When most people think about becoming an entrepreneur, they picture the grind: late nights, years of trial and error, and building something from scratch with no guarantee it’ll work.

That path exists — and it works for a lot of folks — but it’s not the only one.

There’s another option that rarely gets talked about, especially among parents who already have full calendars and limited capacity for risk: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition.

Instead of starting a business, you buy one.

That’s right — you skip the startup stage, take over something that already has customers, cash flow, and a working business model, and grow it from there.

If you’re a parent who wants to build wealth without spending the next three years in hustle mode, this path might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Additional reading on small business:

What Is Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)?

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition is exactly what it sounds like: becoming a business owner by purchasing an existing business rather than building one from the ground up.

That business could be:

A local service business (like a cleaning company, landscaping service, or pool maintenance route)
An online business (like an affiliate blog, Etsy shop, or dropshipping brand)
A professional services business (like a bookkeeping firm or small marketing agency)

These aren’t always massive, multi-million-dollar businesses with 50 employees. Many are small, profitable, and run by an owner who's ready to move on — which creates an opportunity for someone like you to step in.

Why Buying a Business Might Be a Smarter Move Than Starting One

Starting a business from scratch takes serious time — and even more energy.

As a founder myself, I’ve lived through the reality: building a product or service, finding your first customers, tweaking your offer, managing cash flow, and staying up late Googling "how to do taxes for your LLC." None of it happens overnight.

And for all that effort?

Nearly 20% of new businesses fail in their first year, and around 50% fail within five years, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Compare that to existing businesses, where a strong financial track record, loyal customers, and systems already in place significantly reduce your risk.

When you buy a business, you skip most of that early-stage chaos. Instead, you step into something that already:

Makes money
Has a product or service people want
Comes with customers, systems, and (hopefully) a few processes in place

You don’t have to build from scratch. You just have to learn how it works — and then make it better.

For busy parents who want to grow wealth but don’t have the luxury of failing slowly, this “shortcut” can make all the difference.

It often means faster income, lower risk, and a head start on building something real.

What Kinds of Businesses Can You Buy?

You don’t need to buy a franchise or drop $1 million to become a business owner through acquisition — but if your goal is to generate real wealth and step into a business that pays you from day one, you might want to look beyond solopreneur side hustles.

Here are examples of higher-cash-flow business types that are still accessible for middle-class buyers with capital to invest (think $50K–$250K in savings or financing):

Commercial cleaning companies with recurring contracts and part-time staff. These often generate steady, predictable income and can be expanded through B2B sales and better scheduling systems.
Specialty trades or services like plumbing, HVAC, or pest control businesses. If they’re well-staffed, you don’t need to do the work yourself — just manage or hire a general manager.
Multi-territory service franchises (like home health, mobile pet grooming, or tutoring). These often come with marketing and operational support and can be semi-absentee with the right team.
Established online stores doing $20K–$100K/month in revenue. Look for those with solid SEO rankings, email lists, and documented processes you can optimize — not build from scratch.
Niche B2B service firms like bookkeeping businesses, small digital marketing agencies, or IT consultancies. These can often be grown through referrals, better pricing, or additional service lines.

These types of businesses might not be flashy, but they offer something even better: consistent income and the ability to grow over time. Many already have staff in place, customer relationships established, and systems running — which means you can work on the business, not in it.

The key is to find something that matches your investment level, leverages your strengths, and doesn’t require you to reinvent the wheel.

Where to Find a Business to Buy

There are more options than you think:

BizBuySell: The biggest marketplace for small businesses in the U.S.
Flippa: Best for online businesses, including ecommerce, SaaS, and content sites
Acquire: Focused on startup-style and online business acquisitions
Empire Flippers: Higher-quality online businesses
Duuce: a newer entrant to the space, focusing strictly on newsletters for sale.
Facebook groups and forums
Local brokers (for more traditional businesses)
Cold outreach to business owners (“I’m a huge fan of your business, would you ever consider selling?” goes a long way)

You don’t need to wait for a business to be listed. Sometimes, the best deals come from direct conversations.

What to Look for Before You Buy

When you're investing serious money into a business, you want more than just good vibes and a logo. You want to know that what you're buying will generate cash flow and grow in value over time.

Here’s what to evaluate before signing anything:

Strong, consistent profitability

You’re not looking for potential. You’re looking for a proven track record.

Ideally, the business has shown steady net income over the past 2–3 years — not just top-line revenue.

