Become a Business Owner Archives - Page 7 of 20

Published January 24, 2022

Here’s one we see all the time. We get a call or an email from a buyer who wants to sign 15 NDA’s on 15 different types of businesses so they can see where each is located and then decide which ones they like.

First of all, any business broker worth their salt is not going to disclose that many listings to a buyer all at once. Why? A buyer looking at 15 different types of business hasn’t narrowed their search, so disclosing all of those businesses puts the confidentiality of those businesses at risk unnecessarily. It is also a colossal waste of both the buyer’s and broker’s time to fill out all of that paperwork for nothing.

You might enter the business marketplace with only a vague idea of the kind of business you want, but you really need to narrow the focus of your search right away if you want to have any kind of success with finding businesses that will actually help you achieve your goals. There are hundreds of potential listings out there, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the choices.

How do you narrow your search?

Talk to a business broker first.

We will ask you about your goals for business ownership. What do you hope entrepreneurship will bring to your life? The freedom to make your own schedule? More money than you make at your current job? More time to spend with your family? The ability to grow a business to sell a few years later? These goals will be very helpful in eliminating businesses that don’t fit the bill.

We will ask you about your prior knowledge and experience. What industries have you worked in? What did you go to school for? Taking over a new business is hard enough, you probably don’t want to add learning a whole new industry to the mix at the same time.

We will ask you about your financial situation. How much do you have to invest? Are you looking for financing? Knowing from the very beginning exactly how much you have to work with will be instrumental to ensuring you end up with a business you can afford.

After having this type of discussion with your business broker, you can focus on businesses that will fit all of your needs and not waste any of your time looking at businesses that don’t. Narrowing your focus early also helps you keep from feeling like your search never ends.

Are you starting your business search and need help with narrowing your focus? Are you curious about what businesses are available in your area? Do a cursory business search by clicking here or leave us any questions or comments below.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

The Boomer Exit: Why Now Is The Time To Buy A Business

Published January 17, 2022

It’s all over the news. A mass exodus of employees from the workforce in the last 18 months. Sure, the pandemic was largely to blame – but many of those who left or lost jobs during the pandemic haven’t returned to those same jobs now that the economy has rebounded. While some of this exodus and failure to return has been blamed on stagnant wages and working conditions there’s a portion of this exodus that can be very important of you are considering buying a business.

That portion? Baby Boomers.

Many Baby Boomer business owners had plans to close up shop, sell their businesses and retire in the pre-recession era of 2007 – but the economic collapse in 2008 meant many of those business owners had to stay in the workforce and wait for a better time to cash out.

Guess what? Now is that time. The Baby Boomer generation isn’t getting any younger, and many are well past the age they had hoped to retire. With the economy in a good place any smart business owner on the threshold of retirement isn’t going to waste the opportunity to sell while the selling is good.

What does that mean for you as a business buyer? There are going to be a lot of really great businesses hitting the market. Long-term businesses that not only survived the recession – they were strong enough to weather the pandemic as well. Businesses with good reputations and staying power. Businesses with experienced ownership and a devoted clientele. The kinds of businesses any prospective buyer hopes to find. A bonus? There will be a lot of them.

This influx of businesses to the market can change the game in your favor. The large supply of listed businesses means we’ve shifted to a buyer’s market – one where you will have more choices and a bit more negotiating power.

What should you do if you think you might want to try and buy one of these great retiring-Boomer businesses? Don’t wait. Once the Boomer businesses have all changed hands we’re likely looking at a shift to a seller’s market and fewer choices in terms of long-standing businesses out there for sale. Talk to a qualified and experienced business broker today about your goals for business ownership, the capital you have to invest and the industries you think might work for you. They can help you find great businesses to consider so you can get on the path to your entrepreneurial dreams.

Have you recently considered business ownership and want to know what businesses are currently listed on the market? Do you have questions about the benefits of buying a long-standing business instead of a brand new one? Ask us! Leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

Want To Become An Entrepreneur? Why The Trade Offs Are Worth It

Published January 10, 2022

So you think you want to buy a business and start off on a career as an entrepreneur?

