If you have never run a business of any kind before you may be wondering where to start. You might like to consider buying an existing business as it is true that a lot of the leg work has already been accomplished and the business is established to a certain degree. Although this may well be true, be sure that you have your eyes wide open whenever you walk into any situation, as you need to do a lot of research, talk to experts and be clear that the business you’re looking at is well valued, and subject to a good degree of diligent checking.

When you decide you will buy business interests, there are certain specific steps that you must take. Never be tempted to short cut or to let your heart rule your head. It is natural to develop an enthusiasm for what you are doing and the prospects ahead and if you see positive signs during your process of discovery, this can lead to you wanting to jump ahead enthusiastically. Be warned, this can lead to serious problems if you’re not careful!

Successful entrepreneurs know that time in preparation, while it may be a very lengthy process and therefore somewhat costly, is money well spent. Whenever you buy a business for sale, the effort that you put in up front pays dividends all the way down the line as you proceed. As such, expect to spend money researching your business in terms of time at the very least, invest in educational materials, and you won’t be tempted to try and rush through the process.

The self-employed business person possesses a certain number of essential personality traits and if you’re looking to buy a business, you must also be positive and realistic throughout the process. Always focus as you look through the haze and realize that if something is “too good to be true” then it almost always is; you need to cultivate a strong appreciation of common sense. Humor will definitely be an ally as well, as this procedure can be very lengthy and will require you to maintain a positive attitude.

It’s essential to strive to be a good communicator, as you certainly will need to be, as the seller and other interested parties must be grilled for information, as you impart your needs and requirements to them. Being able to ask the right questions at the right time and correctly interpreting the answers is paramount.

Richard Parker is the President and founder of the Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center. His inspiring materials, seminars and consulting have assisted thousands of business buyers with achieving their life long dream to buy a business.

One of the key skills that you can possess when you get ready to buy restaurant business assets is the ability to communicate and to decipher information. You will need numerous meetings with the seller and don’t be surprised if the early ones don’t reveal some fundamental facts and figures. Normally, a seller will want to be just a little protective and will want to see how enthusiastic you are or whether you are really serious before any important data may be divulged.

There are some basic facts and figures to absorb before you are able to project your own figures for the future. What style of food does the business favor and how many tables are there in the restaurant? How many covers, or meals are set per week and by day and if the menu is very specialized how strong are the supplier contracts and the subsequent supply chain?

In any business, labor costs are significant. Find out how the costs breakdown and whether the strength of the entire business is based on the skills and strong personalities of key figures, notably the master chef. You may not expect to get a lot of the finer details during the early process, as a seller often wants to keep any news of a potential sale away from the employees until the appropriate moment.

When you start to compose a check-list of questions for the owner – and you might find you have hundreds, don’t be afraid to be as specific as you need to be and insist on appropriate answers. As you are preparing your position, though, remember that this type of business will call on very long hours and is typically a seven days per week activity. You will be required to deal with many “fires,” be great at managing people and your time and may not expect to see a specific net profit for quite a while.

Some of the challenges you may well face as a new owner include the ability to consummate new relationships with your suppliers. Some suppliers see a change of ownership as an opportunity to significantly “amend” their contracts, and prices. You must be able to deal with distraught people, who may be upset because their table is not available, even though they booked it but arrived late. You must be able to motivate your employees and be able to handle all situations immediately, resulting in praise or termination accordingly.

When you’re sure that you are cut out to buy business interests in the restaurant industry, have tabled the right questions and received the comprehensive answers, are happy with your interpretation of the financials and contracts, then you are ready to discuss the value. Always work with knowledgeable experts in the field who have experience in the restaurant industry and use their findings to backup your own thoughts. If you know what the business bottom line is, the salary take of the owner, net profits and owner benefits, then you should adjust this figure according to any capital expenditure you feel is important.

With any restaurant for sale, the three major costs involved – labor, rent and food, should be no more than two thirds of total expenditure and always remember that you will have to have a superb marketing plan so that you can tell everyone about your new creation.

