Brian Gongol
I would like to hear from business owners who are interested in selling businesses that meet the following criteria:
- Located within Iowa or Nebraska, preferably within an hour's drive of either Des Moines or Omaha ("home-based businesses", Internet marketing schemes, and multi-level marketers need not apply).
- Unique to the market it serves in some durable way (the older the business, the more attractive).
- Available for sale on a contract basis (we want to learn from you before taking the reins all to ourselves, and we won't finance any purchases by going into debt).
- Modestly to moderately sized with the capacity for growth (total sale prices are almost certain to be $1 million or less, unless you have a way of structuring something larger through very attractive seller financing).
- Neither glamorous nor flashy (the closer to "eye-wateringly boring," the better).
- Cash-flow positive, year after year (we're looking for performance that is mind-numbingly consistent, not occasionally or even frequently stellar).
- Owners who know they need to adapt to new technology, but have neither the energy nor the interest to invest in it.
- Owners who would like their businesses to survive them, but whose children have taken no interest. If you have no succession plan and no exit strategy, we should talk.