Looking for a business for sale? Buy an existing business!

Aug 19, 2010

In this questionable economy, many people are hesitant to buy an existing business for sale, buy a franchise, or buy anything else for that matter.  Without a doubt, the economic picture isn’t encouraging, which makes it tempting to stay away from any new or risky investments.  But as a business analyst and consultant, I would definitely buy a business for sale, as long as it meets certain criteria.  One of the best ways to evaluate the health of any enterprise is to see it in action.  For this reason, an existing business is a lot less risky than starting a brand new venture. 

With so many options available to entrepreneurs, it is difficult to decide between existing businesses, franchises, home-based businesses and start-ups.  Under normal circumstances, a smart and talented business person could buy a for sale businesses assets or buy a business for sale without worrying about failure, but today’s entrepreneur needs to be much savvier. 

Regardless of how the company has performed in the past, at least an existing business will have a history from which to make the right decisions.  In many cases, investors look for a distressed business for sale, buy it, and then make a modest investment in its growth; and improve it enough to sell it for a short-term profit within a few years. 

Instead of developing a brand new product or service, marketing it, and then seeing whether people are willing to pay for it, today’s smartest entrepreneurs are buying up existing businesses that have a strong upside potential.  If you are interested in finding out which businesses are on the move, you can find valuable research, learn about current trends, and buy a business for sale on a Business FSBO directory.