be your own boss Archives - Page 4 of 21 - Infinity Business Brokers

Published December 26, 2022

You’ve found a business you like and you’re ready to take the next step – but before you start handing anyone your hard-earned money you want a good look behind the scenes and a thorough look at the books. It’s time for due diligence.

What is due diligence?

For business buyers, due diligence is the step that allows them full access to a business – the financial records, contracts, leases, etc. This period of a business transaction is typically after a letter of intent (LOI) is submitted or after an initial offer is accepted. The length of the due diligence phase is something that can be negotiated, but is typically no longer than a few weeks. In that time frame both you and your advisors (like your business transaction CPA, business transaction attorney and your business broker) will be able to go over the business with a fine-toothed comb and see what you are actually buying.

What should I be looking for in due diligence?

This will very much depend on the individual business you are considering as well as the industry the business is a part of, but for the most part you will be looking for any potential issues or problems that the sellers weren’t forthcoming about. Some examples might include unpaid tax debts, more “handshake agreements” than actual written contracts you can count on, pending legal issues and the like. Use the experience of your advisors to determine if anything you find is a deal killer or simply something that warrants a renegotiation with the seller.

What if I find a “deal killer”?

If you find something during due diligence that makes you completely unwilling to go through with the sale, then you will absolutely have a chance to back out of the deal. Keep in mind that businesses are inherently complex, and there is not a business anywhere that is completely devoid of any issues. Your threshold for issues will depend on what you are comfortable with, what can be negotiated and whether or not the funds are available to fix the problem.

What if I didn’t find anything wrong, but something is making me uncomfortable with proceeding?

Gut feelings about a business deal can both help and hurt your chances of getting a deal done. If you are feeling uneasy even after a thorough due diligence, now is the time to seek the advice of your business broker. Did they get the same uneasy feeling about the deal? Are you just apprehensive about making such a huge financial investment, or do you really have something to be worried about? Separating the reality from your own cold feet can be difficult to do, so asking your intermediary can be very helpful in this situation. A good broker won’t steer you wrong, as it is in their best interest for you to be happy and comfortable with the business you ultimately buy. You will need to sell again one day, and your referrals of other business owners you meet are your broker’s bread and butter.

I know we agreed on an offer, but after due diligence I’ve changed my mind. What now?

If something you found in due diligence warrants a renegotiation of price, then your advisory team will help you decide what the new offer might look like. You should be prepared for at least a bit of back-and-forth, as most sellers will probably be unhappy when you decide to offer less money. Make sure your justification for the new price is backed up by whatever you found during due diligence and the renegotiation shouldn’t kill the deal. If you’ve completely changed your mind and now you definitely don’t want the business, you have the opportunity to walk away.

Are you a business buyer with more questions about the due diligence process? Have you been through this process before and have an experience you’d like to share? Please feel free to leave any comments or questions, we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

The Shark Tank Myth: Why You Don’t Need To Be A Shark To Succeed

Published December 19, 2022

We all love a good rags to riches story, so shows like Shark Tank that glorify the millionaire/billionaire investor who came from nothing and became wildly successful are exceedingly popular with most Americans who grew up hearing all about the “American dream.” While we all fancy ourselves capable of starting from scratch on main street and envy the thought of being our own boss, most who haven’t lived a day in an entrepreneur’s shoes have no real idea of what owning your own business is really like.

The vast majority of entrepreneurs have failed – multiple times. To truly succeed in this game you need to have the tenacity to get back up, dust yourself off and try again. If you have that tenacity, then this is the life for you.

Start-ups are extremely risky. You are betting on an unproven model in an unproven location. Less than one in four start-ups make it to their 5th anniversary, so if you want to give business ownership a try (with a bit less risk), buy an existing business instead. Buying existing does not mean guaranteed success, it just means the model, location, operating procedures and staff have been tested. It’s simply a better starting point for the new entrepreneur.

New customers are not going to line up around the block or beat down your door because you tied a banner out front that reads “under new management.” A great entrepreneur is never satisfied with the status quo and is always looking for new ways to grow their business. What if you’re not a marketing guru? Become one. Learn how to take advantage of social media, join networking groups, make your business a part of local community events – the list goes on. Businesses that thrive find new and creative ways to grow, and the best business owners learned what works by trying (and trying again) until something sticks.

