Buying Your Own Business: Identifying Opportunities, Analyzing True Value, Negotiating the Best Terms, Closing the Deal (Expert Advice for Small Business) (Paperback)

by Russell Robb (Author) "The middle-market mergers and acquisitions (M & A) business is very fragmented..." (more)
Key Phrases: accomplishment fee, most individual buyers, selling memorandum, Harvard Business School, New England, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...practical, easy-to-read guide for buying a middle-market business." -- Kenneth F. Kames, vice president, New Business Development, The Gillette Company

"For those interested in a more in-depth analysis of how to run a small business..." -- The Wall Street Journal

Product Description
Are you in the market for a new or bigger business? Do you have the resources and skills necessary to acquire and operate a middle-market business-with between 2 million and 50 million in sales?

Russell Robb's Buying Your Own Business is an essential reference for anyone who wants to buy, or is in the process of buying, a new business. Robb shows you how to identify business opportunities, plan your acquisition strategy, place a value on a target business, negotiate a fair arrangement, and close the deal. He also covers assembling an acquisition team, raising the necessary cash, analyzing the target business's financial condition, due diligence, letters of intent, legal and tax concerns, contracts, and more.

With over ten years of experience in handling the purchase and sale of businesses, Russell Robb is an expert on successful acquisitions. His Buying Your Own Business gives you the advice and information you need to start turning business opportunities into realities.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media Corporation; 1st edition (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558507027
• ISBN-13: 978-1558507029
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #341,917 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Superficial, December 7, 2001

By	"jjones364" (West Des Moines, IA United States) - See all my reviews

I found the contents of this book to be very generic and almost superficial. The comments were at times so generic, they were meaningless. If you are a 7th grader "dreaming" of buying a business some day, maybe this book is good enough. If you are serious about buying a business, and want concrete advice, examples and guidance, than look elsewhere. I found BUYOUT, by Rick Rikertsen much more informative; while it dealt with somewhat larger business transactions than most would be involved in, the advice and examples apply to buying any size business. Spend the little extra and get BUYOUT.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not an end-all reference book, January 27, 2005

By	Art van de Lay - See all my reviews

I bought 2 books on this subject and may have returned the other book had I read this one first. It does not inspire much confidence for the first time, small-fry businesss buyer. The biggest disappointment is that the book claims to cater to businesses between 2 and 50 million dollars in annual sales. In reality, most examples (of the few provided) are at the top end of that scale which is out of my range. The book also spends an inordinate amount of time discussing the benefits of using business intermediaries. Why? I'll give you one guess what the author does for a living when he is not writing books. The best thing that I took from the book were the questions to ask and the financials to analyze during negotiations that I would not have thought of on my own. This information is quite helpful but it is spread across 300 pages of text and there is no summary list of these key points at the end as there are in other texts. If you buy this book it should be with the understanding that it will not be the only book you will need.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Complete, realistic and a requirement for small biz buyers, March 6, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Boston) - See all my reviews

This is the second book I have read regarding buying a business, and I have found it to be extremely informative whether you are buying a business in the middle market (the market the book covers), or a smaller business. The book covers a methodology to follow, what to expect from a seller, who to get involved, and even has sample forms for your use. In fact, I used the Intent to Purchase agreement in the book for an offer, and was told by my lawyer that it was the most comprehensive he has seen, one he plans to put into his 'Hall of Fame' Folder.