One of the most important steps in buying a business is doing your due diligence. When buying a California winery, there are three major areas to focus your attention during this period of research. Learn about these three factors in this BizBen blog post on wine industry due diligence for buyers.

Selling a business online, while often effective for finding the right buyer, is a strategy sellers need to execute correctly in order to be successful. That means avoiding the six common mistakes made by sellers. Peter Siegel, BizBen Founder talks about what it takes to effectively sell a business.

When selling a California business, owners should use our salability checklist to determine whether the effort will be successful. Ten factors must be considered to properly prepare a business for sale. Three of the factors account for more than 50% probability of achieving success in selling!

The key to successfully selling your deli or any other business for that matter is preparation. Being prepared to sell your deli restaurant could mean the difference between closing a deal and not. With BizBen offering many deli sales, here are 5 tips to help you get prepared to sell your deli.

Knowing how to advertise a business for sale without revealing too much is an important skill for anyone who wants to find a buyer for a small or mid-sized California business at a good price. One caution about giving too much detail is that it might identify the company and ruin confidentiality.

A business plan is a living document that should serve several purposes for your business. When you are buying a small business, a business plan will assist you in obtaining business purchase financing by showing lenders and investors how you plan to repay their loan by running a profitable company.

A problem owners encounter when offering a California business for sale is that not all so-called buyers are qualified to make the purchase. It's frustrating and costly to waste time showing non-qualified buyers the business. Here are ways to identify time wasters so the focus is on real buyers.

Each day, more than 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 62. Around this age, Americans, many of which are small business owners, start to think about their exit strategy from the workforce. For a small business owner, the process can be complex and their decision to retire has an impact on many others.

Looking to buy restaurant businesses? Check out these tips first to avoid getting blindsided when you buy restaurants. Peter Siegel, MBA with BizBen.com discusses this topic.

This live FREE workshop by Cheryl Maloney (San Francisco Business Broker Specialist) is designed for San Francisco restaurant owners who are thinking of selling and would like to know how much their restaurant or bar is worth and how to get it sold successfully. Limited seats, please RSVP via phone.

Many California small business investors want to buy a restaurant. People always need to eat; there should be plenty of business. And some buyers think there is prestige to owning a popular eating establishment. But it isn't an easy purchase. Here's what not to do when planning to buy a restaurant.

Peter Siegel, MBA discusses buying pizza restaurant for sale tips and what to watch out for. Topics: Owner involvement in the business as pizzerias are most successful when the owner is onsite. Also discussed is the importance of location and reviewing all financial and tax information.

Restaurant franchise offerings are among the most popular of the business types potential business buyers seek. What many would-be owners don't realize is that there are specific tips for buying fast food or restaurant franchises that don't necessarily apply to independent restaurants for sale.

Owners often ask agents to sell business offerings for them. It's usually more difficult than selling houses when working to find a buyer for a business, to satisfy contingencies and close escrow. Business sales intermediaries either agents or brokers may want large fees, but often are worth it.

There are a handful of key asset categories in allocating or breaking down the purchase price allocation of a business sale. The allocation is required to complete the transaction. Lee Petsas, a Southern California business broker reviews this topic in detail for buyers and sellers of businesses.

The process for making a liquor license transfer used to take approximately 55-70 days, but now because of labor shortages and work protocols, it can be up to 3 months in California, for example. The longer an escrow is open, the greater the chance of having it fall out of escrow.

Four factors to consider when buying a bar. Peter Siegel with BizBen.com discusses: The advantages and disadvantages of a bar that serves food as well as liquor. Staffing, inventory control and owner involvement as they relate to a good business are summarized. Benchmarks when looking at financials.

A BizBen blog reader emailed me this question: "I am starting due diligence this week on buying a cocktail bar With a 48 license what should I be asking for, thinking about, watching out for? Is there a list of items I should ask for?" Peter Siegel with BizBen answers this question.

Owning a bar is a fantasy that many can claim. Who hasn't once thought about what it would be like to own and manage the hottest place in town? Like all business investments, there are important factors to consider before you jump in and buy a bar. Peter Siegel, Founder of BizBen.com discusses...

Financing a yogurt shop for sale can be challenging. Here, you'll learn the real scoop behind financing a yogurt shop for sale to help it be profitable from the start. Peter Siegel with BizBen discusses strategies on this topic.

First impressions are critical when selling a business - ask any potential business buyer. Peter Siegel, Founder Of BizBen explains why all potential small business sellers need to make sure that first impression is a good one.

What is your goal in 5 years? Do you want to become a business owner? Buying a business can be an exciting, safe opportunity to gain financial freedom. But how to buy the right business? This article will walk you through the process of buying a business.

To start a business or try something new, starting a franchise business is a great option. In this blog, we'll break down everything you need to know about buying a franchise in simple, easy-to-understand terms. This guide is for business owners, whether experienced or new.

If inventory is an asset of the small business, why is it treated differently from other assets in setting the business value and conducting the transaction? Tim Cunha, San Francisco Bay Area Business Broker explores this topic about how the inventory amount affects a business valuation.

When seeking large SBA business acquisition financing loans, it helps to review seller's add backs (cash flow analysis) as a source of funding to service the debt. Peter Siegel, MBA - SBALoanAdvisors.com Founder covers this specific topic for business buyers, owner/sellers, agents, business brokers.

Would you like to know what your business is worth? What's more, what it could be worth with a small amount of effort and investment? Business brokers have a variety of methods to determine value. Tim Cunha, JD a SF Bay Area Business Broker discusses his answers to this question about valuation.

In my experience working with the "right banks and financial institutions" repayment ability sometimes overrules collateral pledged by someone needing financing for a business purchase or a down payment. Peter Siegel, MBA - BizBen's ProBuy, ProSell Lead Facilitator explores this important topic.

Should owners who offer a business for sale reveal to prospective buyers any income that is not recorded in the books? This is a controversial topic with arguments both for and against. Most business sales intermediaries believe if you don't pay tax on it, you can't claim it. Some sellers disagree.