Before you spend too much time daydreaming of becoming the next Branson or Zuckerberg you need to consider some very big trade-offs that your new life as a business owner will require.

Controlling Your Time Versus The 8 Hour Workday:

You may have hated your 9 to 5 job, but working for someone else offers you the opportunity to have something many entrepreneurs don’t – time off. If you are buying a business so you can have more control of your time, the good news is you will. Your work schedule will absolutely be up to you. The caveat here is that work schedule is going to have to cover more hours than your traditional job did, so you need to be mentally prepared to work nights, weekends and take working vacations (if you are able to take vacations at all).

The Need To Reinvest Versus A Standard Paycheck:

One of the best ways to grow a small business is to reinvest your money in every way you can. What this means from a trade-off standpoint is you may end up making far more owning your own business than you ever did working for someone else, but that money really belongs back in the business if you want to be successful. You should also be prepared to go without paying yourself in the very beginning because you will need working capital available for things like inventory and payroll when you first take over.

Your New Priorities Versus Punching A Clock:

Working a traditional job means that you have to punch a clock, but the time when you aren’t at work belongs to you – and you can use that time for your family, your friends and your hobbies. When you own your own business, that business becomes your baby, and as such it will require you to make sacrifices in terms of the time you were once able to dedicate to the non-working parts of your life. The good news is you won’t have to ask your boss and hope that you can get the day off for your daughter’s ballet recital, you will be able to accommodate those all-important things in your non-working life. You will just have to find a way to balance the needs of your business and the priorities in your life.

Should these trade-offs scare you away from buying a business? Absolutely not! Owning your own business means that every expenditure of time, energy and money comes right back to you instead of going to someone else. The rewards of flexibility and control over your own destiny make any trade-offs worth it in the end. You just need to be aware that these trade-offs will be necessary so you can be prepared for business ownership.

Do you have questions about the trade-offs business ownership requires? Would you like to know what the schedule looks like for a business owner in the industry you are considering? Please feel free to ask questions or post comments here. We would be happy to help you on your journey to entrepreneurship.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com

Have The Right Help? Why An Experienced Broker Won’t Show You Every Business In Town

Posted in Become a Business Owner, Business Broker Why & How, Buyers Articles

Published December 27, 2021

You’ve just entered the business market with the intent of buying yourself a small business, and you are shopping around for a business broker to help you.

There are many factors that separate the good brokers from the bad – but one of the big ones is experience.

Rookie brokers make lots of mistakes, and if you’ve hitched yourself to their wagon for your transaction then you get to live those mistakes right along with them.

As experienced brokers, it can be very frustrating to try and work with these newbies. It becomes increasingly difficult when they are trying their hand at the business transaction process alone and without any guidance (or if they have an experienced broker they work for who has given them little to no training).

One of the major ways this lack of experience shows through? Too many showings.

What do we mean by too many showings?

If you’ve ever bought a house, you know that going to see a plethora of homes is part of the game – especially in a fast-moving market where a house might have multiple offers the first day it lists. This is not, however, how business sales works – so newbie business brokers (especially those fresh out of the real estate industry) will sometimes try to play the same game by attempting to line up a litany of businesses for their clients to see. It doesn’t work.

First of all, when you are buying a business, you are buying an existing business – one that is open and running with staff and customers. The importance of confidentiality means that the staff and customers can’t know the business is for sale. Therefore, a business seller can’t have a parade of semi-curious buyers waltzing through the front door on a regular basis – it would make confidentiality impossible.

If done properly, the process to go see/tour a business is much more extensive:

It starts by having a conversation with your business broker about what you are looking for in a business and what your goals are. You will also talk about how much capital you have to invest in a business, and your broker will then take that information and find you a number of listings to look at that will be within your budget and meet your entrepreneurial goals. Out of that initial batch of potential businesses, you will typically be asked to narrow down the choices to just a few – think two or three – that peak your interest. You will then sign non-disclosure agreements for those listings in order to receive the marketing package, complete with the name and physical location of the business. After thoroughly reviewing the marketing materials for your few choices, you will probably prefer one business over the others. Your broker will help you form a list of additional questions you have for the sellers, and you will be given an opportunity to ask those questions during a conference call including the sellers, the brokers involved and you. After all of those steps have passed and you are still very interested in the business, your broker will set up a walk-through of the physical location of the business either before or after business hours when the staff and customers are gone.