Richard Parker is the author of the How to Buy a Good Business at a Great Price series. As President and founder of Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center, his materials, seminars and consulting have helped thousands of business buyers realize their dream to buy a business.

Whenever you buy liquor store business interests, the purchase will be represented by many different assets and the seller’s position at that time will be dependent on a variety of different factors. These include the effort put into the business by the owner, marketing plans, the demographic make-up of the clients in its catchment area, focus on particular products or services, the competence and skills of the staff and so on. With this in mind, you will need to get as much information as you can, research comprehensively and ensure that your process of due diligence is in place.

All of the following issues must be considered when you are contemplating the purchase of a liquor store:

* location.
* are revenues and profits sustainable?
* the customer database and potential for expansion.
* how portable is the lease and what are the terms and conditions associated?
* demographics and population shifts.
* any pending road construction.
* look at the employees, do any work for cash or favors and are many family members involved?
* any pending threats or opportunities that could significantly impact revenues.

Bear in mind that the liquor store industry tends to want to focus on industry benchmarks and while this is fine for some outline information, you cannot rely on it. It’s certainly true to say that no two businesses are the same and a variety of focus areas are possible – premium products, beer, wine and cigarettes. Always be on the lookout for abnormalities and if something really jumps out at you, get to the bottom of it. When all is said and done, is the bottom line of sufficient interest to you to go forward?

When you are assessing the business financials and particularly the revenues, you must dismiss any cash sales reported by the owner unless these sales are backed up by audited accounts and are included in tax returns. The outgoing owner cannot expect to receive the value for these “under the counter” sales, as he or she may well have not reported them for tax purposes in the first place.

Inventory offered must be saleable and not be made up of products that are out of date or unlikely to sell. This would certainly be the case if you were presented with a stock of winter ales in the summer months.

To establish a base upon which to value and then decide to buy a business, look at net income, add owner salary, any perks, received depreciation and interest and then deduct any allocation for capital expenses. You may have to make a capital expenditure in the short to mid-term if you think that improvements, upgrades or other necessary investments are called for.

Richard Parker is the author of the How to Buy a Good Business at a Great Price series. As President and founder of Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center, his materials, seminars and consulting have helped thousands of business buyers realize their dream to buy a business.

Whenever you buy liquor store business interests, the purchase will be represented by many different assets and the seller’s position at that time will be dependent on a variety of different factors. Some of these factors could include efforts already put in by the owner, marketing plans, client demographics, a particular focus on services or products, how well the staff interact and so on. It is therefore particularly important that you glean as much information as you possibly can, conduct comprehensive research and be especially diligent before you begin to decide whether it is right for you.

Here are some of the issues you might face when contemplating the purchase of a liquor store:

* its location.
* are revenues and profits sustainable?
* what is the customer database like, and could it be expanded?
* the terms and condition, portability of the lease.
* demographics and population shifts.
* any pending road construction.
* look at the employees, do any work for cash or favors and are many family members involved?
* look for any opportunities or threats that could impact your revenues in any way.

Bear in mind that the liquor store industry tends to want to focus on industry benchmarks and while this is fine for some outline information, you cannot rely on it. No two businesses may be the same and either may focus on particular areas, such as beer and wine, or cigarettes or premium products, while the other focuses elsewhere. Look for abnormalities or something that really jumps out at you and make sure you understand why this should be. At the end of the road, however, look at the bottom line to determine how much the business is worth to you.

Look at the financials and consider the revenue make-up and take out of your calculations any cash sales that are reported by the owner, unless the sales are contained within audited accounts and have been included in tax reports. The outgoing owner cannot expect to receive the value for these “under the counter” sales, as he or she may well have not reported them for tax purposes in the first place.

Inventory offered must be saleable and not be made up of products that are out of date or unlikely to sell. For example, a huge stock of winter ales will not sell well as you enter the summer months.

To establish a base upon which to value and then decide to buy a business, look at net income, add owner salary, any perks, received depreciation and interest and then deduct any allocation for capital expenses. This latter item refers to any perceived payments you may have to make in the short to mid-term in relation to improvements, upgrades or necessary investments.

