4 Steps to Buy a Business
Buying a business involves many moving parts, but the acquisition process can generally be broken into four key steps.
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Define Your Goals
The first question we ask is not what kind of business you want. It is what you want the business to do for you. That answer shapes everything else, from the type of business you should be looking at to how involved you want to be and where you want to take it.
Not every buyer has those answers right away. Part of our role is helping you think through your objectives so you can evaluate opportunities in the context of what matters to you.
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Explore Business Opportunities
We help buyers identify acquisition opportunities that align with their objectives, financial capacity, and acquisition criteria. When a potential opportunity is identified, we provide available information to help you determine whether the business warrants further evaluation.
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Offer & Due Diligence
Once you decide to pursue an opportunity, we help coordinate the evaluation process and work alongside your CPA, attorney, lender, and other advisors as appropriate. Due diligence may include financial, operational, legal, financing, and other considerations depending on the business and transaction.
We also help you prepare and evaluate an offer based on the business, deal structure, financing, contingencies, and other terms of the proposed transaction.
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Close the Deal
As the transaction moves toward closing, we help coordinate the remaining steps with the buyer, seller, lenders, attorneys, closing professionals, and other parties involved. We stay closely involved through closing to help keep the process organized and communication clear.
Why Buyers Choose Us
Experienced Transaction Guidance
Honest, Transparent Guidance
Access to Business Opportunities
Thoughtful Offer Evaluation
Buy a Business FAQs
Start by considering your experience, goals, financial capacity, preferred industries, geographic preferences, and the level of involvement you want to have in the business. Cooperhawk can help you evaluate opportunities based on those criteria and think through the financial, operational, and transaction considerations that may matter before deciding whether to pursue a particular business.
No. However, speaking with a lender early in the process can help you understand your available financing options, potential down payment requirements, and a realistic acquisition range. Financing requirements vary depending on the buyer, business, purchase price, and transaction structure. Cooperhawk can also connect buyers with lenders experienced in business acquisitions when appropriate.
The information available will vary by business and stage of the process. After completing applicable confidentiality requirements, buyers may receive financial statements, tax returns, balance sheets, and other financial or operational information provided by the seller. Additional information is typically reviewed during due diligence as the transaction progresses.
Due diligence gives a buyer an opportunity to review information about the business before completing the acquisition. Depending on the transaction, this may include financial statements, tax returns, operations, customer and vendor relationships, contracts, employees, equipment, leases, licensing, and other matters relevant to the business.
Buyers typically work with their CPA, attorney, lender, and other advisors to evaluate the information within their respective areas of expertise. Cooperhawk helps coordinate the process, facilitate communication with the seller, and keep the transaction moving as questions and information are addressed.
The timeline varies by transaction. After a buyer and seller reach agreement on a letter of intent, a Main Street business acquisition may take approximately 60 to 120 days to complete, although some transactions take more or less time. Financing, due diligence, lease or real estate matters, licensing requirements, and the complexity of the transaction can all affect the timeline.
Cooperhawk helps coordinate the process and keeps buyers informed as the transaction progresses.
Yes. Cooperhawk works with buyers evaluating businesses across a range of industries, including construction, manufacturing and fabrication, administrative and support services, professional and technical services, healthcare and medical, and retail.
We can help you identify and evaluate acquisition opportunities based on your experience, objectives, financial capacity, preferred industries, and other acquisition criteria.
Feel free to explore our current listings here.
Thinking About Selling or Buying a Business?
Most business sales begin long before an owner decides to sell. For many owners, that starts with understanding what the business may be worth and thinking through the timing.
Cooperhawk offers complimentary business valuations and confidential conversations for owners at any stage, whether you’re planning years ahead or ready to explore a sale. We also work with buyers evaluating acquisition opportunities.
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