What you can’t do in this process is decide that you want to spend a few days touring businesses and line up 5, 10 or more “showings” with your broker. No experienced broker worth their salt is going to waste their seller’s time by trying to coordinate a visit when the buyer hasn’t even bothered to narrow down their choices or ask any good questions. It’s just not going to happen. They’re also not going to put the confidentiality of the business at risk by having too many unfamiliar people coming to the business to meet with the seller during business hours as the staff will know something is up.

If you ask for this type of multi-tour approach and your broker says “Sure!”, beware that you probably have a rookie on your hands. The experienced brokers on the other side of the table aren’t going to play along, and you will be stuck seeing only the businesses listed by fellow rookie brokers.

If you are serious about buying, get yourself an experienced broker and go through the proper steps. You will end up only seeing the businesses that are right for you instead of wasting your own time looking at businesses that don’t fit the bill.

Are you a first-time buyer with more questions about the business buying process? Have you had an experience with a rookie broker that you’d like to share? Please feel free to leave comments or questions and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
5111 Ocean Boulevard, Suite E
Siesta Key, FL 34242

3 Tips To Start Your Business Search

Posted in Become a Business Owner, Business Broker Why & How, Buyers Articles

Published December 6, 2021

If you are thinking about taking the entrepreneurial plunge by buying a business, you may be wondering where to start. Who should you talk to? What should you look for? How do you begin a search?

Here are 3 tips to get your business search going and put you on the path to small business ownership:

Get In Touch With A Business Broker

Many new buyers think that the services of business brokers are only for sellers, but nothing could be farther from the truth. A good local broker can help steer you in the right direction – both to the right industry and businesses that you can successfully afford.

In your first conversation with a good broker you will likely discuss what your goals are for business ownership, what capital you have readily available to invest in a small business, the industries where you have practical experience and the businesses you are considering. In some cases a buyer who is considering one industry may have more success meeting their goals for business ownership (like setting your own schedule or employing members of your family) by buying a business in an industry they hadn’t even thought of.

Do Some Self Searching

Owning a small business is a life-encompassing affair, and before you decide what type of business would be right for you, you need to think about what you want to get out of business ownership. Have you always dreamed of owning your own bar, but you’ve never worked so much as one day in the restaurant industry? Buying a business and becoming an owner overnight can come with a steep learning curve – you don’t want to add learning a whole new industry to the mix.

You also need to consider what you want your life as a business owner to look like. If part of your reason for transitioning to an entrepreneur is to give yourself more time with your kids – then owning a business like a bar where you will work seven days a week from 3pm to 3am probably isn’t going to leave a lot of time for coaching their little league team.

Do An Exploratory Search

Many prospective business buyers have a general idea in their minds of the type of business they would like to own, but after a cursory search they discover that there are business opportunities out there they’ve never even heard of or considered. Do a cursory search of the businesses available in the geographical areas that interest you and you may be surprised what you find. You can start your cursory search by clicking here, and then ask us about any interesting businesses you find by contacting us today.

If you are thinking about joining the world of small business owners – do some soul searching, talk to a good broker and do a little exploratory searching on your own. By opening the field of available and potential businesses you will have a greater chance of finding the perfect business for you.

Have you thought about buying a business but aren’t sure where to start? Do you have questions about how the business buying process works? Ask us! Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
5111 Ocean Boulevard, Suite E
Siesta Key, FL 34242

Buying A Business? What Needs To Happen BEFORE You Get On The Plane

Published November 29, 2021

Another holiday season and the rapid approach of a new year can cause someone to rethink their current life and consider other options. Maybe you’ve been curious about what life might be like as the owner of a business. Maybe you’re visiting from a northern climate and the beautiful winter weather of Florida has you seriously considering a move south.

There are amazing business ownership opportunities in the Sunshine State, and we would love to help you find the one that is right for you – but there is one very important element of the business buying process that buyers should know long before they set foot on a plane.

