Wednesday, November 9, 2011

What You Should Do When Buying A Company

By Jess O'Neal


Most people are fed up with their jobs. They wish they could venture out on their own and start a business. Most of them, however, think about all the difficulties that come with building a business, and they decide against. If you are one of these people, why not think about buying a company?

You first need to decide on the type of business you want to buy. What reasons do you have for buying it? Simply saying it is a profitable business is not good enough. You need to know what you are getting into. Too many people have gotten into businesses they thought was and failed because they did not take time to see whether they were going into something that was suited to them.

Next, you need to find a business that you can buy. You could look at the businesses listed for sale, or if you have had your eye on a particular business, then you could approach the owners and offer them a price. Depending on the size of the business, you could choose to employ a professional to help you. However, make sure the costs of the representatives are worth it. There is no point in hiring agents from top firms only to buy a low-level business.

You will need to do proper research on the companies you have shortlisted for purchase. Professionals call this due diligence. At this stage, you need to know all about the business you are buying. You need to go through their financial records, current contracts, audits and other documents. Some owners may demand that you sign a confidentiality agreement before they hand over these documents. Do not worry as these is just a precautionary measure to protect themselves.

After due diligence has been done, then the price negotiations may begin. If any anomalies have been found when researching the records, then the price may be adjusted to favor the buyer. This stage should not be rushed through. Take your time. You need to completely certain of what you are getting into and how much it will cost you. Rushing through this project may cost in future.

When it comes to financing the purchase, financial institutions may lend you sixty percent of the total cost. You then have to raise the remainder. In some cases, you may get vendor financing. This simply means the seller of the business may give you a loan to buy the company.




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