The hours are not fun. Business ownership is not going to mean that you only work from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday with four weeks of vacation throughout the year. If that free-time stability is what you want for your life, then stay at your current job. Entrepreneurship means that the buck stops with you and you alone. If something has to be done, if your entire staff comes down with the flu, if it’s peak season and the business will be packed – you have to work. The hours are long, but the trade off is knowing that you are in control of your own life and all of this work doesn’t benefit someone else – it benefits you.

You probably won’t make millions and millions. The Sharks on Shark Tank are like the NFL Hall of Fame of entrepreneurs. You can have a very successful and fulfilling life as a business owner without ever becoming a billionaire investor, so the quicker you set your sights on more realistic financial expectations, the better.

If you have the grit and determination to keep trying, the willingness to learn new ways to grow and the drive to work the hours your business needs – then perhaps business ownership is for you. Start your search for an existing business by talking to an experienced and knowledgeable business broker about your past experience and what your goals for business ownership would be. They will be able to help match you with business opportunities that will get you where you want to go.

Have you considered buying a business, but you aren’t sure that business ownership is for you? Do you have questions about what types of businesses are currently available? Ask us! Leave a comment or a question here and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

Why A Business You Can Successfully Run Is More Important Than A Business You “Want”

Published November 28, 2022

If you are new to the world of buying a business, or even if you’re a seasoned entrepreneurial veteran, one of the first decisions you will need to make is what type of business you want to buy.

Notice that we used the word “want” here. Many budding entrepreneurs have a dream business in their minds, but that dream business might be in an industry that would mean a slim chance of success.

What do we mean by that? We’ll use the classic bar example.

An accountant always dreamed of owning their own bar – but since this accountant has never worked so much as a day in the restaurant industry, buying that bar would be a gigantic mistake. Anyone who has work history knows that each industry and each business require their own unique set of skills in order to be successful. Making such a big change without the practical knowledge of what’s ahead can only lead to massive issues.

Drastically changing industries without understanding what you’re in for can be very problematic. An accountant is probably used to working the typical 9 to 5, Monday through Friday gig – so they might have big problems switching to the long hours and long nights required to operate a bar. There are many nuances in each industry. If you don’t have the experience to understand those nuances (like the long hours example) you are setting yourself up for failure.

Another big roadblock for new buyers trying to enter an industry with no experience comes from the c0ommercial landlord. If you have zero restaurant experience, then a commercial landlord/property manager is not going to rent you a space where a working restaurant is bringing them revenue. If the restaurant fails due to your lack of experience, they won’t get any rent. You will have to prove to any landlord that you have the practical knowledge necessary to sustain the business.

But I want to buy my own business because I want to get out of a rut and try something new!

This motivation for purchasing a business is fine, you just need to focus your search on businesses where you have some chance of success. No one wants to buy a business just to drive it into the ground.

But I’ve only ever had just one career!

Practical experience doesn’t necessarily have to come from previous jobs. If you are an accountant who has spent the last 20 years taking art classes and volunteering to help with gallery openings in your spare time, then purchasing an art gallery wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea.

The point here is to have a serious talk with your business broker about what industries will/won’t work for your both your practical experience and goals – and then listen to their advice. If they tell you buying a bar is a terrible idea, then it probably is.

Your broker wants you to be successful because they hope you will use them again when the time comes to sell, and because a very large part of a good broker’s business comes from referrals from happy clients. You will not be a happy client if your broker doesn’t help you find a business that you can’t maintain.

Think about what you are passionate about, what your goals are and also what types of practical experience you would bring to the table. Then find businesses that fit that mold, and you will be well on your way to entrepreneurial success.

Do you have an “I bought a business I knew nothing about.” horror story? Do you have questions about what industries would be right for you? Share your stories and questions here, and we would be happy to help you find the right business.