Richard Parker is the President and founder of the prestigious Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center. His celebrated materials, seminars and consulting have encouraged thousands of aspiring business buyers from around the World to pursue their dream to buy a business.

Those who have never run a business before may be quite confused and will be wondering where they should start. For many, the thought of buying an existing business is attractive as it can be said that a lot of the “dirty work” has already been done and there is a certain amount of bedrock already established. Although this may well be true, be sure that you have your eyes wide open whenever you walk into any situation, as you need to do a lot of research, talk to experts and be clear that the business you’re looking at is well valued, and subject to a good degree of diligent checking.

When you decide you will buy business interests, there are certain specific steps that you must take. Be advised, there are no short cuts here and you should not let your heart overrule what you know to be correct. It is natural to develop an enthusiasm for what you are doing and the prospects ahead and if you see positive signs during your process of discovery, this can lead to you wanting to jump ahead enthusiastically. If you don’t watch out, serious problems can arise.

Successful entrepreneurs know that time in preparation, while it may be a very lengthy process and therefore somewhat costly, is money well spent. Whenever you buy a business for sale, the effort that you put in up front pays dividends all the way down the line as you proceed. Invest some of your money and educational materials and expect to spend a lot of money researching your business in terms of time allocated; do not be tempted to rush through to completion.

If you’re new to the world of the self-employed and you’re looking to buy a business, understand that you will need to possess certain essential traits and you must maintain a positive but realistic approach throughout. Right at the top of your list should be common sense and a realization that if something appears to be “too good to be true” then it always is, without question. Humor will definitely be an ally as well, as this procedure can be very lengthy and will require you to maintain a positive attitude.

Ensure that your levels of communication are good as you must be able to interact with the seller and other interested parties, while always maintaining your needs and requirements. Being able to ask the right questions at the right time and correctly interpreting the answers is paramount.

Richard Parker is the President and founder of the prestigious Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center. His celebrated materials, seminars and consulting have encouraged thousands of aspiring business buyers from around the World to pursue their dream to buy a business.

There are some decisions that you can make about buying a liquor store business before you immerse yourself fully in the due diligence process. While you’re likely going to have to do a great deal of number crunching and leg work as you press on ahead, is there anything at this point which you have come to understand about the industry, about this business in particular, its owners or its location so far that has given you pause, causing you to second guess yourself? If for instance, you’ve already seen that the financial documents are incomplete for reasons stated by the seller, or the general condition of the store or its assets aren’t to the standard you had been led to believe, inventories are not complete, certificates, inspections or licenses are compromised for whatever reason – all are very good reasons for you to move on and start looking for a better investment elsewhere.

For a process of due diligence to be complete, you will need to concentrate on seven different areas:

1. The Premises.

We’ve already covered the crucial importance of allocating not less than four weeks to this endeavour, and you should reach an agreement with the seller for this set period of time so that you can personally observe the day-to-day operations of the business. Firstly you will need to assess the inside and outside of the facility and work out what you may need to spend to repair, replace or upgrade. Remember that the attitude of the staff is very important in the retail business and you should immediately assess how the existing staff interact with clients. Are they generally friendly, attentive, and prompt as well? Personal issues or conversations should not be apparent. Ask yourself whether the store looks good, has a good ambience, appears fresh and clean, has well-maintained restrooms and break areas and is generally spick and span.

You must also ensure that you are happy with the general location of the business, the surrounding stores, the type of people who frequent the area, the accessibility and especially beware of any pending major road construction in the area as this often has a significant bearing.

2. The Financials.

As a minimum, you will need to review the profit and loss statements, the balance sheets and tax returns. You would do well to employ the services of an accountant who is experienced in the liquor business to help you here. Look at all the supplier invoices and reconcile them to revenues. This may be a time intensive process but you will be able to determine your margins this way. Be very aware of any transactions that involve cash, especially if it involves your suppliers. You will need to get written confirmation from the suppliers of their ongoing terms.

