What is a fair price for a business?
Like any other product, a business is truly worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay a seller in a free market. However, the value of most businesses is determined by what someone can afford to pay for it. Typically this price will be 2 to 4 times the annual cash flow of the business after recasting, with a 25 to 50 percent down payment and a note paid off over 5 to 10 years. If the business can earn the income you want and retire its own debt, then it is worth the price.

What is Goodwill?
Goodwill is the difference between the total value of a business and the value of inventory, equipment and other "hard" assets. Every business has goodwill unless it is closed down or failing badly. The amount to pay for goodwill depends on the cash flow of the business and its general attractiveness. If buyers did not pay for goodwill, sellers might as well sell off their equipment and close down rather than sell as an on-going business.

What is Discretionary Earnings?
Discretionary earnings are usually defined as profit before income tax, depreciation, interest and owner's compensation and other owner benefits. This is the amount of money the owner has available to pay himself, to invest in additional equipment, to make the note payments on the business and pay taxes.

Are there tax benefits in buying a business?
Usually you can take a tax deduction for depreciation on the fair market value of all furniture, fixtures, and equipment at a much faster rate than real estate. The Covenant Not To Compete and the value of training are tax deductible, frequently at high levels. Finally, most businesses have deductible expenses that add to the owner's cash flow. Always discuss tax issues with a qualified tax professional.

Why not just start my own business?
Government surveys show that over 80% of new businesses fail in the first 3 years, for reasons such as poor location, low product quality, lack of capital, and lack of management skills. This risk can be eliminated by purchasing a quality business with a proven name, location, customer base, and cash flow.

Why use a Professional Intermediary to help purchase a business?
Allowing a professional to lead you through the steps to buying a business will ultimately give you the peace of mind that your interests were protected and your investment well directed. Choosing an individual who is professionally trained, has made a full-time commitment to their career, has access to the largest data base on comparable business sales in the world, and can be trusted to work with your best interests in mind means you have chosen a VR Business Intermediary to work with you.