Michael Monnot

The Walk-Thru: What Business Buyers Should Know

Published November 21, 2022

If you are in the market to buy a business, then one of the steps you will have in your future is the walk-thru. Much like buying a house, you will want to see the physical location of a business before you make any decisions on moving ahead with a sale.

Unlike a house, there will be a few more steps before you can see a business. It’s far less important to see the physical space when you are buying an existing business, and as such it’s a step that happens much farther along in the process than most new business buyers realize. When you buy a business the most important aspect is cash flow, not the color of the walls or what the machines look like. You will likely see the physical space after you’ve seen the marketing package, after multiple conference calls or meetings with the sellers – often after you’ve made an initial purchase offer.

How do you start? First you will need to sign a confidentiality agreement, most often called a non-disclosure agreement. You will be required to sign this agreement before your walk-thru for a few reasons.

Existing businesses can face terrible consequences if the entire world finds out that they are for sale. There is a powerful misconception that any business for sale is a business moments away from closing its doors for good (although typically nothing could be farther from the truth). If the for-sale status is disclosed the entire staff could quit (taking their regular clients with them), vendors might cancel contracts, customers may decide to shop elsewhere – you get the idea. Non-disclosure/confidentiality agreements protect sellers and their businesses from these potentially disastrous leaks of information.

Once the non-disclosure agreements have been signed, you will not just be able to waltz into the business whenever you please. An appointment will need to be coordinated between you, the seller and the brokers involved. You will likely need to see the business before or after hours (so curious employees can be avoided).

Why do the brokers need to be there? One of the most important roles that a business broker plays is that of a buffer. We have seen too many deals fall apart because initially innocent communications directly between a buyer and a seller devolve into a major issue.

Some sellers (whether appropriate or not) find questions about the legitimacy or profitability of their business offensive. If this happens and your deal begins to unravel, you will want your broker around to smooth things over. Your own broker will also be able to tell you if they think the things that were seen or said during a walk-thru were on the up-and-up. You will want their experienced eyes with you.

You will need to be flexible on meeting times for your walk-thru, especially if the business is one that has more than one or two employees that can be easily avoided. You will likely need to do your tour either before the business opens or after they close to keep the staff (or observant regular customers) from finding out about the for-sale status.

If you really want to see the business during business hours, then you certainly can. You just need to talk to your broker about whether or not it would be appropriate to do so. It would be tough, for instance, to walk in and see a manufacturing floor where the public is never allowed – but if you were considering a café, you could go in and grab a cup of coffee. Have your broker let the seller know that you are planning on dropping in as this is seen as common courtesy to the other side.

If you do grab that cup of coffee, it is important that you keep a low profile. Don’t ask any strange questions of the staff that will make them suspicious or do something like demand to see the manager or owner. You are there purely for observational purposes.

Now that you’ve made the arrangements — like signing the appropriate non-disclosure agreements and making an appointment with the brokers and the sellers – keep your appointment and don’t be late. Getting a walk-thru together requires a lot of moving parts, so buyers who fail to show or fail to show on time show a lack of respect – and sellers may refuse to work with you.

Bring questions with you. This visit is a really great chance to find out about the ins and outs of this particular business – and you don’t want to waste the opportunity.

You should feel free to open doors, examine equipment, etc. – just ask the seller first. It is important to remember that not only does the business still belong to the seller, it is a huge part of their life. Again the message is just to be respectful of the other parties involved.

You should never feel like you have to rush through a walk-thru, but on the same token eating up a ton of everyone’s time because you love to tell long-winded fishing stories isn’t fair to anyone. Stay on point and make the most of this unique opportunity because there are many things about a business you can’t learn from reading a P&L.

Once the visit is complete, have a conversation with your broker about the things you saw, your concerns (especially those you weren’t comfortable bringing up in front of the seller) and ask if they saw anything they think the two of you should discuss further. Use their experience and knowledge to your advantage when using the information you gained via your visit.

Are you considering buying a business, but would like to know more about the walk-thru process? Do you want to know what types of questions you should be asking during a visit? Ask us! Please feel free to leave comments or questions below.

