Buying a ready business: how to find an option for your budget
A ready business instead of starting from scratch
Buying a running business saves months: the location, equipment, customers and team are already there. But a mistake here is costly, because the price depends not on a “nice listing” but on how much the business really earns.
So first answer some simple questions for yourself. How much are you ready to invest, including a reserve for the first months? Do you want to work in the business yourself or manage it from the side? What experience do you have in this field?
What kinds there are
For a live business with customers and a till, look at shops and cafes, restaurants and coffee shops. There the main thing is the premises and footfall. If you don't need a location, study online shops and social media accounts: the value there is in the domain, the customer base and the audience.
Want to work to a proven model? Look at franchises, where you buy not a business but a right and a system. And for bigger options with a legal entity, staff and contracts, search among companies and enterprises.
What to put in your request
- Field: trade, food, services, online, manufacturing.
- Type of asset: a running outlet, a registered company, a website, an account or a franchise.
- City or area: critical for a shop or cafe.
- Budget, and whether you consider instalments or part of the payment later.
- Profit requirements: what monthly income you want to see.
- Premises: owned or rented, and the lease term.
- What should be included: equipment, stock, staff, domain, customer base.
- Deal timeline: when you want to close the purchase.
What to check before buying
Ask for proof of the figures: bank statements, till reports, sales or traffic statistics for several months. For a shop and a cafe, pay attention to seasonality: a summer month and a winter month can differ a lot.
Find out why the owner is selling. A specific reason (relocation, another project) is more convincing than a vague “no time”. Check the lease: term, conditions of transfer, a possible rent increase. Find out whether there are debts, fines or unsettled obligations to suppliers.
If you are buying a company or premises, bring in a lawyer to check the documents: this is not the case to save money on. The price of a business is set by income, equipment, location and the time it takes to reach profit, so compare offers on these points, not on the number in the headline.
Ask to see the business at work, not only on paper. In a cafe, spend a few hours at different times of the day; in a shop, see how many people really buy. Also agree on the handover: who introduces you to suppliers, trains the staff and for how many days helps after the deal.
A typical buyer's mistake is to get carried away with equipment and renovation and forget working capital. For the first months you need a reserve for salaries, rent and purchases, even if the business is profitable.
How BlaBlaPrice helps here
Instead of scrolling through listings and calling owners, you write one request: what you want to buy, where and for how much. Owners and brokers reply in the chat with a description, the price or what it depends on, and the terms of the deal. They see where their offer ranks among the others, so they adjust their terms. The site shows the one that is best on substance first, and seller reviews are visible next to it.
Your phone and messenger stay hidden until you choose whom to give them to. It is free for the buyer. More in the section “How it works”.
