Investing For Dummies®, 5th Edition

Chapter 15. Purchasing a Small Business

In This Chapter

• Evaluating the pros and cons of buying a small business

• Considering the skills you need to buy a small business

• Selecting the right business for yourself

• Examining franchises and multilevel marketing companies

• Checking out and negotiating a successful purchase

Each year, hundreds of thousands of small businesses change hands. This chapter is for those of you who want to run or invest in an existing small business but don't want to start the business yourself. And of course, this chapter can show you how to make good money and have fun along the way!

Examining the Advantages of Buying

I don't want to scare you off if you want to start a business. However, buying someone else's business works better for some people than others. The following list reflects the main advantages of buying a business:

• You avoid start-up hassles and headaches. Starting a business from scratch requires dealing with many issues. In the early years, beyond formulating a business plan, you must also deal with a variety of issues, such as developing a marketing plan, finding customers, locating space, hiring employees, and incorporating. If you buy a good existing business, you buy into an ongoing enterprise with customers, assets, and hopefully profits (although you still need to fix any problems the business may have).

  Tip

  Think about the learning curve for the type of business you're considering purchasing. Buying an existing business makes more sense if the business ...