I have owned 3 businesses. I wrote about my experience in a blog. Each one was different. The common thread is knowing when to leave is key. Often people stay too long (pushing a business that has no hope), or leaving too late, after they lost interest and the business suffered loss of value.

While you are young and ideally buying a good business, be aware that the lesson below still pertains to you:

Here is an exercise I encourage all business owners to periodically run:

Some Upsides of staying in your business:

Maintain an income
Do something I like
Maintain employment for my people
Some Downsides of Staying:

Will customers pay me on time, or stiff me?
Will I, or my spouse, or my workers get sick?
Will I miss out on the high price for my business for years to come?
Some Upsides of leaving (selling):

A nice cash payout for my business
No more headaches with staff and customers
Stay safe, by not being in and around people’s homes/businesses
Some Downsides of leaving (selling):

Can I replace income from my investments or another way of making a living?
Will I miss my co-workers, clients and industry friends?
What will I do with my time that will still give me a sense of purpose?

read the whole blog here: redacted

^redacted‌ - In addition to the direct responses you receive here, you can find self-reported acquisition data under the main menu / Searchfund List. Our data often lags actual events by several months, but it is a good place to start. Sort by click twice on acquired column to sort in descending in order of acquisition date. Here is the direct link: redacted