I have always tried to avoid generalities and instead draw conclusions based upon facts and data. So I am always conflicted by trends - are they really quantifiable, or just a recent turn of events? However, I am going to...

A belated Happy Father's Day to all who celebrated last weekend. I had a brilliant day, and I just love it one when of my children asks "How come there in no Kid's Day'" to which every parent in the...

As expected, last week's column generated some pretty heated perspectives from business buyers and brokers. I'm not at all surprised - every time I wrote about either one of these, I get some interesting comments. My objective last week was...

The last few weeks I have tabled some concepts of people paying for certain services, information and assistance when buying a business. I received an interesting comment from Leon Parker (no relation), principal broker and owner of New Hampshire Business...

There are some truly dismal statistics in the business for sale industry. While the figures vary between sources, the general consensus is that over ninety percent of the people who start out looking for a business never buy one, and...

It is a fantastic idea to buy a business, have someone else run it, and get a wonderful return on your investment. The problem is that the concept seldom translates into reality. While absentee ownership has been the foundation upon...

Before getting into this week's topic, I want to thank Don Wilson for the comments he posted in response to one reader suggesting: "The seller should absolutely be prepared to have at least 2 years worth of verifiable financials supporting...

Sometimes I have to just shake my head when it comes to how people approach buying a business. Here are some of the common issues that buyers table and I want to use today's forum to get a few things...

I get too many emails and newsletter comments from frustrated business buyers. Often times, I wonder if they will run their businesses differently from all the sellers they complain about. Given that the average business changes hands every five years,...

There is a huge misconception amongst buyers regarding the role of a business broker. I will not dwell on points we have covered in past newsletters however, it is important to understand that unless a buyer has engaged the services...