For many people, the prospect of giving up their job and steady paycheck to start or buy a business is unthinkable, even terrifying. In fact, a study sponsored by Weebly and conducted by Wakefield Research found that while most Americans think about quitting their job twice a week, one-third of those surveyed fear starting a business more than jumping out of an airplane. No doubt there is an abundance of fear about starting or buying a business, but is it worth the risk? Are those fears warranted?
7 Reasons to Start or Buy Your Own Business
- Control Over Your Life and Destiny plus You’re the Boss
- Control Over Your Income and Growth
- Pursue Your Passion
- Set Your Own Schedule
- Wealth creation and tax benefits
- Your business is an asset you can sell in the future
- Corporate jobs don’t last forever
What are the Risks of Starting or Buying a Business?
Starting a business is risky and in fact most startups fail within the first few years. SBA and Census Bureau data show that that 30% of new businesses fail in the first two years, 50% in the first five years, and 66% in the first ten years. So there is justification for the fear of starting a business, but what about buying an existing business?
Buying an existing business is entirely different. The business has already survived the startup and embryonic phase and is likely a mature business. The products or services are established and proven. Employees are trained and in place. Customer relationships are established.
Start-Up Risks vs Buying an Established Business
| Startup Advantages | Established Business Advantages |
| 1. Fulfilling-building your dream. | 1. Lower risk; established customer base plus products & services. |
| 2. You get to do it your way. | 2. SBA or seller financing to purchase business |
| 3. You can choose your location. | 3. Immediate cash flow |
| 4. Possibly less cash upfront (but not in the long term). | 4. Advantages of Buying an Established Businesses (see SBA data below) |
| 5. You can start slow and ease into it. | 5. No startup phase, it’s up and running. |
| Startup Risks | Established Business Risks |
| 1. Unproven product-service. | 1. Every business, even good ones, have problems that you inherit. |
| 2. Unknown brand, product, service. | 2. Problems you may miss during Due Diligence. |
| 3. No cash flow initially and slow ramp up. | 3. Industry or economic downturn. |
| 4. No bank financing is available, most startups are funded with credit cards and cash. | 4. You are not capable of running the business. |
| 5. Industry or economic downturn. | |
| 6. Expansion financing will be difficult to obtain for several years other than personal credit. | |
| 7. You are not successful in running the business. |
There is less risk involved in buying a business and problems within the business can become opportunities for the new buyer. The majority of sellers want to see a buyer of their business continue to be successful and will oftentimes be willing to stay on after the training period with a consulting fee in order to facilitate a smooth transition with both customers and employees.
How to Buy a Business
For more information about buying a business and how to buy a business see the book written by Bill Grunau, “Own Your Future, Straight Talk About How to Buy a Business and Build Your Future”.
In our book you will learn:
- How to Work with Business Brokers
- How to finance an acquisition with Small Business Administration financing;
- How to use your 401K or IRA funds to buy a business without penalties or taxes;
- How to write offers;
- How to conduct due diligence;
- How to develop a 100-day and first-year plan;
- How to develop an exit strategy;
And much more
Resources
