Posted: 8/30/2025 4:16:12 PM EDT
| Any one here have any experience or input on business aquisitions? I've been looking at different businesses to buy and have been considering it. I have some cash and am torn between buying a business or realestate. Im wanting to keep working the job I have until I can replace it with the business income. So with this the business wouldn't be 100% owner absentee but semi absentee. Anyone have any experience with this? Or any business owners here who are semi absentee? It makes sense to me to find a business that is up and running with a team and manager in place and buy that. Or buy one where the profit margin is high enough that I could higher a general manager to do most the day to day operations. So would need to make sure that the owner of the business being bought isn't the business itself. |
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I would consider working a job and also running a business to be almost like trying to run two businesses. One of them is going to suffer. If you buy a business, you are going to have to immerse yourself in it for long enough so that you can either hire good management or trust (or not) the current management. It's a ton of effort and I don't believe shortcuts are typically successful. Not saying it's impossible, but don't underestimate the effort required for success. You should talk to other business minded folk who are running/have run multiple businesses. Here on arfcom, @blackfox comes to mind. |
For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security.
Thomas Jefferson
"He didnt punch anybody. He punched an idea." DrFrige
Thomas Jefferson
"He didnt punch anybody. He punched an idea." DrFrige
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as a 20 year business owner - listen to me now and hear me later. do not be an semi absentee owner of any type if you do not know the business 100% in and out. if you want to be a business owner. be a business owner day in and day out. run it. manage it. make the decisions. |
Somewhere in the middle of hardcore Conservative and Libertarian.
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I own my business now and don’t have any direct experience with your question exactly But plenty of friends do what you’re talking about. Typically investor types who buy businesses and create systems and almost never set foot in them. They own cigar bars, car washes, fast food, laundry mats, service businesses etc etc etc But none of them have a full time W2 job. They’re all full time investors. They just happen to own multiple businesses Without a partner it would be really hard to work full time and also own a business that you don’t run. |
The lesser of two evils is still evil
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Originally Posted By BlackFox: Done correctly - real estate works well when you're not around. Businesses typically do not. Real Estate was the only thing that came to mind that could be done semi absentee. |
Somewhere in the middle of hardcore Conservative and Libertarian.
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Originally Posted By JCoop: I would consider working a job and also running a business to be almost like trying to run two businesses. One of them is going to suffer. If you buy a business, you are going to have to immerse yourself in it for long enough so that you can either hire good management or trust (or not) the current management. It's a ton of effort and I don't believe shortcuts are typically successful. Not saying it's impossible, but don't underestimate the effort required for success. You should talk to other business minded folk who are running/have run multiple businesses. Here on arfcom, @blackfox comes to mind. I definently know that it is going to still be a lot of work and not a shortcut. The only shortcut being that I wouldn't have to come up with the business and build it from scratch. I was just talking with a friend last night who owns multiple businesses and is up to almost 300 employees. Having that many employees and business I am sure each one isn't getting his 100% attention. Im hoping to be able to talk with him a little more as time was cut short. I also look at the company I work for that i have been with almost 15 years, Its a half a billion dollar construction company and I've never met the owner. He's not even in the same state as I am and they are doing multiple large projects across 10 different states. I plan on taking time off of my current job to learn about the ins and outs of the new business and the seller would stay on for a time to train and help with the transition. Once the new business is able to replace my current income I would quit the job I have. |
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Originally Posted By OKnativeson: as a 20 year business owner - listen to me now and hear me later. do not be an semi absentee owner of any type if you do not know the business 100% in and out. if you want to be a business owner. be a business owner day in and day out. run it. manage it. make the decisions. This makes sense to me for sure |
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Originally Posted By JaredC1: I own my business now and don’t have any direct experience with your question exactly But plenty of friends do what you’re talking about. Typically investor types who buy businesses and create systems and almost never set foot in them. They own cigar bars, car washes, fast food, laundry mats, service businesses etc etc etc But none of them have a full time W2 job. They’re all full time investors. They just happen to own multiple businesses Without a partner it would be really hard to work full time and also own a business that you don’t run. The end goal would be to be a full time investor, I just wouldn't be able to quit my current job until one of the businesses is making enough for me to quit. But I would be able to take a lot more time off from my current job since I would have the supplemental income coming in from the business. |
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Originally Posted By BlackFox: Done correctly - real estate works well when you're not around. Businesses typically do not. Its not that I wouldn't be around, just not there 100% of the time. It would still be in the same state that I live in and would spend time with it everyday. My wife could also assist with parts of it as well. The owner of an In-and-out franchise most likley isn't there, he has a general manager to manage it. My neighbor owns a fed ex shipping route company in a different state than he lives in. |
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Originally Posted By MolonLabeFBHO: The end goal would be to be a full time investor, I just wouldn't be able to quit my current job until one of the businesses is making enough for me to quit. But I would be able to take a lot more time off from my current job since I would have the supplemental income coming in from the business. thats what the stock market is for.. not subsidizing someone elses bad decisions with no real control. |
Somewhere in the middle of hardcore Conservative and Libertarian.
