I buy small businesses.
You too can purchase a small 'scalable business' that's already running. You can buy a 'going concern,' an owner-operated business, and work in it to learn how every part works and then put a system with a team in place to run it for you. If you have management experience and technical skills in a particular industry then that's where you should search. Buy a business that you can make run perfectly - without you.
"There is only one way to make a great deal of money and that is a business of your own." - J. Paul Getty.
Buy one, buy into one, partner with one, affiliate with one, or start one from scratch.
Your search... There are thousands of business owners in my baby-boomer generation who are now or soon will be ready to retire and wanting to sell their small business. Unfortunately for some if not most of them, they won't be able to find a buyer because they didn't build a scalable business. A few may be able to sell to someone who's looking to buy a job, like a lock smith who'd like to buy another lock smith's small shop on main street.
"A company is a product to be sold. Build it right, and you will sell it. Build it wrong, and you won't. Most small business owners won't." -- Michael E. Gerber.
A "Business For Sale" could be an opportunity for you to acquire a small owner-operated business that already has customers but you should look for a business that you can scale. By using the word 'scale' or 'scalability' here in this context, I mean a company that can easily be replicated. That's how you can grow it and profit beyond what you'll pay to acquire the original business. Like Michael E. Gerber said in 'Beyond the EMyth The Evolution of an Enterprise: From a Company of One to a Company of 1,000!'
Buy an existing business only if you understand it and understand the customers in the market that it serves and most importantly because you see areas of growth that the current owner(s) are not pursuing and you've identified a clear path to greater sales and net earnings. So if you have the capital to invest in a going concern - real or virtual property, then try to acquire a business that already has a team to manage it and make your improvements by working on the business instead of in it!
When you purchase a small business and especially a 'digital property' like a Web-based business to build equity and for current income, you should negotiate the terms for the price you're going to pay. Make it contingent upon the existing customer base continuing to provide sustainable cashflow for a reasonable period of time. Adopting a specific strategy to add value by increasing sales will help you to create your own personal 'cash cow!'
Buy it, Improve it, Sell it, Buy another, and do it again!
Buying a business with the intention to sell it means you must make it scalable. Make it self-managing and able to replicate itself.
As an entrepreneur and business owner using Ai your goal is to create equity value. If you buy an owner-operated business, one that requires you to work in it, then do so with the intention to improve and sell it. Having that 'mind set' will help you turn it into a real business and not just a job that you bought. A business that will operate without you working in it will bring a much higher price.
Buying a business with the intention to flip it like you would a house or apartment building is a viable way to build wealth if you have the required skill sets. Whether you build it to keep it in your family or to sell it, the number one skill set you need as the business owner is - knowing how to systemize everything!
Turnaround Opportunities Abound: In the book; 'How to Pyramid Small Business Ventures Into a Personal Fortune' - Mark Stevens wrote: "Businesses are often put up for sale at prices far below their actual value. Sometimes owners do not recognize or understand the value of their property's hidden assets. Poor management can camouflage an otherwise healthy company - making it look worse than it really is. All the ingredients for success are there but under-utilized. Management may be simply too lazy, ignorant or indifferent to pull it all together. Here's where you come in. By spotting a turnaround situation, you pick up a veritable money machine at liquidation prices. Remember, management thinks it's dumping a loser - - but you know better. So you make a killing."
The book quoted in the above paragraph was published in 1977 but all the ideas in it still hold true today. Technology may have changed but people haven't. Today, you can buy a virtual business that's already running for $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, etc. and flip it or keep it for cash flow. Add value with Ai and a 'CompanyAxis Direct Response Database Marketing System' to any business you acquire! If you master the art of generating leads and converting them into sales then you can grow nearly any business.
Flip a Website? Yes, there are marketplaces for buying and selling online businesses. For example; Flippa is a global online marketplace where individuals and business owners buy and sell websites, online businesses and other digital real estate. Via the peer-to-peer platform on Flippa, sellers are selling their passion projects, profitable websites and online businesses.
Nearly any business or vocation can enable you to become financially independent if you can figure out a way to add enough value and you can do that with Ai. We can help you identify areas of focus where Ai can quickly impact any new business you acquire. Our objective will be to give you and everyone on your team as much as a day a week back. That alone provides your team with significantly more time for result producing activity. Time flies but you're the pilot and Ai should be your co-pilot.
Here's an idea for you... Whether it's a virtual or a 'brick and mortar' business, look for a product or service that you could promote on a subscription basis after you close the deal. Might just be a way for you to improve customer/client retention and increase recurring revenue after you become the new owner.