Bankers can be helpful in your search, and establishing a relationship with them early on is a must. It might not be long before you'll be asking them for lending assistance to help finance your venture. Business professionals and members of the infrastructure. Talk with attorneys, accountants, venture capitalists, investment bankers, insurance agents, salespeople and other members of the entrepreneurial infrastructure. These professionals often know of business opportunities that are never advertised.
Brokers have extensive lists of businesses for sale.
They work for business owners and are paid a commission to market and sell businesses. A business broker's fee typically runs between 5 percent and 10 percent of the purchase price. Your response to an ad may very well be to a business broker. Try to negotiate a buyer-broker agreement in which the broker agrees to seek out companies for you. Look in the Yellow Pages of your telephone directory for listings of business brokers.