25 Ways to Find Companies to Buy

When you start your program to purchase your "ideal" company, you quickly realize that your ultimate success will depend on two primary skill sets: 1) Your ability to FIND viable companies that are for sale, and 2) Your ability to effectively qualify the potential acquisition investment once found.

This article is about only step one, how to creatively find viable companies and one's that are able to be purchased.

Assuming you have clearly defined your business purchase criteria and you have decided to pursue only companies that are "officially" for sale, versus attempting to find and contact company owners who might be willing to sell, you will need to explore as many ways as you can to find companies for sale as possible.

As a business buyer you want to use the best means possible to position yourself to get the first shot at your most promising acquisition candidates and to do such in as cost effective means as possible.

Often the more "creative" you are to find deals, the quicker you'll find the "right" deal. The more diverse your means to locate viable companies for sale the better your chances of finding a quality acquisition candidate that few others are aware of.

When you are pursuing acquisition candidates you really never know where your next deal will come from. It could be word-of- mouth, something your read in a newspaper, a visit to a website or a lead from an association meeting. Listed below are a variety of ways you can use to find businesses to buy:

25 Ways to Find Businesses For Sale

• Investment Bankers: Regional, National, International

• Investment Banker websites: Listings of businesses for sale

• Business Brokers: Regional and National

• Business Brokerage websites: Listings of businesses for sale

• Venture Capital Firms: Good referral potential

• Mezzanine Lenders: Regional, National, Always aware of potential deals

• Newspapers: Listings in Local, Regional, National and Industry specific

• Magazines: Listings in Regional, National and Industry specific

• Newsletters: Listings in printed or "Ezines" on the internet ? Industry specific

• Commercial Banks: Many of their clients are considering sale of their company

• Consultants: All varieties, many have extensive practices and many owner contacts

• Associations: All varieties, some are focused just on merger & acquisition activities

• Business Directories: All forms of printed and electronic, many industry specific

• M&A Service Providers: They know who is selling what often on a national basis

• Product Suppliers: Many product manufacturers/ distributors are in the know

• Trade Shows: Walk a trade show in an industry of interest, salesman love to talk!

• Accountants: Many have large practices with extensive business owner contacts

• Professors: Many provide consultative services to business owners or are board members

• Corporate Officers: Especially Corporate Development managers, seeking "spin-off's"

• Bank Trust Departments: Sometimes viable businesses surface in trust situations

• M&A Legal Specialists: Many are in the "crosswinds" of constant deal opportunities

• Networking Meetings: Your local business newspaper publishes many of these

• Technology Licensors: Always aware of companies getting "out" of new technologies

• Directory of Board Members: Board members typically know other board members

• Business Associates: Current and previous business associates and service providers

These "25 Ways to Find Businesses for Sale" are only a few of the creative means you can use to find acquisition candidates. Keep this list and add your own methods once you start your business pursuit program. With today's endless capabilities of the internet, its worldwide reach into various countries, industries and industry participants, there are countless variations for most of the means listed here.

As important about being proactive to locate companies to acquire you need to be as diligent to broadcast and document your specific business purchase interests and purchase criteria whenever and wherever possible. Business owners; individuals, corporations with multi divisions, merger and acquisition intermediaries, private equity firms need to know who you are and what specific businesses you seek to purchase.

This notification effort can be manifested in printed or "electronic" formats. The internet again is the most cost effective means to document your exact business purchase criteria and interests. However, be aware that there are few e commerce sites that specifically accommodate proactive business buyer needs. Most business transaction websites focus on listing businesses for sale, facilitating primarily business sellers needs, not business buyers.

Take the time and effort to research and try all these different means to locate companies to buy. Some will be more productive than others, while some may be more accommodating to your specific business pursuit requirements. You must do what you must to throw away as much hay as you can to get to that needle in the stack!

About The Author

Mark Smock is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com, the FIRST international business buyer directory of its kind. Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means for proactive business buyers to locate businesses for sale worldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria. msmock@business-buyer-directory.com

---

Before You Start Investing

There maybe several reasons why you to want to invest... Read More

Maniac Investment

Let's first understand what maniac means. According to Webster a... Read More

Looking For a Safe Investment? Try a Certificate of Deposit

If you are looking for a safe investment and you... Read More

Beta Factors: How They Can Be Used In The Current Situation

Ever since the turn of the century, world stock markets... Read More

How to Setup a Profitable Trading Business

In my opinion trading is the most exciting and best... Read More

Real Estate Clubs Hot Among Investors

Six or seven years ago, the stock market was booming,... Read More

Asset Allocation: Critical to Your Investment Success

Asset allocation is a critical component of investing success. Both... Read More

The Biggest Oil Opportunity in the World ? And How You Can Profit From It

Where is the second biggest deposit of oil reserves in... Read More

New U.S. Mint Coins a Golden Opportunity

In April, the U.S. Mint revealed plans to strike in... Read More

When NOT to Invest

Unfortunately, many investors who are seduced by the lure of... Read More

Easily Finding A Good Stock

There is a tremendous amount of software, complicated high priced... Read More

Short Term Savings Products

When you invest, it simply means that you are putting... Read More

Shop More, Save More for College Gimmick or Reality?

The man sat in a chair beside a dressing room... Read More

Value Investing

By definition, value investing is the process of selecting stocks... Read More

Stocks: Reduce Risk Yet Maximize Profits

It is important to note that every smart investor wants... Read More

Stock Market Retirement Investment Plan

For a successful retirement investment plan to work in the... Read More

Going Against the Conventional Investment Wisdom

First of all, I want to give everyone the disclaimer... Read More

What is an Investor Ready Business Plan

A Business Plan, as all good entrepreneurs starting out in... Read More

Can Using Sales Leaseback Method of Investment Property Acquisition Reduce Risk?

Sales Leaseback compared to traditional property investmentCan a Sales Leaseback... Read More

Buying a Home - Your BIGGEST Investment

This column has often focused on intangible investments like stocks... Read More

Is a SEP Plan Right For Your Business

A SEP is a special type of IRA. Under a... Read More

Poll Names Coin Laundries Best Investment For 2005

According to Morton Pollack, CEO of PWS, The Laundry Company... Read More

Porters Five Forces Analysis

If you've ever listened to Warren Buffett talk about investing,... Read More

Planning for Retirement

Almost without exception, people don't start planning for their retirement... Read More

Raising Capital Using a Public Company

Going public in this manner is ideal for companies that... Read More

Should You Put Your Annuity in an IRA?

Let me start by answering that question...if an annuity fits... Read More

Emotions: A Traders Worst Enemy; Get Rid of Fear and Greed - Youll be Glad You Did

You hear it over and over and over in books,... Read More

Chile Leads the Latin Pack

Everyone's talking about China. Don't miss the opportunities in the... Read More

Why Should I Use Penny Shares to Build Wealth?

A strategic question. Why indeed?1. A penny share would usually... Read More

The Basics of Tax-Free UK Financial Spread Betting

Financial Spread Betting (or Trading) offers a tax free method... Read More

Almost Anyone Can Open A Roth IRA!

The Roth is kind of weird until you get used... Read More

Discipline in Trading and Investing

The one thing I can think of that most affects... Read More

Powerful Hidden Techniques Mystery Formula - The Covered Call Option Trading Buy-Write Strategy

For better or worse, most option trading investors purchase stocks... Read More