Michael Monnot

What Separates The Good Entrepreneurs From The Great

Published November 14, 2022

Whether you’re a business owner already or someone who is considering taking the entrepreneurial plunge, knowing what it takes to be great is essential to success. The essential ingredients to success come from knowing about the challenges you will face and having the will to persevere. The problems come from unrealistic expectations of what business ownership is really like.

Many budding entrepreneurs come to the business market looking for a business they can buy for a small amount of capital that is going to make them buckets and buckets of money. This is far, far from reality. Owning your own business does give you the flexibility of deciding your own fate while doing something you are passionate about, but it rarely makes you filthy rich. If you are in it to become the next Mark Cuban, you might be in the wrong game.

One aspect of entrepreneurship most don’t consider is the mid-ownership crisis. Owning your own business is very tough, so late one night with a pile of work left to do before the sun comes up you will likely ask yourself “What am I doing here?” We regularly remark that it would be far easier to just go get a job and punch someone else’s clock. If you get to a mid-ownership crisis, don’t panic. If the issue is burn out, you can move to sell your current business and purchase another one in a different arena. If burn out isn’t the problem, then just hang in there. Great entrepreneurs know how to persevere and make the best of what they have to continually grow their business.

Another ingredient that separates the good from the great is leadership skills. If you own a business that isn’t a one-man show, then you not only have to motivate and manage your staff, you have to set a good example by being motivated all on your own. Many first-time business owners delegate anything and everything to their staff without lifting a finger – this can be a big mistake. The best leaders are those who would never ask their employees to do something they wouldn’t do themselves, and often demonstrate their leadership by rolling up their sleeves and working right alongside their staff. Regularly demonstrating to your staff that your heart is still in the game can be great for morale.

Great business owners also know the importance of the community’s perception. It can be difficult to keep from taking a bad review personally, especially if you are a company of one. Using any review (no matter how scathing or ridiculous it might initially seem to you) as constructive criticism can only help your business grow. Sure, there are trolls who live to complain and customers out there who no one could ever make happy, but responding politely to and implementing changes based on negative reviews will show your clientele that you are driven to be a part of the community for years to come.

Owning your own business can be really, really hard work – but the rewards of becoming a great entrepreneur are worth the effort.

Have you always wanted to buy your own business and are curious to see what’s currently available? Ask us! Please feel free to leave any questions or comments, we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

You Don’t Need To Be The Next “Meta” – Why Small Businesses Are The Perfect Fit For Your Dreams

Published November 7, 2022

Many cubicle-bound professionals daydream of one day becoming their own boss and launching themselves into fame and fortune – the likes of a Zuckerberg or Gates – but notions and ideas that lofty can actually prevent you from having a profitable and satisfying career as the owner of a small business.

The American economy was built with small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit of main street, and although some small businesses do become mega-corporations, most don’t. This isn’t a bad thing – for most small business owners a profitable time can be had without exponential growth.

Why should you keep your business ownership dreams out of the clouds? If you are realistic about your expectations as a business owner, then you are more likely to find the happiness and success that can come from a sensible entrepreneurial vision. Still need convincing that you should keep your goals a bit lower than “the next Meta or Google”? Here’s a few reasons while a small business can be far better than a mega-business:

Too many cooks in the kitchen.

If you’ve ever worked for a large company or even sat in a large meeting, you will know that the more people involved, the slower the process will go and the more resistant to change they will be. Large businesses are like large ships at sea – they take an enormous amount of time and effort to change direction. As a small business, you will be better equipped to shift with market trends, pivot with your customer’s needs and be able to implement changes without the enormous task of getting the approval of a large number of people before anything can happen. This can be critical in times of crisis, like the pandemic, when a quick pivot in your business model can save you.

Sustainability isn’t just for farms.

A massive company also comes with massive infrastructure and expense. You might be racking up massive sales, but a large chunk of the money coming in will have to be allocated to keeping the bones of the company supported. A very large business needs a very large location, a location that likely comes with a very high lease payment. There are the bills to keep the lights on, to keep the wireless working, to provide benefits to employees, to buy office supplies – the list of expenses can go on and on. If a very large company isn’t able to keep profits growing, it can be incredibly hard to support that massive infrastructure. If you are a small business, on the other hand, you can easily maintain a small but functioning location with a low monthly cost in terms of lease and utilities. If you have a bad quarter, unlike your massive counterpart, you have a sensible and sustainable monthly expense that will give you the ability to stay in the game long enough to get the numbers back in the black.