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Originally Posted By OKnativeson: thats what the stock market is for.. not subsidizing someone elses bad decisions with no real control. Originally Posted By OKnativeson: Originally Posted By MolonLabeFBHO: The end goal would be to be a full time investor, I just wouldn't be able to quit my current job until one of the businesses is making enough for me to quit. But I would be able to take a lot more time off from my current job since I would have the supplemental income coming in from the business. thats what the stock market is for.. not subsidizing someone elses bad decisions with no real control. I see the stock market more like gambling. You can have control over your business but can't control the stock market. You definently have stocks that have performed steady growth year over year but that isn't adding any income steam. With income coming in from a business I could also employ my kids and be maxing out a Roth for them every year. And even maxing out a Roth for myself and my wife instead of only having the 401k from my work. Im not looking to buy a business that is in the gutter and try to fix it. Im looking to buy a business that has been around for decades and has a skilled team in place already and a system that works. There are a lot of boomer business owners that are looking to retire soon and their kids are wanting to do something else and not carry on their business. That is what I'm looking to buy. |
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Originally Posted By MolonLabeFBHO: I see the stock market more like gambling. You can have control over your business but can't control the stock market. You definently have stocks that have performed steady growth year over year but that isn't adding any income steam. With income coming in from a business I could also employ my kids and be maxing out a Roth for them every year. And even maxing out a Roth for myself and my wife instead of only having the 401k from my work. Im not looking to buy a business that is in the gutter and try to fix it. Im looking to buy a business that has been around for decades and has a skilled team in place already and a system that works. There are a lot of boomer business owners that are looking to retire soon and their kids are wanting to do something else and not carry on their business. That is what I'm looking to buy. if you are looking at these specifics, you will have to be far more hands on than you realize. a legitimate business is a cold hearted mistress. you have to know everything regarding the business and environment in question otherwise 2 things will happen. 1- the inmates will run the asylum and you will lose control very quickly. 2- your clients will leave because of numerous reasons. just because the previous owners were able to make it run for profit, does not mean you will make it run. 50% of my clientele comes from clients who left a previous laboratory for one reason or another- usually a buyout and they new owners were not able to keep the clientele. good luck. you want easy going revenue? car wash or laundromats |
Somewhere in the middle of hardcore Conservative and Libertarian.
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I think it’s very dependent on the type of business. There are many that CAN be operated like that. I would caution that for you if you have never owned a business. Typically they grow quickly with the owner there. Maybe something to look at would be franchises? Keep in mind that many are really marketing businesses, that also perform real services. It would give you an already built hamster wheel to run on. You will not need to reinvent the wheel. Make sure you have more capital than you need, or you better be in there every day hustling to get it started and put those systems in place to scale |
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Originally Posted By MolonLabeFBHO: Any one here have any experience or input on business aquisitions? I've been looking at different businesses to buy and have been considering it. I have some cash and am torn between buying a business or realestate. Im wanting to keep working the job I have until I can replace it with the business income. So with this the business wouldn't be 100% owner absentee but semi absentee. Anyone have any experience with this? Or any business owners here who are semi absentee? It makes sense to me to find a business that is up and running with a team and manager in place and buy that. Or buy one where the profit margin is high enough that I could higher a general manager to do most the day to day operations. So would need to make sure that the owner of the business being bought isn't the business itself. IMHO if you want to be a business owner be a business owner. Sure maybe buy one, and keep your day job for a couple of months to iron it out... But ultimately you are going to have to take the leap. A business should be ELF, easy lucrative and fun. Be wary of buying yourself a JOB, just over broke. You are never off work with a business. There will be times when you don't get a paycheck, or a vacation, but your employees have to. Take all your best projections, and moderate them by 10%. What is your plan if you can't get credit/access to capital sometime? Most businesses will fail within 5 years. If you don't love social media, or are willing to pay someone to social media market for you you are at a deficit. Certain businesses are setup from the jump for absentee type ownership. Storage, laundry etc. However, valuations are wild. Your business partner will fuck you over, steal, have a major life change, or want out at the worst possible time for you to make that happen. |
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That man is a homo and a liar-TrojanMan
Hell, a Ford just breaks down on you. It doesn't fall apart AND try to kill you at the same time-Bloodsport2885
That man is a homo and a liar-TrojanMan
Hell, a Ford just breaks down on you. It doesn't fall apart AND try to kill you at the same time-Bloodsport2885