Buying a business
What happens to my savings if I buy the shop?
When you buy a business, you do not only buy its counter and its customers. You may take on its lease, its unpaid bills, its vendor promises and its employees. The price on the first page says very little about what you are taking on.
Your accountant reads the numbers. We read everything else: the lease, the contracts, the licenses, the debts and the seller’s promises. Then we write the purchase agreement so that what you were told is in it, and what you were not told is the seller’s problem.
How it runs
From a handshake to the keys
- 01
Step 1: A letter of intent
Before you make an offer, we write the terms down: price, what is included, how long the seller waits.
- 02
Step 2: Reading what you would inherit
We go through the lease, the contracts, the licenses and any debts, and send you a short list of what worries us.
- 03
Step 3: The purchase agreement
We draft it, or answer the seller’s draft, and ask for the protections the list called for.
- 04
Step 4: Closing day
We check the signed papers and the money, and hand you the keys and a folder of everything you now own.
Questions about buying a business
Do you check the books?
Your accountant reads the numbers. We read the contracts and the lease and tell each other what we find, so nothing sits between us.
Can you work from the seller’s lawyer’s draft?
Yes. Most deals start there. We mark it up and send you a short summary of what changed and why.
What isn’t in the flat fee?
Broker fees, escrow and title charges, a lender’s lawyer, state transfer fees, and a dispute after closing. We name each on the first call.
Found a business to buy?
Tell us what it is and what stage you are at.