Editor’s note: This article was first published in September 2010, after the Spanish property bubble burst. Its claim that business sale advisory had “already established itself” and its mention of firms founded in 2009 reflect that moment.
If some people struck gold selling property during the real estate bubble, whether by setting up their own agency or working as brokers, now it’s the turn of supply and demand for business sale advisers. It’s a business idea that has already established itself as a highly profitable business.
Plenty of business owners no longer see a way to keep their company going, have run out of ideas, or simply aren’t prepared to run a company in hard times. On the other side are investors and natural spotters of new business opportunities, who are looking for companies with strong growth potential.
Between those two figures, buyer and seller, investor and business owner, lies an incredible business opportunity for anyone with experience in business management and contacts among investors and entrepreneurs.
The way it works is simple, no more complicated than a real estate broker’s job. Depending on the services you want to offer and the experience in buying and selling businesses you bring, your standing will translate into a higher or lower commission on each sale.
Some companies set up in 2009 have already established themselves as experts in this field, handling everything from the start of a sale to the end: preparing the forms and paperwork, changing the registered tax address, the notary, and so on.
For those who don’t know: when a big merger between two large companies, an acquisition or a multimillion sale of a corporation is announced, those negotiations generally aren’t conducted directly between the heads of the companies. They go through one or two intermediaries, who are hired by the companies carrying out the deal.
That professional, whom we rarely hear about because they work behind the scenes, is a very well-paid salesperson who sometimes earns commissions of up to €300,000 for successfully seeing a deal through.
Of course, that’s the big league, which for now would be hard for us to reach, but not impossible. Remember: the most dangerous tiger started out as a cute little kitten.
As a business idea, it’s a high-margin field, and you can start as an intermediary without leaving your current job. Build up a portfolio of businesses for sale and another portfolio of investors, or of companies interested in acquiring a smaller business to strengthen their strategic position in the market.
Further reading
- Start a business or buy one? Pros and cons
- An innovative business idea: a virtual assistant company
- Business ideas in leisure and tourism
- A spa as a high-profit business
- You can be a successful businessperson
Featured image: Rufino, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
