Does anyone have any pointers for finding/purchasing an established storefront route?
I know building a route takes time, and would appreciate anyone’s pointers and/or experience with how to find/market for an established route.
Thanks all!
(1) Make friends with your respected competitors. Learn from each other and refer work out to each other whenever you’re overwhelmed or in a pinch. If and when the ‘other guy’ decides to sell his business someday, you’ll probably be the first one he approaches.
(2) Regularly check out business broker sites like BizBuySell.com. There are a lot of similar sites but BizBuySell is my personal favorite
(3) Send a professionally written letter to every respected competitor within a 25 mile radius that basically says, “Hi we’re your friendly local competition. We come in peace. We’re looking to grow and grow quickly! If you’re considering getting out of the business for whatever reason, we would like to meet with you”. They’ll probably throw it in the fireplace, but keep sending the same letter to the same list of competitors once a year and eventually someone will call you to talk numbers.
(4) Increase the size of your network. Get to know people who operate window tinting businesses, glass installation businesses, janitorial businesses, etc. Maybe they’ll have an uncle who knows a lady who knows a guy who is looking to sell his well established window cleaning business.
(5) Expand your offerings. Maybe there isn’t a window cleaning business for sale in your area on BizBuySell.com but maybe there is a pressure washing business, hood/vent cleaning business, window tinting business, etc. If it’s well established and kind of goes with window cleaning, then why not? Money is money.
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A Storefront Route is less valuable than purchasing the whole business. So you are specific about only wanting Routes ? Just clarifying your request.
Yes, more looking for the route aspect die to its predictability and recurring revenue.
