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If You Had $300,000 What Business Would You Buy?

Forza

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Just looking for new perspective...

If you literally had $300,000 saved up from work, what type of business(es) would you buy?
 
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1320Trader

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I would start a business that required somewhat of a lower initial capital investment and use the rest of the money as security to relieve early performance pressures and provide time to absorb the learning curve. However, you would have to keep yourself highly motivated....people tend to become lazy with too much security. Sounds a little slowlane and its exciting to put it all on the line, but if you can afford to plan for success and absorb drawdowns you increase your odds greatly.
 

fanocks2003

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I would put all of that cash in the bank. And then I would go out and start a business. If you find a strong enough demand you really don't need $300k to start a business. Not your own capital anyhow.
 

Redshft

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I'd buy(and have flirted with the possibility of doing it) Bob's Pizza. It's local take-out pizza joint that has a HUGE customer following. The owner is not business savvy and is too lazy to carry this restaurant to it's potential, which I KNOW is huge.

But, there is some extra baggage that would come with that purchase that pushes me away from it.
 
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Forza

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1320Trader
Yeah, I just thought of doing some kind of trading by buying things below intrinsic value. One problem is, how do you estimate intrinsic value with a commodity that doesn't produce cashflow, such as corn, empty land, oil, etc?

fanocks2003
I'm not actually confident enough to start my own business with investor money. This is why I asked about buying something. I'm someone who likes to improve on things. Designing and developing a fastlane b & m business from scratch would probably be over my head right now.

Redshft
The fast rising food costs didn't scare you?
 

randallg99

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You gotta eat

recently golfed with one of the largest restaurant-equipment suppliers on the east coast who would differ with your opinion stating that the costs of flour, corn, dairy (basically all foods) have made the pizza shops much more competitive with other restaurants and no longer the pizza parlor is the "cheap eats" on the run for pops to pick up on the ride home....
 

Sid23

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1) I would put the $300,000 into my ING savings account.

2) I would spend 3 months learning everything I could about commercial real estate investing, specifically apartment buildings.

3) I would spend another 3 months networking, getting to know as many investors as possible.

**I figure in about 6 months the capital markets will have repriced the risk and capital will be available again.

4) I would contact SteveO and tell him I have $100,000 to put into his next deal.

5) I would contact one of the other successful investors I'd have met in my months of networking and put $100,000 into one of their deals, preferrably an apt rehab deal with no more than a 2-4 year time horizon.

**Steps 4-5 can be combined into one $200,000 move if the numbers are right and you believe in the investor.

6) I would give $20,000 to my brother to invest in commodities, knowing I have up to $30,000 more to invest with him if it is the right move.

7) I would put $50,000 in savings in case steps 2-6 blow up in my face.

8) I would take the $4,500 I'd earned in interest from the savings account and take my wife on a nice trip.

3-5 years down the road I would have turned that $300,000 into a $1,000,000 or so.

I would then repeat steps 1-8 as many times as possible.

I would then retire and spend the rest of my life working on my causes.
 

Redshft

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recently golfed with one of the largest restaurant-equipment suppliers on the east coast who would differ with your opinion stating that the costs of flour, corn, dairy (basically all foods) have made the pizza shops much more competitive with other restaurants and no longer the pizza parlor is the "cheap eats" on the run for pops to pick up on the ride home....

Every restaurant is going to have to increase their prices, the rising costs of gas affects nearly everything.

Take out pizza is a pastime, Americans won't just quit ordering pizza; it is too many people's favorite food. It is TOO EASY for catering parties, it is convenient. How many birthday parties or social events have you gone to that order Chinese? Many delivery joints have actually picked up in business b/c of the rising fuel costs.

Now bistro's and other sit-down pizza joints, yes, he may have a point, but there is ALWAYS going to be competition.
 
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phlgirl

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If I wanted to keep my job, I would start buying income producing real estate.

If I wanted to leave my job, I would be looking to purchase an existing company, which had the following:
  • equal to or greater than my existing income
  • stability - a business which is good but has the potential to be great
  • growth potential
  • a product or service I know something about (makes the loan process easier)
  • few moving parts
  • tendency to be recession proof
  • potential for long-term absentee management
If 300k were my entire savings, I would not use the full amount. I would put a portion aside as reserve.
 

DKNJ

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I'm looking into buying a business as well. I'm nervous about opening one because I lack the experience. Buying an existing one that already has clients and cashflow sounds safer to me because I would be quiting my job and would have nothing to cover my expenses during the start up. But I don't really trust the cashflow numbers stated on business for sale websites like bizbuysell.
 