Remember some of these industry benchmarks:

• gross margin should be between 24 and 28%.

• rent should be 7% of revenue maximum.

• product mix should be up to 70% liquor or up to 40% wine.

• labor should represent 5 to 7% of revenue.

• net profit should be 8 to 12% of revenue.

• inventory should be turned over between eight and 10 times per year.

3. The Equipment.

All equipment and furnishings should be in adequate working order and not in immediate need of repair or replacement. As such you should review all the maintenance and service records and look for yourself to see if all refrigeration cases are clean and well-maintained and all other equipment is well looked after.

4. Vendor Agreements.

Your wholesalers and suppliers are absolutely essential when you purchase liquor store business assets and you must get to know them well during your due diligence. Can arrangements be transferred to you or will you have to make new ones? You do not have to be prepared to settle with the existing suppliers or vendors and you should really investigate as many options or opportunities as you can. You may, for example, see better terms elsewhere and this knowledge will be great ammunition when you come to negotiations and peace of mind.

5. Lease Contracts.

Always be sure the lease is transferable or that there are no obstacles ahead of you. You must be able to assume or acquire a long-term lease before proceeding.

6. Operations.

It is likely that you will need a number of licenses and this should be a particular area of concern when it comes to a liquor license. Sometimes these may not be assigned or transferred or other onerous terms may be set by jurisdictions.

Go through the daily procedures from opening time to closing time; who has access to keys and alarm settings? Does the business have a procedure for emergencies of any kind? Ask the seller to provide you with an optimal inventory level. Ensure that you review all insurance certificates and be adequately covered for all eventualities. You will need to talk with credit card processors and merchant banks and be prepared to move to access better rates if necessary.

7. The Employees.

As this can be a significant cost and liability area, be focused here. Check each member’s compensation, especially if there’s any possibility of cash being paid “under the table.” If you see that there is a high turnover of employees, ask yourself why. Is there a procedure in place for training? While the seller will often be wary about letting his employees know that the sale is in process, you nevertheless need to analyze each employee individually, assess their loyalty and competence and adjust your plans accordingly. Understand that certain procedures may be quite traditional to them and you should ask yourself how you feel they will react if you need to make significant changes. If one or more employees are absolutely critical to your success, you will need to meet with them prior to consummating a contract.

When you find a liquor store for sale, if you conduct your due diligence correctly you will have the opportunity to see exactly how the business ticks, and you won’t be in for any surprises when you take over.

Richard Parker is the President and founder of the prestigious Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center. His celebrated materials, seminars and consulting have encouraged thousands of aspiring business buyers from around the World to pursue their dream to buy a business.

Perform due diligence carefully when looking to buy restaurant business, even though your intuition – and your stomach, might be telling you that it’s the right decision for you. This industry is very competitive and there are many elements you want to consider. Designate a set span of time – most professionals in the field recommend a minimum of four weeks, to observe the day-to-day operations of the business. This should enable you to get a good feel and to smooth out any peaks or troughs before you make your final decision.

You have several key areas to investigate including the premises, the financials, the equipment, lease, the operations and the employees. Do not be afraid to bring in experts, including an accountant experienced in the food business to help you, but as you go through your observation period, use your general business sense and a good portion of common sense to observe how everything works, especially from a client point of view.

For your paper and number crunching chores, expect to review the tax returns, profit and loss statements, cash flow worksheets, inventory records, employee records, equipment agreements, maintenance schedules, all necessary licenses, health inspections certificates and a history and copy of the lease.

When reviewing the financial documents, it’s essential to keep in mind that the restaurant business has a large volume of cash sales. Surprisingly often, many business owners decide to siphon off some of this cash for themselves, not reporting it to save on taxes. In the long run this isn’t a good idea, as this money could have been applied toward a marketing budget or buying new business assets, and if siphoning is going on, it can be quite hard to prove income.

When you are inspecting the property, look at it from an overall perspective as well as in detail. Can it be adequately seen from nearby major roads, is signage appropriate, well-maintained and presentable? Are there any other major competitors and are they overbearing? What is your first impression when arriving in the parking lot? Take a look at external dumpsters and trash removal areas to make sure that these are as well-maintained as possible and are unobtrusive.

