So you want to buy a business. It’s a path many are drawn to, a form of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition that lets you skip the grueling startup phase and jump right into running something with a proven track record. But before you start browsing listings, it’s critical to understand what you’re actually looking for.
When most of us picture entrepreneurship, we see a garage, a brilliant idea, and a long, difficult grind from zero to one. But there's a different path that often gets overlooked: buying a business that’s already up and running. This approach, known as Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, flips the traditional startup model on its head. Instead of building from scratch, you start with a company that already has customers, cash flow, and a place in the market. It’s a powerful blend of smart financial investment strategies and hands-on small business management.
I used to believe the only way to be an entrepreneur was to build something from scratch. After a painful failure with a well-funded startup—despite having a great product and a brilliant team—I realized I was looking at the whole thing backward. My perspective shifted entirely when I discovered a more direct path: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition.