Businesses for sale

This morning, after finishing my shower, I turned the water off and switched off the diverter. (Okay: so we’re gonna talk about plumbing businesses, right?) Then, I heard something I hadn’t heard for quite a while: water draining from the shower spout down onto the tub spout, creating a ringing bell sound. I hear that sound every day, but I don’t “hear” it, having tuned it out a long time ago.

Its human behavior to quickly tune out environmental noise that it first finds to be distracting. Like the fellow whose house is located at the end of a major airport runway but sleeps soundly each night to the soothing, violent roars of 747s.

This also goes for sellers of businesses…

This tremendous benefit for you is this: as a buyer, you come into any particular business with a fresh perspective. You’ll be able to see and hear drips that the sellers don’t pay attention to anymore, perhaps as loud as 747s. Some drips may be creating sounds that drive buyers away, but are easy to fix, like cashiers with extremely bad breath. Who knows how much more revenue you can create each year just by brushing, flossing, gargling, and crunching on a couple of breath mints? Or easy to fix, like the mixed message of a clean-appearing restaurant with restaurant supplies (napkins and utensils) stacked up in the hallway to the restroom.

How do you practice seeing the drips? Be a more observant customer in the businesses you now go to or interact with. Take note of what you see and hear.

The notes you take will help you hear the ringing-bell drips that can change into showers of money.