It took less than a year

[Willy P]

My former business is no more. The buyer had no idea on how to run it and drove it in the ground. It was netting 80 k after paying myself and my helper, so it had a decent profit margin. I talked to a few ex clients/ property managers and they related un answered phone calls and emails, no shows, arguing with customers or calls returned days later. What a friggin shame, a profitable business in the dustbin.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

My former business is no more. The buyer had no idea on how to run it and drove it in the ground. It was netting 80 k after paying myself and my helper, so it had a decent profit margin. I talked to a few ex clients/ property managers and they related un answered phone calls and emails, no shows, arguing with customers or calls returned days later. What a friggin shame, a profitable business in the dustbin.

Sadly, I have seen this story told over and over again in the 50 years that I paid enough attention to my father to see it.

Some do better, most do worse.

I hope you got all your money up front

 

[AlienAgent]

Go back and contact all you old clients, start back up/build it back, sell it 18 months later for a fat profit ( while turning a profit at the same time…).

Rinse and repeat.

 

[Numero Uno]

Many think they can few achieve...

 

[Meter Maid]

very small businesses are more about the owner than the actual business.

I bet half my customers don’t even remember my business name. They know my name.

 

[Cleanworks]

It takes a person with that owner/operator mentality to take over a business like that. I got my start by buying out a small mom and pop business in 1990. They handed me their Rolodex, yellow pages and phone number. I called everyone of those index cards just to update the information, made a ton of sales doing so. Didn't make a big deal of change of ownership. They were called Ray and Maria's, I changed the name to R&M. May of the old customers called me Ray. I never corrected them. 33 years later, I still have a lot of those original customers and their kids. It's hard for someone to just step in but it can be done. I have been contemplating moving and selling everything here. Don't imagine I can get a lot for it but for the right person, it could be a gold mine.