Includes index.

The opportunity : entrepreneurship through acquisition -- Is entrepreneurship through acquisition for you? -- The acquisition process -- Anticipating the cost of your search -- Paying for your search -- Identifying the characteristics you want in your business -- Managing your search effectively : an overview -- Sourcing prospects using brokers -- Sourcing directly -- Enduringly profitable small businesses -- Using financial information to gauge enduring profitability -- Filtering for the owner's commitment to sell -- Preliminary due diligence -- How much should you pay for a small business? -- Deal terms -- The offer -- Confirmatory due diligence -- Raising debt -- Raising acquisition equity -- Negotiating the purchase agreement -- The closing day and beyond.

"Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own start-up seem too risky? There is a radical third path open to you: You can buy a small business and run it as CEO. Purchasing a small company offers significant financial rewards--as well as personal and professional fulfillment. Leading a firm means you can be your own boss, put your executive skills to work, fashion a company environment that meets your own needs, and profit directly from your success. But finding the right business to buy and closing the deal isn't always easy. In the 'HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business,' Harvard Business School professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff help you: Determine if this path is right for you; Raise capital for your acquisition; Find and evaluate the right prospects; Avoid the pitfalls that could derail your search; Understand why a 'dull' business might be the best investment; Negotiate a potential deal with the seller; Avoid deals that fall through at the last minute" -- Provided by publisher.