You can’t call about a business one day and see it the next.

This one is frustrating for both business brokers and buyers alike. If you call us today and tell us you are only in town for another 24 hours and you want to see one of our businesses – the answer is always no.

We would love to accommodate you, but it just isn’t possible, especially during this time of year.

In order to see a business, we would have to know that the business is right for you and that it is a business you could successfully afford. There is no sense in wasting your time looking at businesses you couldn’t or wouldn’t want to buy. Then you would have to sign the appropriate non-disclosure agreements. A showing would need to be coordinated between your schedule, the schedule of your broker, the schedule of the seller’s broker, the schedules of the sellers themselves and at a time when the business isn’t operating or when the employees won’t be around (for confidentiality reasons).

This complicated mix of conversations, paperwork and meshing of schedules is going to be extremely tough (especially during the holiday months because people are traveling or hosting family and won’t be available).

It is possible, however, for all of the necessary background, non-disclosure agreements and schedule juggling to be done – with enough notice. Just realize that 24 hours or even a few days aren’t going to be enough.

If you are considering taking a trip south and looking at businesses, make contact with a broker and work on setting up these visits before you even buy your plane tickets.

We say this because we want your business search to be successful and we want you to find and see businesses that are right for you. The right business for you is going to depend on things we can’t know about you until we’ve had a chance to talk to you about your goals for business ownership and the amount of money you actually have available to buy a business. The right business for you will also be found by looking at many listings, reviewing financial statements and having conference calls with multiple sellers – all long before you set foot in an actual, physical business.

We also want you to be able to make the most out of your time here – so by researching and vetting the businesses that meet with your goals, by already talking to sellers via conference call – you can efficiently see the two or three businesses you are already serious about buying when you come for a visit.

Set yourself up for business buying success by starting your search BEFORE you buy your tickets to Florida!

Are you a buyer who has tried to see a business last-minute and would like to know more about why this isn’t possible? Are you curious about the business ownership opportunities available in Florida? Ask us! Leave any questions or comments here, and we would be happy to help you on your journey to business ownership.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
5111 Ocean Boulevard, Suite E
Siesta Key, FL 34242

When Is The Perfect Time To Buy A Business?

Published October 11, 2021

When will the time be right for you to take the entrepreneurial plunge and buy a business?

This is obviously a very big question. It’s also a bad question.

This question is based on the notion that there is such a thing as perfection in life. There isn’t. There will never be a perfect business. There will never be a perfect time. Perfection implies an absence of risk – and like many things in life that are worth doing becoming a business owner comes with a healthy dose of risk. You might not succeed.

Guess what? You might not fail either.

Entrepreneurs buy businesses every day. Most of them work hard and achieve the goals they have for business ownership. You could too.

That first step – deciding now is as good a time as any – can seem like an impossible step if you cling to the idea that the perfect time will eventually come. It won’t. Instead, you have to decide that the goals you have for your life – to be your own boss, to follow your passions, to make a better life for yourself and your family – those things are worth taking a bit of a risk.

So how do you start? Maybe you’ve had an idea of the type of business you’d like to own for a long time, maybe you aren’t sure what kind of business would work for you. Either way the first step is to have a conversation with an experienced and qualified business broker.

That first conversation should be about a couple of very important things. What are your goals for business ownership? How many hours do you want to work per day or week? Where do you want your business to be located? How much money do you need your business to make? Do you have a passion for a particular industry? In what areas/industries do you have practical experience that you could draw on as a business owner? How much capital do you have to invest in your new business venture? Would you need financing and what types of financing would you be comfortable with?

The answers to these questions can help a good broker find businesses for you to consider. These questions can also help you figure out what you really want to get out of owning your own business. Knowing what your goals are will be instrumental in making an educated and thoroughly researched decision about which business you buy.

It can be scary to walk away from a steady paycheck that you get from someone else, but if you aren’t happy working for that someone else don’t wait for a perfect time that’s never going to come. Take a well-considered yet imperfect jump instead.