Moving inside, what is your first impression of the decor. Is the waiting area pleasant and contributory to the overall ambience? Is there adequate signage for bathrooms, emergency exits? Pay close attention to the bathrooms. They should be in perfect working order, comfortable and impeccably clean and well-maintained. In a restaurant, everything, repeat everything should be clean, presentable and in full working order.

Most of the equipment contained in a restaurant and specifically within its kitchen is subject to certification, inspection and permitting. Check to see that this is all up-to-date and timely. While every element of the equipment should be operated according to the letter of the law, you must also ensure that regular maintenance and cleaning schedules are top-notch. For major items and appliances, see whether contractor warranties are available and can be transferred to you.

Very often a lease can be a potential stumbling block when looking at a restaurant for sale. The landlord will want to ensure that the business is being operated as efficiently as possible and may be wary of transferring or issuing a new lease to someone who does not have much experience. Look for terminology within the lease stating that transfers will “not be unreasonably withheld,” and aim to ensure that you get at least as favorable terms during your tenancy. This would be a good time to assess the overall viability of the environment within which the business operates. If in a strip mall of some kind, are the anchor stores in good shape and do the majority of other businesses also appear sound? You do not want to see an anchor store disappear and the overall visitor level to the area decline.

When you analyze the operations of the business, you want to learn how the current owner operates and whether there are any immediate issues or challenges that you will have to take into account. Look closely at any “special arrangements” or unique selling points that involve a particular individual, a style or presentation of food. You want to be sure that these elements are transferable or will be present when you take over.

A restaurant will likely rise and fall on the strength of its employees. While you can expect a high turnover in any kind of restaurant, if you see some loyal staff and a good “team spirit” this can be a definite plus. Check to see how people are hired, the terms and conditions offered to them and exactly how they are paid.

While you should insist on an observation period, before you are involved in formal discussions with the seller why not kill two birds with one stone and visit the restaurant for a few nice dinners or lunches with other companions? You don’t have to show your hand at this stage and can get a really good feeling by observing how the staff come and go, the operation within the kitchen ideally and in general get an opinion of whether everything is orderly and well-structured during the busiest times.

Richard Parker is the President and founder of the Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center. His inspiring materials, seminars and consulting have assisted thousands of business buyers with achieving their life long dream to buy a business.

As an individual looking to buy gas station business, you must be prepared to make certain assumptions and decisions yourself and not to rely on the often partial information supplied by the seller. When all is said and done, it’s up to you to determine what the business is actually worth to you personally, as in most cases, the amount the business owner believes the gas station is worth rarely has anything to do with its real-world value.

Traditionally there are two different ways to look at gas station convenience store valuation, and these are either asset-based, where the income-producing assets are individually valued and totaled to make the purchase price, or cash flow based, which is the most popular. In this scenario, the overall profit is adjusted according to certain expenses, multiplied and used to establish a price. The multiple is essentially the premium placed on the business and can be anything from one, up to five times this figure.

Before you can arrive at a value that you are happy with, you need to have certain fundamental questions answered. For example, if the business is located within a rental property, you’re going to need to have an in-depth conversation with the landlord. Many landlords are not interested in issuing a new lease unless they can be sure that the incoming person has experience running this particular type of business. However, they are almost always willing to negotiate as they do not want to see the property sitting around empty!

As an owner of a gas station and convenience store you will have many different suppliers and vendors, some of which are absolutely critical to the ongoing success of the business. Never assume anything and make sure that you can enjoy an ongoing good relationship and great trading terms with these entities.

When it comes to cash sales, if the seller cannot prove it then you cannot include it as part of your value assessment. Some gas station owners will pride themselves on the amount of cash sales and put this to you as almost something magical. Remember that they have benefited from not paying taxes on this income, almost always cannot prove that it exists and cannot expect to therefore earn a premium from it.

