Buying a business for sale in NE can represent a great opportunity for investment. Buying an established business usually is much safer financially and more profitable than starting a new business because an existing business already has an established customer base, source of revenue and business operations. An existing business also may own valuable patents or copyrights.

It is often more expensive to buy NE businesses for sale than to start a new one, although it is generally easier to obtain financing for an existing business. Investors tend to be more comfortable with a business that has a proven performance.

There are three primary actions to perform before buying Nebraska businesses for sale:

1. Review the tax returns and financial statements over the last few years for the business for sale. Nebraska businesses can measure their growth potential with actual experience rather than conjecture.

2. Examine the current profits for small businesses for sale. Nebraska businesses will have expenditures such as employees’ salaries, utilities and insurance that you must deduct from the sales revenue.

3. Inspect the operations of prospective business opportunities. Nebraska businesses may have obsolete inventory, dissatisfied employees or outdated distribution methods.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate a NE business for sale

Many websites offer listings of companies for sale. Nebraska listings of businesses for sale should show the location, asking price and cash flow, among other details.

I recommend: The advanced search option at BizQuest.com will let you select the type of business, city and length of time on the listing, among other parameters. BusinessBroker.net allows you to select the business location by state, and you may also specify an industry and asking price range in your queries.

Find business brokers in Nebraska to assist you in the purchase process

Nebraska business brokers can identify businesses that are clearly undesirable and help negotiate a price on the best candidates. A business broker also will help you obtain any licenses and permits that Nebraska requires.

I recommend: Business Brokers Corporation is in Ashland and specializes in mid-market companies in Nebraska and Illinois. NAINP Dodge is in Omaha and assists clients in commercial real estate transactions.

Hire a Certified Public Accountant before purchasing Nebraska businesses for sale

A CPA will need to review the financial records of any business in which you are interested. Additionally, a CPA can ensure that you file any required legal documents.

I recommend: Daniel S. Grieb in Omaha provides business consulting and business valuations for clients in Nebraska. BHE Services has extensive experience in business valuation, primarily for sale and acquisition purposes.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Determine the owner's reason for selling before buying a Nebraska business for sale. The owner may no longer be interested in running the business or there may be legitimate financial reasons for putting it up for sale. You will also want to review the marketing strategy for the business as many lagging businesses can be revived with proper advertising.
• •  Review the physical assets of the Nebraska business for sale. You will need to know if the office equipment, machinery and other property is actually in working order. You will also want to inspect the building itself to know if it meets the health and safety standards that Nebraska requires.