Buying a business in 5 steps

Buying a business often involves more than previously thought. And then there is as much choice! We are happy to help you shape the search process and work towards a successful purchase as efficiently as possible.

 

Buying a business in 5 steps

1. Make a search profile

The first step toward a successful purchase is to make a search profile, a wish list of sorts. By thinking about your preferences for aspects such as type of order fulfillment (dropshipping, fulfillment or own stock), desired time commitment, specific industry, etc., you can select the right opportunities in our large offerings.

Filling out a clear search profile on our platform is very important here. By indicating in your account what you are looking for, you will receive notifications specifically for your search profile. You will then be one of the first to know that the company is for sale.

You can fill in the search profile by logging into your account (top right) and selecting 'search profile' in the left menu. 

2. Navigate offerings

The second step is to navigate the businesses offered for sale. Once you are registered and have a paid account, you can apply a filter on the offer page by desired turnover, industries, visitors per month, order fulfillment, and type of shop platform, among others. You can also search by keyword. For example, if you are specifically interested in a sales account (Bol.com, Amazon or other) you can enter that as a keyword.

When you have found a profile that has piqued your interest, you can ask the seller for more information. You do this by clicking on the green "request access" button at the bottom of the profile. In most cases, more information is then immediately available, including the domain name. Do not forget to go through all the information, sometimes there is also a nice sales memorandum available, this gives you a good insight into the company.

3. Making contact with the seller

Have you reviewed the profile, online business and any added documents and are interested in the company? If so, let the seller know. You can start a conversation with the seller in your inbox.
Some tips for a good start:
  • Thank the seller for the provided access to the data
  • Introduce yourself briefly
  • Tell why you are interested

After a small introduction, you can ask questions. This can be done via chat or you can agree to call, video call and/or meet. The choice in this depends on the buyer and seller.

We have created a checklist of questions you can ask the seller.

4. Structure buying process

It often happens that a pleasant introduction between seller and buyer has taken place and both parties wonder 'what now'? The seller and buyer are free to set up the (re)sales process as they see fit. It often follows this structure:
  • Introduction meeting(s)
  • Insight into general business processes and key figures
  • Free offer from buyer to seller. Here you can read more about determining the online business value.
  • Upon agreement of free offer: Inspection of more detailed company information. It is possible to sign an LOI for this.
  • Book research. Buyer gets to know as much as possible about the company. The seller has a duty to share as much relevant information as possible, the buyer has a duty to dig into the information as much as possible. We offer assistance in (parts) of the book examination when desired. Read more about the options here.
  • Signing the agreement. There are several standard agreements available on our platform. These agreement are prepared specifically for online businesses. A handy start. You can also choose to have the contract checked by our partner lawyer.

5. Buying a business - The acquisition

The moment the deal is closed, the adventure begins for you as the buyer. A good transition of the company is important for the continuation of achieved results.

You can agree with the seller to keep in touch in the first period after acquisition, a kind of settling-in period. Often it is agreed to have contact for a few weeks, after which follow-up advice can be arranged at an hourly rate.