Did you know that you can be a successful entrepreneur, even when you lack the spirit of starting a new business from scratch? One of the best ways to pursue your entrepreneurial passion is by buying a working business.
Buying an already established business gives you significant benefits over starting a business from the ground up. However, it’s important to note that this option comes with numerous risks, despite being one of the best ways to own a business. With that said, it’s important to understand the benefits and drawbacks of buying a working business and then assess your abilities to run such a business.
Pros of buying a working business
The benefits of buying a working business do vary depending on the type of business and its current condition. Besides, these benefits are not guaranteed. However, this doesn’t mean that buying a working business has no benefits. Here are the top benefits of purchasing an existing business.
You are buying an already established brand
If you buy a business that’s been working for years, you are essentially buying its brand. This means that it will come with numerous customers and an established customer base from the very start. In essence, your main challenge is to keep the business running as usual.
You can save a significant amount of time
According to Orlando Business Broker, starting a business from scratch takes a lot of time and effort. The rule of thumb is that the more difficult your product or service makes, the longer it takes to establish yourself in your industry. When you buy a working business, this already established infrastructure is one of the first advantages you gain over starting from scratch.
You can purchase merchandise at lower prices
Running a business is not an easy task, especially if that business involves manufacturing or production. As the owner of a working business, you are more likely to have some inventory stored in your facilities. If you’re buying these items for sale down the road, you are guaranteed low prices.
You have access to numerous suppliers and vendors
One of the main benefits of buying a working business is access to its suppliers and vendors list. This provides you with numerous options for price, quality, and quantity of goods or services they can offer. On top of that, most sellers who own businesses use contacts they acquired overtime to provide only high-quality products at fair prices
Easy access to customer base
Buying a working business usually means that you’re buying a ready-made customer base. In most cases, you need to promote your firm properly to get the customers on board. This is an easier way of building new business relationships than starting from scratch while relying on organic growth.
Easier access to financing
This benefit is closely related to the previous one. When you buy an existing business, it comes with pre-established financials for potential buyers. This makes it easy to estimate its value and helps attract more investors.
Cons of buying a working business
Like most things in our lives, buying a working business comes with several drawbacks. While you might save a lot of money when buying a working business, you might encounter some drawbacks you didn’t expect. With that said, it’s important to be aware of the potential disadvantages that you might face when buying a working business.
You can get scammed
It’s not unheard of for people to get scammed when buying a working business. For example, you might be promised something that seems too good to be true, or the seller might try to trick you into spending more money than intended. As long as you are aware of these potential risks and take proper precautions, this should not be a problem.
It takes longer to earn your investment back
One of the biggest selling points of buying an existing business is that you can earn your money back faster. This means that you have more funds available for future growth while still having an established name in the industry thanks to its previous owner
Potential hidden problems
There’s a chance that the previous owner undoubtedly kept some issues under the carpet to avoid negative attention. If you’re buying a working business, it’s important to be aware of these potential problems and consider them when determining whether or not this purchase is worth making.
You have less control over your business
In most cases, you are buying a ready-made business instead of building something from scratch. This means that you will only have limited authority over how the company performs its operations. With that said, if you don’t want your profits to decrease over time, then it’s best to invest in an established brand because controlling a failing business can become increasingly difficult.
You might need additional funds for maintenance
While you will list the assets included in the sale, there might be items that you didn’t account for out of negligence or ignorance. This means that you could find yourself with hidden costs that weren’t there before, making running this business more difficult than expected.
Bottom Line
When it comes down to it, buying a working business has its fair share of pros and cons. It’s important to be aware of both to make the best possible purchase decision. This is why it’s important to take your time when assessing potential purchases because rushing into things can lead to disastrous consequences.
