Think big, buy small. Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own start-up seem too risky? There is a radical third path open to you: You can buy a small business and run it as CEO. Purchasing a small company offers significant financial rewards—as well as personal and professional fulfillment. Leading a firm means you can be your own boss, put your executive skills to work, fashion a company environment that meets your own needs, and profit directly from your success. But finding the right business to buy and closing the deal isn't always easy. In the HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business, Harvard Business School professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff help you: Determine if this path is right for you Raise capital for your acquisition Find and evaluate the right prospects Avoid the pitfalls that could derail your search Understand why a "dull" business might be the best investment Negotiate a potential deal with the seller Avoid deals that fall through at the last minute

Out there somewhere is a buyer looking to buy a business like yours. So if you're ready to sell, make sure you protect your interests and maximize your profit with this all-in-one guide.

If you're in business you probably have three challenges:You want to grow - but have hit a plateauYou want to reach your goals fasterYou want to do this with less stress and hassle...Buying a business can solve all three of these problems:You can grow your business in leaps and bounds by acquiring similar businesses, competitors or your supply chain. You can literally double your annual sales in twelve weeksYou will get where you want to go faster - in months rather than yearsYou will do this with less stress as others will manage the business for youThis book will help you shift from thinking like an 'operator' to thinking like a 'dealmaker'. As a result you will have a larger, more profitable business which can be sold for more money, faster.JONATHAN JAYis a an experienced dealmaker, buying and selling businesses for over twenty years. Dealmaking transformed Jonathan from a business 'operator' working long hours for little reward, to a multimillionaire. He is still actively investing and coaches and mentors others to do the same.I have just completed The Dealmakers Academy Mastermind Programme with Jonathan Jay. This has been a fast-paced year of exponential group learning, ably led by Jonathan, a seasoned authority in the buying and selling of businesses in a variety of different sectors. His facilitation and delivery of the programme has been eloquent and effusive and he has generously shared his 'secret sauce' for nimbly and ethically negotiating and constructing business deals with very little money down! I highly recommend Jonathan and this programme to anyone who wants to take business entrepreneurship to the next level! I very much look forward to working with Jonathan in the future! Dr Andrew Greenland

The low-risk secret to a high-pro fit business--a perfect primer for first-time entrepreneurs More and more people are leaving their jobs and investing in small businesses--today's leading job growth opportunity. But isn't it risky? Not with Ed Pendarvis, whose business brokerage firm was rated #1 by Entrepreneur magazine. Once investors learn how to find and evaluate the right kind of business, the risks can be reduced--and profits dramatically increased. The secret lies in valuing and purchasing an already existing small business or franchise, one with a proven track record and potential for continued success. With this simple motivational guide, even a first-time entrepreneur can learn how to: Locate a business Negotiate a price Complete a sale Protect an investment Finance the future Achieve true financial freedom

Gain access to practical tips and case studies that will help you evaluate how to buy a business and maximize your success as an entrepreneur. Before you start wading through the process of buying a business, it is imperative that you learn how to tell the good ones from the bad ones. John (Jack) Gibson, who has been helping buyers and sellers for more than thirty years, explains why some buyers and some businesses make a good fit. Learn how to value, negotiate and then buy a business and come out a winner. All you need to know to buy with confidence is clearly spelled out. “Before leaping into the arena, read Jack Gibson’s book. He has poured into it many years of relevant experience as both business owner and broker.” - Michael Haviland, MPA, Ed.D, Denver “I founded and sold two businesses over my career. I wish this book had been available to better prepare me to guide the buyers through the tough questions they needed to ask.” - Donald Mathews, Ph.D, Professor of Marketing

Takes readers from thinking, “Hmm, should I buy a business?” right through the process of choosing, investigating, and entering into a legal contract to do so.

Buying and Selling a Business reveals key strategies used to sell and acquire business investments. Garrett Sutton, Esq. is a best selling author of numerous law for the layman books, and he guides the reader clearly through all of the obstacles to be faced before completing a winning transaction. “Buying and Selling a Business” uses real life stories to illustrate how to prepare your business for sale, analyze acquisition candidates and assemble the right team of experts. The book also clearly identifies how to understand the tax issues of a business sale, how to use confidentiality agreements to your benefit and how to negotiate your way to a positive result. Robert Kiyosaki, the best selling author of Rich Dad/Poor Dad has this to say about Buying and Selling a Business, “Garrett Sutton’s information is priceless for anyone who wants to increase his or her knowledge of the often secret world of the rich, what the rich invest in, and some of the reasons why the rich get richer.” Buying and Selling a Business is a timely business book for our times.

This text covers every aspect of buying and selling a business. It describes an easy five-step method to valuing any business, lays out the buyer's and seller's responsibilities, advises on the best time to sell a business, and gives the pros and cons of using business brokers. The text describes the all-important 3-step negotiation process, and essential franchise considerations.

This is the second edition of a practical guide to buying a mature, profitable, and fairly priced business. It not only has strategies for locating, analyzing, and structuring a deal but also the tactics. Readers will learn how to: Buy the right business the right way Access the hidden market of sellers Avoid overpaying Formulate win-win offers Know the right questions to ask and the answers to get Get the best financing package possible The book is loaded with real life stories so you can learn from what others did right (and the mistakes some made).

Entrepreneurs have a problem: startups. Almost all startups either fail or never truly reach a sustainable size. Despite the popularity of entrepreneurship, we haven't engineered a better way to start...until now. What if you could skip the startup phase and generate profitable revenue on day one? In BUY THEN BUILD, acquisition entrepreneur Walker Deibel shows you how to begin with a sustainable, profitable company and grow from there. You'll learn how to: Buy an existing company rather than starting from scratch Use ownership as a path to financial independence Spend a fraction of the time raising capital Find great brokers, generate your own "deal flow," and see new listings early Uncover the best opportunities and biggest risks of any company Navigate the acquisition process Become a successful acquisition entrepreneur And more BUY THEN BUILD is your guide to outsmart the startup game, live the entrepreneurial lifestyle, and reap the financial rewards of ownership now.