Contents
You can buy a small business—right now—and run it as CEO.
1. The Opportunity: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
An attractive professional path that combines financial rewards with a flexible and fulfilling career.
2. Is Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition for You?
What it takes, and who does it well.
An overview.
4. Anticipating the Cost of Your Search
How much you’ll spend depends on specific choices you make.
Raising capital to fund your effort.
6. Identifying the Characteristics You Want in Your Business
Look for a business that is established and enduringly profitable that you have the skills to manage.
Finding the Right Small Business to Buy
7. Managing Your Search Effectively: An Overview
Juggling sourcing opportunities and filtering prospects.
8. Sourcing Prospects Using Brokers
Focus on companies that are explicitly for sale.
Finding prospects on your own.
10. Enduringly Profitable Small Businesses
The key is recurring customers.
11. Using Financial Information to Gauge Enduring Profitability
A few simple calculations that tell you a lot about a business.
12. Filtering for the Owner’s Commitment to Sell
How to avoid sellers who abandon the sales process after months of your time and money.
Learn more about the company and begin building a financial projection.
14. How Much Should You Pay for a Small Business?
The art of small business valuation.
Deal structure, financing, timing, and other fundamental points.
Take the big step with a letter of intent.
17. Confirmatory Due Diligence
Cross-check what you (think you) know about the company.
How to get a small business loan.
19. Raising Acquisition Equity
Finding the right equity investors for your deal.
20. Negotiating the Purchase Agreement
Defining essential deal terms.
21. The Closing Day and Beyond
The transition to ownership.
Appendix A: Indication of Intent (IOI) for Zeswitz Music