Established Business Owners Quit

By Pass the start up time may already have customers you can take over. Advertise on Craigslist, Long term Salt River Project Employee laid off, looking for service business person retiring moving on etc who could refer former customers so I can earn a living again quicker so I can support my family long term. Former customers will need someone to do the work you did. Willing to pay something for jump start and referrals. Little money now.

Appreciate any leads to opportunity for start.

This type of ad posted and reposted on Craig’s and many other free lists for a month or better should get you some responses. Convince any responses you get from your ads that you are a responsible serious person who would treat their former customers well. Some, I am sure you will be asked to pay for equipment or something they used which you consider etc but some maybe, - like painting etc would not. Some might appreciate it if you offered a commission back on referred business for a year. Most would forgo that likely but fact you offered shows serious person here about taking over their work.

Or maybe offer a sum for the mailing list of people they did work for regularly and you would send notice that they have retired etc and you would like to offer your services etc.

If you have the money to buy a going business it does have advantages if you buy wisely.

1. You might pick up an ongoing and right away living income immediately with growth potential that would take years to get to from scratch.



2. Previous person had prices, etc everything worked out and accepted by ongoing customers etc. no guessing.



3. This is all valuable and if no money now, offer to pay as you have get work from them.



4. Often they were just stopping working and had no clue established long term customers were worth money. They will be able to tell you busy and slow seasons, best suppliers etc many had no plan to try to cash out on stopping work for their customers. Having someone to refer their former customers to would maybe be a help.



5. Go meet them in person, take spouse along even etc, get to know them, maybe go back several times, they may decide to really be a big help in seeing you get going correctly for free. Be sure what they did as service meshes up with your plans and abilities.



6. Due diligence, If you are paying a lot of money be sure you read up on precautions and steps to take etc. when buying an established business.



7. Maybe you can take over their old phone number customers were used to calling. That is likely the most valuable asset, is that phone number. Everything else is only a portion of the former customers; the phone number is the bigger here. You will refer their personal calls on to their new number.