Buy a ready company or enterprise: offers from owners
Why buy a ready company
A ready company is bought for different reasons: you need a licence or approval that takes long to get, existing contracts, a track record for tenders, or an already working production process. It is a completely different task from buying a shop. Behind the figures stands a legal entity with everything it has accumulated, including debts.
On BlaBlaPrice you describe once what you are looking for, and company owners send offers. It is handy when you don't want to call intermediaries.
What to put in your request
- field of activity — construction, trading, manufacturing, logistics, IT;
- type of company and taxes — private limited, sole proprietorship, tax-registered or not;
- licences and approvals — for example, a contractor licence for construction;
- profit — turnover and net result per month;
- assets — property, equipment, staff, contracts, tender history;
- age of the company — when it was registered;
- debts — whether some are acceptable or you want a company with no liabilities;
- region — state or city;
- budget — for example, up to $170,000.
Example: “I'm looking for a construction company in Canada, a private limited company, tax-registered, incorporated at least 3 years ago, with a contractor licence. No debts or court cases, preferably with equipment. Budget up to $170,000.”
Debts, court cases and tax history
The main risk in buying a company is what you can't see on the surface. Don't buy a “clean” company without checking its tax history, open court proceedings, and arrears on taxes, salaries and to suppliers. All this can be checked in public records and requested from the seller. For a big deal, bring in a lawyer or auditor, because they see what you won't notice.
Also find out separately whether licences and approvals pass on with the company: some are tied to particular employees or premises.
How to compare offers
Owners reply in the chat with a description of the company, a price or what it depends on, what is included and the terms of handover. BlaBlaPrice compares the offers and shows the best one for you first, and reviews about the seller help you judge how reliable they are. Sellers can see how their terms look against the others and may improve them.
Compare by the same criteria: age, licences, debts, assets. A company with a higher price and no debts often turns out better than a cheap one with hidden liabilities.
Common mistakes
- Looking only at turnover and not checking debts and court cases.
- Not finding out who stays as the authorised signatory and how ownership and control are transferred.
- Not agreeing on payment in stages.
If a smaller format suits you, see shops, online shops or cafes, restaurants and coffee shops.
