1. Personal Assessment
a. Personal Objectives
b. Financial Objectives
c. Desirable Industries
d. Your Ability to Buy
e. Your Timetable
2. Business Buying Basics
a. Key Components to a Successful Purchase
b. Terms you should know
3. Financing Options
a. SBA – Rates, Terms, Requirements
b. Seller Financing – Rates, Terms, Requirements
c. Commercial Funding
d. Mortgage Brokers & Preferred Lenders
e. Forms and Documents Needed
f. Negotiating with the Seller
4. Searching for Businesses to Buy
a. Using a Broker or Intermediary
b. Doing it Yourself
c. Required Forms
d. How to Execute Database Searches
e. Internet Databases
i. BBF
ii. FBBA
iii. Biz Buy Sell
iv. Business Broker Net
v. Mergerplace
vi. Bizquest
vii. Merger Network
viii. New Business Sales Web Sites
ix. Franchise Resources
x. Proprietary Databases
f. Off-Market Searches
5. Identification of Targets for Acquisition
a. Company Research Databases
b. Skills and Licenses Required
c. Critical Financial Areas of a Business
d. Pricing the Business
e. Bonafide Reasons for Selling
6. Seller Qualification
a. Ready and Willing to Sell?
b. Seller’s Estimation of Value
c. Financials and Business Documentation
d. Future Outlook
7. Calls & Visitations
a. Calls with Owners
b. In-Person Assessments
8. Offer to Purchase
a. Negotiation Techniques
b. Deal Killers & Negotiation Style
c. LOI or Contract
d. Price, Escrow, Terms, Closing Date
e. Standard Contingencies
f. Strategies for Win-Win Outcomes
9. Due Diligence
a. Professional Assistance
b. Doing It Yourself
c. Key Components of Due Diligence
10. Closing
a. 33 Critical Tasks
b. Forming a Corporation or LLC
c. Closing Document List
d. Closing Statement Review
e. Closing the Deal
11. Post Closing
a. Licensing
b. Employee Transition
c. The Financial Plan
d. The Marketing Plan
e. Annual Business Review (ABR)
