Getting Started: Questions And More Questions
 
Finding a business opportunity usually starts with researching local newspapers, placing telephone calls or visiting web sites like the one we host. The prospective Buyer may be a Corporation, Private Investment Group or a sophisticated Private Investor who has a very definite idea of the type of business wanted. On the other hand, many first time buyers are still in the formative or exploratory stage of their search. Frequently that Buyer's first question is, "What kinds of businesses do you have?".

Although we have many business listings, that question can only be answered properly when we have some idea of the prospective Buyer's resources, skills and needs. For example, if we just listed Ford Motor Company and the prospective Buyer has several billion dollars in available funds and a background in automobile manufacturing, that would be a match made in heaven. But that perfect match would never have occurred unless we ascertained pertinent information regarding the prospective Buyers background, resources and objectives in advance.

The first and most important step is for the business Broker to learn about the prospective Buyer. When we ask, "How many days per week are you comfortable working?", “Are you planning to work alone or hire employees?" or "How much cash do you have for a down payment?", along with other questions, we are gathering the information necessary to match the prospective Buyer to an appropriate business opportunity. We are also narrowing the search and saving the prospective Buyer time and aggravation.

 
Defining The Business Opportunity Search

After the search has been refined to businesses which fit the prospective Buyer's criteria and requirements, we can communicate non confidential summaries of our business listings to the prospective Buyer in a number of ways. One way is for the prospective Buyer to view our web site and access the non-confidential summaries of our business listings by simply clicking on the "Businesses For Sale" page. This page will provide our business opportunities lists, a description of each business, financial details and the asking prices.

 
Focusing On The Right Business Opportunities

During the search, the prospective Buyer will receive multiple lists of interesting business opportunities. At this stage the business opportunity search moves to a new level involving the necessary disclosure of confidential information relevant to the purchase or sale of any business.

The new level is one of mutual trust and obligation between the prospective Buyer, our company and the Seller(s) of the business(es) of interest.

Confidentiality when buying a business protects the prospective Buyer from having anyone such as an employer, employees, or the competition discover about the proposed acquisition prematurely. It also protects the Seller against unnecessary problems with customers, employees, vendors, competitors, landlords, bankers, creditors, etc.

As a result, all prospective Buyers are required to sign a Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement before receiving sensitive confidential information. This document may be viewed and retrieved by clicking the “Confidentiality/Non Disclosure Form” and then printing the documents.