The dream of business ownership is alive and well these days, especially in Colorado. As of 2015, the state is home to nearly 600,000 small businesses which employ almost 1,000,000 people! Every day you hear about a new start up being launched or a company taking its headquarters to Colorado. Business is good! So for today’s discussion, we thought it would be important to address the benefits of buying an established business over starting a business.

In Colorado, 52% of small businesses fail within the first four years of being established (as of 2016). But this percentage dramatically decreases with the purchase of an established business for a number of factors which we will discuss below.

Proven Business Concept. Buying an established business is simply less risky than starting a business of your own. The concept has been proven to work and has a track record of that success. This also comes in handy when it comes time to finance the business, banks are much more willing to lend to a buyer with a proven concept than fund a start-up business.

Established & Recognized Brand. When purchasing an established business, there will already be a brand in place, that is recognizable in the community and has a history and reputation behind it. It is much easier to market an established business to a community than to market a new business.

Staff In Place. Hiring employees is time-consuming and costly and within the realm of a start-up business, every penny counts! An established business comes with staff in place that has already been hired, trained and developed to operate the business. These employees will not only be able to help you transition into your ownership role they will also provide you with a more flexible schedule to focus on business strategies and family.

Customer Base. An established business has had the time to develop customer relationships and a loyal following. Which means the business will benefit from revenue from the time of purchase on. With a start-up company, the owner will have to work much harder to gain traction within the community and attract customers.

Growth & Planning. Instead of working to make your start-up business viable, as the new owner of an established business, you will be able to focus on scaling and strategic planning. This factor alone can alleviate a large piece of the risk and stress of a start-up business.

Deciding to buy a business will put you one step closer to reaching your entrepreneurial goals! To learn more about how to buy a business or even how to buy a franchise we invite you to visit our website for more information!

--

This article was written by Al Fialkovich, the Managing Director of Transworld Business Advisors of Colorado. Transworld is the top business brokerage firm in Colorado. Their team of business brokers have the most and widest range of business listings for sale, inclusive of 100+ listings annually. Transworld Denver’s service area covers the state of Colorado, focusing on the Denver Metro, Boulder and Golden areas. They assist visionary entrepreneurs in buying a business or selling a business in Colorado, specializing in helping family-owned and closely held businesses with their strategic plans for the future.