats, low tech risk, and the traps to avoid.
- How to buy a business that isn't for saleHow to approach owners of businesses that aren't listed: building a target list, what to say in a letter or call, and how to handle the first conversation.
- How to buy a failing business: opportunity or trap?How to buy a struggling or distressed business: find out why it's failing, asset vs going concern value, liabilities, financing limits and turnaround cash.
- How to buy a million dollar business: the numbers, worked throughA worked example of buying a $1 million business: equity, SBA loan, seller note, yearly payments, debt coverage and the earnings it takes.
- How to buy a small business: what's different about Main Street dealsHow to buy a small business: what's different about Main Street deals (SDE, SBA loans, owner dependence, messy books) and how to handle each.
- How to buy an existing business: what you inherit and what to verifyHow to buy an existing business: what you inherit (history, staff, customers, lease), why lenders prefer it, and what to verify first.
- How to buy into a business: what a minority stake really gets youHow to buy part of an existing business: what a minority stake gets you, operating agreement terms that matter, and checking the numbers anyway.
- How to buy out a business partnerHow to buy out a business partner: check the buy-sell agreement, value the share independently, fund it, and document it properly.
- How to buy your first business: a first-timer's playbookA first-time buyer's playbook: set a buy box, build your team, budget for diligence, run a search, and avoid the first-deal traps.
- How to start buying businesses: search funds, self-funded search and other routesHow people start buying businesses: traditional search funds, self-funded search, independent sponsors and SBA-financed solo buyers compared.
- Should I buy a business? An honest way to decideShould you buy a business? An honest self-assessment of money, risk tolerance, skills, time and family, with a simple decision tree.
- Small business acquisition: buying a business to grow the one you ownBuying another small business to grow yours: add-on acquisitions, the SBA Business Expansion rules, integration risks and checking the target's numbers.
- Steps to buying a business, with a realistic timelineThe steps to buying a business in order, with a realistic week-by-week timeline from first look to closing, and what slows each stage down.