HOW TO BUY A BUSINESS

ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT BUYING A BUSINESS BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START?

Begin your journey to business ownership with Raincatcher. Review our in-depth resources and gain powerful insight from our team of experts that will help you buy a business.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BUYING A BUSINESS

• How do you value a business?

  We take many elements into account when determining the price of a business. We review historical financials, cash flow, asset and equipment values, condition of the premises and lease terms, location of the business, competitors, and the economy before deciding on the selling price. We also consider recent transactions of similar companies – both ones we have represented and transactions outside of our brokerage through paid data sources.

• Should I buy a business or start my own?

  Many small businesses fail after only one to five years. By purchasing a business that is already up and running, you are eliminating many of the risks associated with a start-up. An established business has a proven track record, vetted business model, established customer base, trained and experienced employees, and most importantly, positive cash flow for the new owner.

• Where do I find businesses for sale?

  At Raincatcher, we maintain utilize our vast global office network to develop our business database. If you are looking to buy a small- to mid-sized business, or for a strategic acquisition, we invite you to search our business listings and connect with our team of experts at 1-855-724-6228 or support@raincatcher.com.

• What makes a great business?

  That is the most important question, isn’t it? After all, it’s a relative term… and it’s different for everyone.

  It all depends on finding the right business that utilizes your strengths.

  Here at Raincatcher, we do a large amount of “entrepreneurial testing” with many of our prospective buyers – and we test both cognitive and cognitive function to find the best business match for you.

  Here is an example…

  Let’s say there are three businesses. They all have the same exact earnings and the same exact multiple. They each earn $1 million a year, and they’re each selling at three times earnings.

  Are all three businesses going to deliver you the exact same results?

  Let’s consider the possibility that out of those three businesses, there’s one business in particular that utilizes your specific strengths and delivers 10 times the results of the other two. For example, maybe it’s a business with a superior quality product, but it has a sales problem, and your strength is in sales or marketing.

  Or, let’s say it’s a business that’s absolutely on fire, but it’s having problems delivering technically, and you come from a technology background.

  Or perhaps it’s a business with great intellectual property, and you have a legal background.

  The list goes on and on. Finding a business that is great for you means matching you with businesses that utilizes your strengths so you can maximize your time and magnify your results.

• Why should I use a business broker to buy a business?

  Business brokers are an excellent source of information about the business buying process and an incredible asset to guide you through every step of the process. They are intimately familiar with the market conditions and can advise you about trends and pricing.

  Raincatcher’s expert team will guide you through our rigorous sell-side due-diligence and proprietary assessment, helping you understand the value differentiators of its businesses, teaching you about strength-based investing, and ultimately helping you find and connect with businesses that are the best fit for you.