Have you always wanted to own your own business but were waiting for the perfect time? Do you have questions about what types of businesses would fit your goals? Ask us! Leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
5111 Ocean Boulevard, Suite E
Siesta Key, FL 34242

Why Feedback Matters: Helping Your Business Broker Help You

Posted in Become a Business Owner, Business Broker Why & How, Buyers Articles

Published October 4, 2021

Are you just beginning your business search? Your first step should be talking to an experienced and qualified business broker about what you are hoping to get out of business ownership.

What do you want your life to look like? How much money would you like to spend and how much do you need your new business to earn? Where do you want your business to be located? A good broker will take your answers to these first and basic questions and put together a list of listings for you to consider.

Here’s an important point in the process that some buyers miss:

Once you have those initial listings take a good, hard look at them and then decide not only if you like or dislike a business – but WHY.

Was it the location? The net/gross earning? The number of employees? By giving very specific feedback your broker can fine-tune the search, giving you better choices as the search process progresses. If you are vague with your feedback or give none at all, you will more than likely just continue getting businesses you don’t like – a counterproductive waste of time.

A good business broker can point you in the right direction and help you find the right listings, but they can only be effective in that capacity if you give them feedback. Lots of feedback.

Why can’t I just look at everything? Why do I have to keep giving feedback?

Giving very specific feedback on why you did or didn’t like a business will make your business search more efficient – weeding out listings that you wouldn’t have liked well before you have to take a deep dive. It also helps show your business broker that you are a serious buyer who is willing to put in the work required to get a deal done. No one wants to work with someone that isn’t going to participate – and buying a business is a complicated process best traversed by someone who is willing to do what’s needed to see it through.

Another note here. Negative feedback about why you disliked or hated something about a business is important, as you don’t want to end up with a business that will make you unhappy – but feedback about why you liked something is also pivotal to success. Did you really like that a particular business had X number of employees or did you love the type of area where a business was located? Don’t just give your broker the negative feedback. Telling them what you liked about businesses will be just as important as what you didn’t.

Are you beginning your business search and want to know more about how feedback can help streamline the listings you see? Would you like to know what businesses are currently available that would meet your goals for business ownership? Ask us! Please feel free to leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
5111 Ocean Boulevard, Suite E
Siesta Key, FL 34242

Buying A Business? Don’t Sign A Million NDAs (Do This Instead)

Published September 27, 2021

If you’re excited about buying a business it might be tempting to spend your days scouring the internet for business listings and then requesting information on everything that even slightly matches what you’re looking for.

Don’t do that. Here’s why:

Businesses are bought and sold under a veil of confidentiality. That confidentiality exists to protect the business while it is being sold (you can read more about why here). What this means for you as a buyer is you can’t just look up a listing and immediately get all of the information on a business for sale. There’s a layer of legal protection that you need to get past before you can gain access to the information you need. That layer involves signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

Signing the NDA means you can’t disclose the name of a business, the location of a business, any proprietary information you will now have access to – even the for-sale status of a business. You will have to sign a NDA for each business listing individually. If the business brokers involved are doing their job, you shouldn’t be able to sign the NDA until you’ve had a conversation about why this business fits with your goals for business ownership and if you actually have the funds necessary to make a sale happen. The importance of keeping the for-sale status of a business under wraps means a broker should only be allowing NDAs to be signed by potential buyers who could actually be buyers – not hundreds of random tire-kickers.

The necessity of confidentiality might initially seem frustrating as a buyer, but it’s not just the business itself this process helps. As a buyer, you don’t need to be wasting your time signing dozens and dozens of NDAs for businesses that would never have suited you in the first place. It’s a colossal waste of your own time and energy.

Here’s what you should do instead. Call a few business brokers. Have conversations with them about what you hope to get out of business ownership. Talk to them honestly about the amount of funds you have available for your new venture. See if you think you and a broker would work well together.

This initial conversation will help a good broker find listings that will actually check all of your boxes. Then you can efficiently sign NDAs for businesses that may work for you.