Corporate life is not for control freaks.

If controlling your own destiny is something that is very important to you, then life on a mega-corporate ladder can be tough. By owning your own business the responsibility and decisions are all yours, so any successes you achieve are that much more satisfying. You have complete control of where your professional life goes, and for some this alone is desirable enough to stay off the corporate ship.

The message here is if you are considering entrepreneurship, dream big – but not so big that you talk yourself out of ever owning a business. Small business owners are driven and happy – so if you think this is a path you want for your life, make some realistic goals and then set them into action.

Have you thought about buying your own business, but aren’t sure entrepreneurship is for you? Do you have questions about how much money you could make by owning your own business? Ask us! Please feel free to leave a comment or question here, and we will be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

Stay In Your Wheelhouse: Why You Shouldn’t Buy A Business You Know Nothing About

Published October 31, 2022

Sometimes it seems like a good idea. A hard about-face in life. Choosing to buy a business in an industry that interests you, but one where you’ve never spent a single, solitary second. How exciting, right? A whole new chapter of life – a new adventure.

Don’t do it. Here’s why.

Life as a business owner is tough. Really tough. It’s long hours, lots of responsibility and constant challenges. That toughness translates into rewards if you have the grit, experience and passion to be a successful entrepreneur. Notice we included the word experience. We’re not saying you need to have owned a business before. The romantic notion that the only requirements for success as a business owner are grit and passion just isn’t reality.

The reality is taking over a small business as the new owner comes with a sharp and steep learning curve. There are so many aspects of owning and running your new business that you will have to learn – quickly. How the operating procedures work and why they are the way they are. The nuances of your new staff. What needs to be where and when. How to place orders. How to manage inventory. How to stay on top of licenses, taxes, payroll. The list is long. What you don’t need in this mix is trying to learn an entirely new industry. If you want to be successful you’re going to have an exponentially easier time taking over a business where you have some real, practical experience.

Here’s an example. Say you went to school to be an accountant, then you spent some time working as the accountant for a small manufacturing company. Like most people you’re a fan of a good happy hour and have always had a daydream of owning a tiki bar on the beach. When a 200 seat beach bar near you goes up for sale, you put in an offer and are able to work out a purchase contact with the seller. After closing on the sale you struggle with your now 24/7 work schedule. You’ve never worked anything but a classic 9 to 5, so having to open the bar at 10am and stay until 3am every day is rough. The huge staff you’ve inherited to run this large establishment are a constant source of drama you’ve never had to contend with. You fire one employee and then 9 more quit, including your weekend bar back. Now you’re juggling trying to fill the schedule and trying to hire someone who will actually show up to be the bar back on Saturday nights. So for 5 Saturday nights in a row you’re the one hauling kegs and refilling ice. And you didn’t realize how fast you’d go through lemons so you’re driving around at 4am looking for a 24 hour grocery store because there isn’t any time to order from your vendor and get lemons by tomorrow. Then your line cook calls in sick so you have to jump in and work the line for 3 days, cooking food you’ve never cooked at what seems an insane pace – much to the displeasure of your customers who keep sending the food back.

If you’re someone who has experience in the restaurant industry, that scenario probably seems pretty normal. You know what it’s like to work late shifts and have to jump in and cover for people who’ve called in that night. You’re familiar with the drama that exists in every food industry staff. You understand that a 200 seat anything is huge, and not for anyone who’s a rookie. You know what food cost is and you understand what a bar needs (lemons) to function properly.

The point here is you really need to know what you’re getting into before you make the life-altering decision to buy a business. The only way to really know what owing a business is going to be like is by working in that industry at some point in your life. Our accountant from the example above could have bought a small manufacturing business or a small accounting firm and done quite well. Instead they are immediately overwhelmed and quickly burned out.

