Buying a Business: Essential Qualities

In the 30 +/- years of since I began practicing law, I have worked on hundreds of sales and purchases of businesses. This is the first in a series of blogs wherein I will share my observations and experiences.

There are several “qualities” which are common to Buyers in successful sales/purchases of businesses.  These qualities are:  industry knowledge, personal operational knowledge, capital, access to expertise, and commitment In the next few weeks I will be exploring these qualities with you.  Before you consider buying any business, you should ask yourself if you have these qualities:

This week we are examining industrial knowledge and Personal knowledge.

Industry knowledge. Industry knowledge includes knowing the “market” (both customers and competition), as well as “industry standard” revenue/costs/expense ratios for the business. This information can sometimes be obtained from associations which are comprised of similar businesses.

Personal operational  knowledge. Unlike “old dogs” it IS possible for Buyers to learn “new tricks”. HOWEVER, in most successful transactions the Buyer himself/herself has had PERSONAL experience in the operational side of a business similar to that which they are considering buying. Often one of the terms of a transaction is that the Seller agrees to “train” the Buyer. This approach can be successful if the business operation is not very complicated, or if the business has revenues of less than $250,000. Our experience is that in most (but not all) cases the teacher/pupil model does not translate well to Sellers and Buyers.

A hybrid between buying a business and starting one “from scratch” is the purchase of a franchise. At its core, a franchise is a tested business “model”. Their terms and conditions vary among industries and among companies within an industry, but most offer some level of industry/market knowledge and training of franchisees. Obtaining a franchise can reduce the “learning curve” but it is not a guaranty of success.

If you would like assistance in regards to the purchase/sale of a business, please contact me at http://www.kreamerlaw.com.