A very important note here. Once you have a broker you like – don’t go and sign NDAs on any listings without them. Once you’ve signed another broker’s NDA your broker can’t help you anymore. NDAs are tied to specific businesses, and are therefore tied to the listing and the listing broker. Your broker can request the NDA on your behalf for a listing that isn’t theirs and still maintain the buyer-broker relationship with you. If you go around your broker and sign a NDA they didn’t request they legally and ethically can’t even give you advice. The relationship has now shifted to whatever broker has the listing – a broker you don’t know and who doesn’t know you.

The message here is although the process of searching for businesses has a few more steps than other big purchases like a house or car – those steps exist to make the process more efficient for everyone – including you. Find yourself a good broker, maintain that relationship by only having your broker request NDAs and be patient with the process.

Are you shopping for businesses and weren’t aware that signing NDAs tied you to listing brokers? Do you have questions about what businesses currently for sale you meet your goals for business ownership? Ask us! Leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help you on your business search.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
5111 Ocean Boulevard, Suite E
Siesta Key, FL 34242

3 Important Points Every Business Buyer Should Know

Published September 20, 2021

Businesses are inherently complicated. You are dealing with staff, vendors, clientele, a location or locations, possibly vehicles, inventory, computer systems and software, operating procedures, leases, licensing requirements, permitting requirements, inspections, certifications – the list goes on.

If you are considering becoming a business owner and entering the world of entrepreneurship by buying an existing business, then the complicated nature of businesses not only includes the business itself but also the process to buy it.

If this is your first time in the business for sale market, then there are a few things about the process you must understand in order to be successful.

This Will Be Nothing Like Buying A House

This one is the biggest misconception. It will cause major problems between you as a buyer and the sellers and business brokers involved if you don’t immediately banish this thought from your mind. You don’t search “businesses for sale” on the internet, see pictures and collect addresses, then drive around with a business broker for tours. That is what you would do if you were buying a house. Businesses for sale keep that fact completely confidential, and as such you can’t call up a business broker and ask him to “show you some businesses”. In the business sale process, there are many more steps. You will first be required to sign non-disclosure agreements, then you will likely have conference calls and/or meetings with the sellers and brokers off-premises long before you get a “tour” of the business. The non-disclosure agreements also mean that you will not be able to tell anyone outside of the transaction what business you are considering buying until after you get to the closing table.

Most “Buyers” Don’t Buy Anything

If you are really serious about buying a business, then you will need to be prepared for the reality that those who are already in the business market – think sellers and brokers – are unlikely to give you the time of day. Sure, you are poised to write a very big check to someone for their business, but the fact is only about 10% of buyers who initially look at businesses actually end up buying one – so the other players in the game will initially have a hard time taking you seriously. What’s important here is not to be offended. If you worked in an industry where only one in ten people who vied for your attention actually followed through, you would be a bit picky about who you chose to spend your time on too. You can pull away from the tire-kicking pack by staying motivated, being honest and upfront about the finances you are intending to invest in a business (particularly with your own business broker) and by making good offers on the businesses you like.

Patience, Patience, Patience

We have all become very accustomed to instant communication and instant gratification in our technological world, but the complexity of businesses means you can’t get or do everything you want immediately. You can’t show up on a Thursday and expect your broker to be able to line up three or four businesses for you to “see” on Friday. When you request information from sellers, you need to be aware that in addition to dealing with you they are also trying to run a business, so it may take them a few days to get things back to you. You are (one would hope) not your broker’s only client, so if they don’t answer the phone or immediately return your call it doesn’t mean that they are blowing you off. When you send financial records off to a CPA or contracts off to an attorney to be reviewed, you will have to give it some time to get those documents back. If you are dealing with licensing and permitting issues, you need to be aware that government agencies are not known for their speed. Just be patient with the process and everything should fall into place.

If you really want to buy a business know that with a good dose of patience, good offers and the understanding from the start that this process can be pretty complex, you have a great chance of finding the right business for you.

Are you a buyer who’s had trouble getting anyone to take you seriously? Do you feel like the process couldn’t be any slower? Do you have more questions about confidentiality or any other part of the process? Ask us! Please feel free to leave your comments or questions here and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com
5111 Ocean Boulevard, Suite E
Siesta Key, FL 34242