Customer Reviews

The Upstart Guide to Buying, Valuing and Selling Your Business

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Of the many books available in this area, this one stands out due to its abundance of practical insights and forms, sample contracts, worksheets, spreadsheets,etc.

As it covers the processes involved from both a buyer and seller point of view, the insights are extremely useful. The valuation chapters cut through the theoretical overkill of many similar books and provide the reader with a practical yet substantial overview of business valuation.

Excellent book!

Highly recommended! I have read several books on the topic and have bought/sold my own businesses. This is a very good book, and may be the only one you need to buy (the only other additional book would be a more detailed review on valuation). It is complete, crisp, easy to read, has many good ideas on creative financing, good sample douments, handy checklists etc. I also have read Yegge's book "A Basic Guide on Buying and Selling .." which wanders too much and is verbose - don't buy it. Smorenburg's " Business Buyers Kit" is good, but not as comprehensive as this book.

If you are buying or selling a business, or just want to know the value of your company, this is the only book you need. I read several others, but this covers everything they do and in more detail, plus it's all in one book. The purchase agreements are excellent. The book is very detailed. After reading it you know exactly what to do. But I did not find it boring or hard to follow at all.

I'll agree with some the other reviewers that this book has a lot of valuable information, especially relating to business valuation techniques and contracts and forms. But it's almost too detailed! If you are a first-time buyer and want to get an overview of the process and increase your comfort level, it's practically worthless. In fact, it's worse than that...it will probably scare you away. It's also very densely written and dry in some parts...so it could bore you away too! I'm a first time buyer, and that was my experience -- I absolutely could not get through this book. Then I went on to read Smorenburg, and "Mancuso's Small Business Basics" and things became much clearer. I wish I had started with one of these other books. Then, when you want detailed checklists, legal language, and valuation formulas, turn back to this book (although you'll probably want to turn to an attorney and accountant first).

This is a fantastic book. Incredibly insightful. A must
for anyone considering buying a business. Mr. Gabehart is
brillant! Bravo!

Since there is no preview of this book on Amazon, I went to Google books and looked at their preview. The original price is $29.95 and it was published in 1997 so I consider it in need of an update and not worth the price some of these merchants are trying to pawn it off at.

Although it contains some good information, there are just too many other qualified business books published since 1997 that make this one an expensive relic at $100 plus.