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D

DeletedUser394

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You realize this thread is over 6 years old?

Only 1 person in this whole thread is still around.

Why don't you start a new thread on this topic? Reposts don't really count against you if it's been half a decade since the last post.
 

DKNJ

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You realize this thread is over 6 years old?

Only 1 person in this whole thread is still around.

Why don't you start a new thread on this topic? Reposts don't really count against you if it's been half a decade since the last post.
Yes I noticed the date. I don't think it's the first time I've commented on an old post either. Lol. Thanks. I'll gather my thoughts for a repost. I may just need some sleep too. Zzz -_-
 

contract

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I would invest it in my current business...

If that wasn't an option. I'd buy an existing business that's profitable, but failing in branding/marketing efforts and turn it around. Then proceed to sell or continue.

There are plenty of companies for sale that manage to make millions a year, but don't even have a website. Or if they do, their online ordering process isn't even developed. Or say there customer service is awful.. They are missing out on so much growth..
 
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LightHouse

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You realize this thread is over 6 years old?

Only 1 person in this whole thread is still around.

Why don't you start a new thread on this topic? Reposts don't really count against you if it's been half a decade since the last post.

I never really agreed with this sentiment. On the same hand the same people (no offense) bitch at people who start a new thread on a topic that is covered already telling them to search first.

This thread is relevant to his topic, and has valuable information in it. So even if it was started forever ago, new folks will read the responses and contribute vs separating the same topic into a new separate thread.

Not trying to attack you here, but just disagreeing on the point that old posts shouldn't be replied to.
 

jon.a

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You realize this thread is over 6 years old?

Only 1 person in this whole thread is still around.

Why don't you start a new thread on this topic? Reposts don't really count against you if it's been half a decade since the last post.
At least he used search :)
 

ZCP

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Franchise? To learn how to franchise your own fastlane company once you have some more experience.
 

RHL

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The 20/20 Hindsight answer is: U.S. Equities. lol

$300,000 in Bitcoin. Assuming in this magical time-travel world that you could hold that much BTC from early 2009 on without tanking the global market for it by having purchased all available blocks, it would be worth $45.7 Billion right now. If he'd cashed out before the silk road crash, it would be worth $125 Billion, and he'd be the richest human alive.

In a parallel but far more reasonable story, a Reddit user in 2009 calling him/herself "AnonymousBitcoinGambler" sunk their life savings, somewhere between 11K and 16K into bit in 2010 or 2011. The rumor was that they pulled out 8-figures when they finally cashed out.
 
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silverspirit

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I would look for a business where the bare assets are worth way above the asking price and strip it, :cigar: They do exist if you know how to find them.

If I was actually looking to buy an existing business that was worth to keep running ( for a while ) has to be evergreen and I would look at the mistakes the current owners are making... The more mistakes they are making the more profitable I can make the business by fixing them. Once I have improved the bottom line, have a couple of years of growth recouping my initial investment, fixed the branding ( 98% of business have branding that sucks ) it would be put back for sale everywhere ( with a good copy ) for a large % more than my initial investment.


It is far better and normally more effective to build your own business get some revenue going one you have recovered the initial investment then flip for X profit, or if what you have is proprietary and you have protected right to this then it is posable to really cash in.
 
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D

Deleted17784

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I still think multi family houses in certain areas are a great investment. I still regret backing out of a great deal on a four family. You could put cash down on several multis and still keep some cash in the bank for a rainy day. Or buy 1-2 out right. That would throw off enough cash to live off. Hell I could retire with a passive $3,000 per month.
 

MooreMillions

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All things being equal, a coin laundry.

In my city, once this business is bought, my worries are minimal.
$300,000 in Bitcoin. Assuming in this magical time-travel world that you could hold that much BTC from early 2009 on without tanking the global market for it by having purchased all available blocks, it would be worth $45.7 Billion right now. If he'd cashed out before the silk road crash, it would be worth $125 Billion, and he'd be the richest human alive.

In a parallel but far more reasonable story, a Reddit user in 2009 calling him/herself "AnonymousBitcoinGambler" sunk their life savings, somewhere between 11K and 16K into bit in 2010 or 2011. The rumor was that they pulled out 8-figures when they finally cashed out.
GREAT RESPONSE!!!
 
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UpEvil

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Just looking for new perspective...

If you literally had $300,000 saved up from work, what type of business(es) would you buy?
I'd move somewhere with low living expenses with good Internet (e.g. Thailand) and be a digital nomad while I came up with a business worth a helluva lot more. That money could be stretched quite far.
 

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