Okay, so, I’ve been thinking about buying a business for a while now. I live in Washington State, and I figured, why not start here? I mean, I know the area, and it seems like there are always businesses popping up and disappearing, so there must be something for sale, right?
First thing I did was to start looking around online. You know, just casually browsing, seeing what’s out there. I typed in something like “businesses for sale Washington state” into the search bar and hit enter. Man, was I overwhelmed. There were tons of listings, from restaurants to retail stores to online businesses. It was a lot to take in.
So I started to narrow it down a little. I thought about what I was actually interested in and what I was good at. I’ve always loved coffee, and I’ve worked in cafes before, so I thought, maybe a coffee shop? I filtered my search to look for cafes and coffee shops specifically.
Then came the real work. I started digging into each listing. I looked at the asking price, the reported revenue, the location, everything I could find. I made a spreadsheet—yeah, I’m that kind of person—to keep track of everything. Some of them looked promising, but others were clearly not a good fit.
- A cute little coffee shop in a busy part of Seattle.
- A drive-thru espresso stand on a highway exit.
- An established bakery with a cafe area in a small town.
After a lot of searching and comparing, I found a few that seemed like they could be a good fit. The next step was to start reaching out to the sellers. I sent a bunch of emails, just introducing myself and expressing my interest. I figured, the worst they could say was no, right?
I got a few responses, and I set up some calls with the sellers. These calls were super important. I got to ask all the questions I had, and I got a better sense of the businesses and the people running them.
Honestly, it was a bit nerve-wracking. I mean, this is a big decision. But I felt like I was on the right track. I narrowed it down to two businesses. One was that coffee shop in Seattle, and the other was the bakery in the small town.
Making a Tough Choice
I visited both locations, talked to the staff, tried the products, and even spent some time just observing the businesses in action. This was really helpful. I could see how busy they were, what the customers were like, and what the overall vibe was.
Finally, after weeks of research and deliberation, I made a decision. I decided to go with the bakery in the small town. It felt like a better fit for me. It was a bit slower-paced, but it had a strong community vibe, and I really connected with the owner.
So, that’s where I’m at now. I’m working on getting financing and all that fun stuff. It’s a lot of paperwork and legal stuff, but I’m excited. It’s been a long journey, but I think I’ve found the right business for me. Wish me luck!
