Businesses for sale

I get a lot of mail and packages for my various businesses. But I’m not always around to sign for the packages. In the 1980s, I discovered private mailbox rentals. Back then, there weren’t as many choices as we have today. Most were independent mom-and-pop shops; I don’t remember seeing franchise mailbox and packaging companies like Mailboxes Etc. and others until much later. But I did find Chuck, who owned and operated A-OK Business Services, to be a very personable guy and decided to rent a box from him.

Personally, I prefer the independent ones and, if I were looking to buy a business, I’d focus on a business for sale that wasn’t franchised. I want the freedom to make changes to the business and test new ideas. It’s a personal preference. In contrast, my good friend, Brother E, as I call him, rents his box at The Postal Annex. It’s franchised. If he looked at businesses for sale, he’d look at franchised mailbox operations. He’s a fun-loving guy, but knows he needs some structure and guidance. Franchised businesses give him – and you – exactly that.

Give you what? Structure and guidance. The franchisors have tested and refined their business models before offering franchises as businesses for sale to you and me. And that helps you lower your risk and increase your probabilities of success. You follow the model and duplicate their success. And if you want to lower your risk even further, find a franchised business for sale that up, running, with steady and increasing revenues and profits. You’ll most likely pay more when you buy a business like this, but the idea is to offset your risk by buying an ongoing concern which you can build upon further.

Ultimately, it depends on what you feel comfortable with. If you haven’t owned a business before, if this is your first time in looking at businesses for sale, or if you want to buy a business in an industry new to you, you might do better with a franchise. There are all kinds of franchised businesses, ranging from retail consumer products like restaurants to industrial services such as janitorial. It’s a good way to get into business and stay in business.