How do you make an offer on an existing business?
Andrew Ramirez
Published Apr 09, 2026
How to Make an Offer When Purchasing a Business
- General Guidelines for Making an Offer on a Business:
- Don’t Be Afraid To Make An Offer – Negotiation Plays a Big Roll.
- Consider How Much Cash You’ll Need Going Forward.
- Never Start Out With a Full Price Offer.
- Put Your Offer in Writing.
- See How the Seller Responds.
How do you evaluate an existing business?
There are a number of ways to determine the market value of your business.
- Tally the value of assets. Add up the value of everything the business owns, including all equipment and inventory.
- Base it on revenue.
- Use earnings multiples.
- Do a discounted cash-flow analysis.
- Go beyond financial formulas.
What is the first step in deciding whether to buy an existing business?
Step 1: Determining a Price Once you’ve determined the value of the target company, you will be in a better position to determine what cash amount or other consideration you would like to offer the seller, whether at a discount, market price, or a surplus.
What are some key items to investigate when buying an existing business?
Before buying a business, make sure to examine its past few years of financials, including:
- Tax returns.
- Balance sheets.
- Cash flow statements.
- Sales records and accounts receivable.
- Accounts payable.
- Debt disclosures.
- Advertising costs.
How much should you offer when buying a business?
Usually, 20 to 25 percent is considered adequate. This means that the buyer should pay between $80,000 and $100,000 for this business. If it earns the projected $20,000 a year, the buyer will recover his initial investment in 4 or 5 years.
What do you mean by buying an existing business?
Buying an existing business is exactly what it sounds like. The buyer typically takes over full ownership of the business. The largest advantage is having an existing blueprint that can include important factors like an established customer base, defined operating expenses, and fully trained employees.
Learn About the Business Finances Check out documents like the current balance sheet, profit and loss statements (past 5 years’), tax returns (for income, unemployment, and sales tax, for the past 5 years), audited financial statements, accounts payable and receivable, and more.
How do I find an existing business for sale?
8 Places to Find Businesses for Sale Online
- BizBuySell.com.
- BizQuest.com.
- BusinessBroker.net.
- BusinessesForSale.com.
- BusinessMart.com.
- DealStream.com (formerly MergerNetwork)
- Franchise Gator.
- LoopNet.com.
How to make an offer to buy a business?
Once you determine that a business is of interest to you and you want to make an offer; get it done fast. Not recklessly, but quickly. Work with your team to get the key points into place and submit the offer with a short, but reasonable expiration (i.e. 5 working days). Then…wait. Do nothing. Zero. No calls to the other side…nothing.
How to decide to buy an existing business?
How to buy an existing business. 1 1. Decide what you’re looking for. Purchasing a business is a huge decision that will impact your life and livelihood for many years. So before you 2 2. Research available businesses. 3 3. Consider working with a business broker. 4 4. Complete your due diligence. 5 5. Acquire the necessary funding.
What to consider when opening a new business?
Here are a few factors to consider: Location: Are you open to moving, or do you need something close to home? Or maybe you’re looking at businesses not tied to a specific location. Either way, remember that the location of your business will affect labor costs, taxes, and other financials that can change the business’s bottom line.