Don’t do this to yourself. Talk to a business broker about the practical experience and education you have. You might be surprised by the business and industry options available that would compliment the things you’ve done in the past. Set yourself up for success, not burnout.

Are you rethinking buying a business you know nothing about and want to know what industries and businesses would fit with your experience? Did you buy a business cold and have a story to share? Contact us or leave any questions or comments, we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

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Thinking About Hurricanes: Buying A Business In Florida

Published October 17, 2022

Hurricanes. They’re an inevitability of living in Florida (or anywhere on the Gulf or East coast of the United States for that matter). If you’re in the market to buy a business, how much should hurricanes factor into your decision? It depends.

If you’ve decided that Florida is where you’d like to end up then hurricanes will just be something that happens. Your house will contain hurricane supplies and you’ll watch the advisories from the National Hurricane Center whenever a storm approaches.

If you are considering businesses, then factoring in hurricanes will depend on where you’d like the business to be and how your business might be affected by prolonged power/utility/internet outages. For instance, if you are looking for a beach bar on a barrier island you’ll need to be sure you consider that a bad hurricane that makes landfall where you are might cause catastrophic damage to your business. If you would be more comfortable with a business located in a more inland zone, you’ll still need to see where your business location stands in terms of evacuation and flooding zones. You need to think about how you will keep your business functioning if you lose power, water and/or internet access for days or weeks on end. If you’re considering that same beach bar, what is your plan if the business loses power and you can’t run the refrigerators that hold your inventory? If you can’t run your point-of-sale system without the internet, will you just revert to paper accounting or will you have a hot spot on standby? The point here is although hurricanes are typically an infrequent problem – the damage they can cause is something you need to think about when you are choosing a business based on location (and you need to consider your game plan if a storm comes you way).

When a storm does approach, you should be ready – long before the weather gets ugly. If your business requires power to run refrigerated storage systems (for example) you should invest in an on-demand generator system long before your first hurricane season. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to gather and install hurricane protections for your business if you wait until everyone is panicking and the store shelves are empty. If you think you want to secure windows with shutters or wood, get those installed or ready to be quickly installed outside of hurricane season. You also need to prep your business early as you will need to give your employees time to storm prep their homes before the storm rolls in.

You should also ensure you have the proper business insurance should the worst happen. You will need insurance for wind and water/flood damage, as well as enough coverage to replace your equipment, inventory, etc. should you need to or want to rebuild.

You should also be ready for the cascade of cancellations that typically happen when the forecast cone falls on your area, whether the storm ends up impacting you or not. You should also come up with a set of protocols – like when you’ll close up shop, how you’ll secure the business, what you’ll do post-storm and then go over that information with employees so everyone is on the same page at the start of every hurricane season.

Should hurricanes dissuade you from buying a business in Florida? No, not at all. Like earthquakes in California or tornadoes in the Midwest every area has it’s own unique natural disasters to consider and prepare for. Choosing a business in a hurricane prone area probably means that you’ve picked a business where there’s heavy tourist traffic (like the beach bar example) – so you need to weigh the potential for all the money you can make with the preparations necessary should a hurricane roll in.

Are you thinking about buying a business and are worried about the potential for hurricane damage? Would you like to know more about what Florida businesses can do to prepare for storms? Please leave any questions or comments and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

Seller Financing – A Business Buyer’s Best Friend

Posted in Uncategorized

Published October 3, 2022

If you are considering buying a business, you may have looked at prices of local businesses during a cursory search and wondered how you would raise the funds to buy one. In the vast majority of small business sales seller financing will be involved, which is great news for business buyers.

What is seller financing?

Seller financing happens when the business seller finances a part of the deal, essentially loaning the buyer a part of the purchase price.

Why does a buyer need to consider seller financing? Many buyers who are new to the business market initially look for traditional means of financing, like a loan from a bank. Unfortunately banks are often unwilling to finance small business deals.

Why? A bank typically only lends money if they are sure they will be repaid and if there is collateral equal to the amount loaned they can take possession of in the event of a default. A house fits this mold quite well, as a home buyer must prove steady income before getting a loan and the house itself will serve as collateral because the bank can sell the house without having to take a loss (because the home will not lose value simply because the ownership changed).