Most often you will want to consider using the total owner benefit as a base to create a valuation for the business. This is defined as the net income of the business added to the owner salary, any perks, depreciation and interest less any amount that you might have to put aside for capital projects assessed. With regard to average business valuation, gas station or convenience stores that are full service will often command 2 to 3 times whatever the owner benefit figure it is. If it is a smaller establishment and self service, 1 to 2 times. Consider the volume of trade versus the amount of hours that you will have to put in. A 24-hour, seven-day a week establishment takes a lot of management and oversight.

While business financials and owner benefit multiples are primary to your decision-making process, remember to consider a host of other variables:

• During the process of observation, use a period when you actually count the number of patrons coming in and out of the station to enable you to come up with a good average for traffic.

• Remember that you should aim for between 25 and 33% return on your cash investment when purchasing a business such as this, although if you are going to be an absentee owner you should be prepared to accept a lower return.

• Watch out if the owner appears to be working excessive hours or is reliant on a number of his family members to help him staff the operation. Pay attention to employee records and costs and ask yourself whether you are prepared to be as hands-on as he appears to be.

• Consult with local authorities to see if there are any major road construction projects planned. Sometimes these are inevitable but can have major disruptive forces.

To really focus the attention of the seller as you establish a value for the gas station for sale, why not ask him or her to engage in an “earn-out” scenario, where a portion of the sale price is returned to them over a period of time subject to certain conditions. This will ensure that you have their full attention during the disclosure phase!

Richard Parker is the author of the How to Buy a Good Business at a Great Price series. As President and founder of Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center, his materials, seminars and consulting have helped thousands of business buyers realize their dream to buy a business.

In most instances, add backs are included in an effort to present the business from a real world point of view. When compiling traditional accounting reports, it’s essential to adhere to a set of very rigid standards – there may also be additional footnotes to consider, and depending on your point of view, these can be either positive or negative. It is very important when you buy a business to scrutinize each add back as they can often make a considerable difference to your valuation.

When conducting a process of due diligence, it can be a fairly straightforward procedure to check recorded sales and purchases against ledgers and against reconciled bank accounts. Very often however the outgoing owner will be keen to draw your attention to items which may be “one-off” or to additional income which may not necessarily appear on the books at all. Of course, it’s always prudent to remain open to all suggestions, but you should nevertheless maintain a certain degree of skepticism at all times, until such point as you’re able to validate – or invalidate, their claims.

Don’t forget that for an item to be claimed as a “one off,” it must not have occurred during any of the previous years. Seller could argue that a particular expense is much larger than it should be due to a particular incident or requirement, but if you see a pattern of any kind, then the add back must be discounted.

One of the most common add backs, especially when the business can be owner operated, is to suggest the value of a manager’s salary. You need to establish that the outgoing owner was not actively involved in the operation of the business in this case and this figure is only of interest to you if you intend to assume the role of the redundant manager.

Add backs may not be asserted whenever they represent intangibles, such as the prospect of additional revenues due to a new marketing initiative that the outgoing owner has just put in place, for example. Nor should you believe an owner claim that you can reduce a certain category of expenses through renegotiation or other initiatives. After all, if the outgoing owner has not being able to do so to this point it seems reasonable to assume that an incoming “newbie” is likely to have even less ability to affect short-term change in this regard.

Be particularly wary when you are told that a business retains a lot of cash sales. You must essentially discount this notion from a strict valuation perspective, even though such a claim made, after review, may be seen as reasonable. If the owner has not entered the cash sales on the books, he or she will not have accounted for taxes correctly and it’s not fair for them to expect to receive a double benefit in this way, a net tax saving and enhanced business value.

When you have reviewed the complete list of business financials, treat each claim for add back on an individual case basis and never roll them into an inflated value. At this stage you must be particularly diligent to enable you to arrive at a real world price for this prospect.

Richard Parker is the author of the How to Buy a Good Business at a Great Price series. As President and founder of Diomo Corporation – The Business Buyer Resource Center, his materials, seminars and consulting have helped thousands of business buyers realize their dream to buy a business.