Don’t let “inexperience” stop you from buying a business

One of the most common objections I hear to starting a business is:

“I don’t know how to run that kind of business.”

People imagine they need to learn how to step in as a dry cleaner, repair HVAC systems, or manage a nail salon.

Since they don’t have that expertise, they assume they can’t be an owner.

That belief keeps them stuck.

In reality, when you buy a business, you’re often inheriting something that already has:

• Systems that work

• Employees who know their roles

• Loyal customers

• A track record of revenue, often built over decades

Your job is not to master technical work.

Instead, you need to focus on understanding the financials, managing the manager, and keeping things steady.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

Take Ben and Andrea.

He was an Army infantry officer for 10 years, and she ran a small marketing business.

Neither had ever worked in a salon.

Still, they acquired an upscale nail salon in St. Louis for $675,000.

Instead of learning how to do nails…

They hired a manager to oversee daily operations so they could focus on building systems and supporting staff.

And in the first year, they added $50,000 to their household income!

They didn’t need to know how to do nails!

All they had to do was know how to put the right person in the right seat.

In many cases, sellers will stay on for months, sometimes years, to help with transitions.

And in this economic environment, employees are craving stability.

With a new owner, they just want continuity, and they’ll keep doing what they already know how to do.

This is why the “I don’t know the industry” objection doesn’t hold up.

You don’t need to be a technician to thrive as a business owner.

Instead, you need to learn management, how to read a financial statement, hire and support the right people, and keep things steady.

If you can figure that out…

It doesn’t matter if you own a business outside your wheelhouse.

Waiting until you feel like an industry expert is the fastest way to miss the opportunity altogether.

There are proven businesses with staff, customers, and systems already in place, just waiting for someone to step in and take control.

If you want an easy way to get started…

Fill out the 2-minute survey below and I’ll put you on my Interested Investor list.

Any time I come across acquisition opportunities that I think my subscribers might be interested in, I send out a broadcast to that list with the details.

👉 I want to buy (or invest as a silent partner into) a small business

Or, if you want to sell your business and are looking for buyers, tell me more below. We’ll reach out if there is a good fit.

👉 I want to sell my small business

Onward,

— Ben Kelly