Buying a Business: Avoiding the First Year Glitch
Starting a business from scratch comes with a lot of risk. There is overwhelming evidence that shows a large percentage of new businesses do not make it past their first year of operation. You can beat these odds by investing in an already established business.
You shall have less of the risks, and an immediate source of revenue from it. A new business would have needed you to plough in a considerable amount of money before you start seeing any of it in return. Since you are not that well known when you have a new business, you shall take a long time to make an impact in the market. You also get ready staff who will not need time to find their footing.
You should however not think of going into the first business venture you come across. You need to be more thoughtful with your info before opting for any of them. This is also a good time to find out more about yourself in terms of business. You need to also think of buying a business dealing with products and services you are familiar with. A good reference scenario is that of a person who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry venturing into the drugs selling the business.
You need to also go for a business you shall have a nice time doing. You shall be spending so much of your time in this business to make it a success. IF you were to choose something you do not like, you would end up feeling bad all that time.
When you set out to buy a business, research is the first thing you shall have to do. You need to have come up with several businesses you are comfortable dedicating your time doing. You need to look at your professional skills, business experience, and core competencies. You should also get a clear picture of your budgetary allowances.
After the research, you shall have found a suitable business to venture into. You should now make your offer. This offer you make must have the price of the business, the training necessary before you start running it, the assets the business possesses, the financing details you shall get from the current owner, and the details of the non-compete agreement.
Once you have an agreement between you and the seller, you need to have all its details in writing. IT is important that there is a business attorney present, so that the transactions are deemed as legal.
There are a lot of expenses to be incurred when you opt to buy a business. You need to be careful before spending that much money. You need to make sure you end up with the right type of business.