This is not the case with a small business. When a small business changes hands, in the eyes of a traditional lender the very experienced management/ownership is being replaced by new (and therefore inexperienced) management/ownership. In addition, the value of a business is not just found in the tangible assets alone, so a bank would not be able to recoup any losses by selling the business if a new owner defaults on their loan.

What this means for the business market is traditional financing is highly unlikely, so if a business seller wants to get a deal done they can either wait for the ever-illusive all-cash offer, or they can offer to finance part of the deal.

What does a deal using seller financing look like? The answer is it really can look like almost anything. Typically the buyer must come with a substantial down payment, and the deal is structured so in the event of a default on the financing, the seller takes back the business. Many seller financing deals also include provisions where inventory must be kept at a certain level (so the seller wouldn’t have to replace the inventory after taking the business back).

Why is seller financing great for buyers? First and foremost, it allows buyers to buy businesses that would be beyond the reach of those without a substantial amount of cash. Second, it forces a seller to keep some “skin in the game”, meaning the seller has a vested interest in keeping the business going and profitable long after the business changes hands, otherwise they won’t get paid back. Sellers who are willing to offer financing will typically be much more helpful for a new owner with regards to training and motivated to build the business with an eye on the future.

If you are a buyer interested in looking at businesses where seller financing is an option, talk to your business broker. They will be able to find a business that will fit with your goals.

Are you a buyer who has more questions about seller financing? Would you like to know what a seller financing deal would look like for you? Please feel free to leave us a comment or question, and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

Do They Vacation? A Business Buyer Must-Ask Question

Posted in Buyers Articles

Published September 19, 2022

Sure, there are the big and basic questions you should ask when looking at a business to buy – but there are also some more unusual (but very telling) questions that will help you figure out if this really is the right business for you.

What do we mean by “the right business for you”? Entrepreneurship is tough, and along with a decent amount of personal drive a successful entrepreneur has to love what they do. Nothing other than passion is going to help you when the hours get long and the money gets tight. For this reason, it is critically important that you decide what your ultimate goals are for business ownership before you start shopping around.

You should ask yourself what you want your life as a business owner to look like. Are you willing to work crazy hours for a big financial return, or are you leaning more towards something a bit more managerial but not completely life-encompassing? Do you thrive on being in control, or do you like to delegate?

The answers to these questions will be important for determining what kind of business and even what individual business would be best for you.

Once you have the answers to your soul-searching in hand, you may be wondering where on a tax return or P&L you can figure out if a business fits with your entrepreneurial desires. The answer is, you probably won’t be able to discern something like the level of owner involvement from just the numbers.

Perhaps, then, you should just ask sellers how many hours they work a week, or how many employees they have? These answers will help, but the three questions that will truly get at the life you will have as owner of the business are these:

When was the last time the seller went on vacation?

How long was the vacation?

Who was in charge and were there any issues while they were away?

These questions might not seem profound, but the answers can tell you as a buyer a whole lot about what the seller’s day-to-day life is like.

If the answer is “never” to the last time the seller took a vacation, then as owner of this business – it will clearly live and die with you. This type of business would be good for someone very driven and passionate who is looking for a good financial return.

If the sellers do take vacation, but they only go for a day or two at a time, then this is likely a business that needs a fair degree of owner oversight and may even be a business that can’t function without you at the helm. This is great for those of you who love control, but probably not a good choice for those who want to be fairly hands-off.

If the sellers regularly go on vacation for a week or two without complaints about major issues while they are gone, then this business likely has a trustworthy and capable management structure that allows the owners this type of freedom. The downside to a great management staff? You get what you pay for, so in many cases this type of business sends the ownership home with less, but the trade off for time off may interest you.

When trying to decide on the right business, first decide what you want your life to look like, then ask the three vacation questions. They will tell you volumes about your life as the future owner of the business.

Are you a buyer who wants to know more about how to decide what business would be right for you? Have you ever asked the vacation questions? Please leave us a comment or question here, we would love to hear from you.

Michael Monnot