Bonus points for recurring revenue or long-term contracts that lock in future cash flow.

Limited owner dependency

If the business is the owner — meaning they’re the main salesperson, service provider, and point of contact — that’s a red flag.

Look for businesses with a clear handoff process or team in place, so you can step in without becoming a full-time operator.

Solid systems and staff

Does the business have documented processes, automation tools, or employees who know what they’re doing?

A business with reliable staff and repeatable systems is worth more — and saves you from reinventing the wheel.

Growth levers you understand

Look for businesses you can grow using your existing skills or network.

If you're good at marketing, ops, or customer experience — can you improve lead generation, upsells, or retention?

You don’t need to triple revenue on day one, but you should see clear ways to add value.

Clean financials

You’ll want to review 2–3 years of profit and loss statements, tax returns, and balance sheets.

Watch out for businesses with messy books or unclear expenses.

Transparency is non-negotiable — if the seller can’t (or won’t) show clean numbers, walk away.

Low customer concentration

Ideally, no single customer should represent more than 20% of revenue. If they leave, the business shouldn’t collapse.

Diversified income = more stability.

If you’re serious about acquiring a business, bring in a professional to help you evaluate deals.

A coach, accountant, or fractional CFO can help you spot risks, ask smarter questions, and negotiate from a position of strength.

How to Afford a Business (Even a $1M One)

You don’t need to have a million dollars sitting in your bank account to buy a million-dollar business.

Most small business acquisitions are funded through a combination of financing, seller support, and your own capital — and many middle-class buyers are more financially prepared for this than they think.

Here are the most common ways to make it happen:

SBA Loans (Small Business Administration)

These government-backed loans are one of the most popular ways to fund acquisitions.

You typically need 10% down — so if you’re buying a $1M business, that’s $100K from you.

The SBA can cover the remaining 90%, often with favorable terms and long repayment timelines.

Seller Financing

Many small business owners are willing to “hold the note” on a portion of the deal — meaning they finance part of the purchase themselves.

For a $1M business, it’s not uncommon for the seller to finance 10–30%, especially if they’re motivated to exit and confident in the buyer. This can reduce your need for a large loan or investor.

Your Own Capital

This includes savings, taxable investments, or tapping into a home equity line of credit (HELOC).

While using personal funds comes with risk, it also gives you leverage in negotiations and makes you a more attractive buyer.

Partnerships

Know someone who has capital but doesn’t want to run a business?

You could bring the operational vision and sweat equity while they bring the funding. Just make sure you’ve got a clear agreement and aligned goals.

ROBS (Rollovers as Business Startups)

This allows you to use retirement funds to buy a business without penalties or taxes — but it requires a specialized structure and setup.

Best used when paired with professional help.

Real-World Example: Buying a $1M Business

Let’s say you find a local HVAC business for sale for $1 million. It’s profitable, has a reliable team, and generates $250K/year in net income.

Here’s one way the deal could break down:

$100K down payment (from your savings or a HELOC)
$700K SBA loan (financed over 10 years at ~10% interest)
$200K seller financing (repaid over 3–5 years)

Your monthly loan payments might be ~$9,000, but if the business is generating $20K+/month in net profit, you’re still cash flowing and building equity from day one.

This kind of deal isn’t just theoretical — it’s how many real people (including parents with kids and mortgages) are becoming business owners without spending a decade bootstrapping.

What Happens After You Buy

The real work begins after the deal closes — but this is also where the opportunity lives.

The First 90 Days: Learn, Don’t Burn

In your first 30–90 days, your job isn’t to overhaul everything — it’s to learn the business inside and out.

Shadow the seller (if they’re staying on temporarily), meet with employees, understand what customers love (and hate), and review the systems in place.

Think of this as your “get the lay of the land” phase. You're figuring out:

What’s already working well
What’s broken but fixable
Where there’s untapped potential

This is not the time to rebrand, raise prices dramatically, or fire everyone and start fresh.

Stability builds trust — especially if customers or staff are nervous about the change in ownership.

The Optimization Phase: Build Wealth by Running Smarter

Once you’ve got a feel for how the business operates, that’s when you can start turning the dials.

This is where real wealth-building happens — not by working more, but by improving what’s already there.

You might:

Streamline inefficient operations and cut unnecessary expenses
Improve customer retention or loyalty with better communication or systems
Add new services or upsells to increase revenue per customer
Strengthen the brand with clearer messaging, better design, or new channels
Use automation tools to reduce owner involvement (so you’re not working 60-hour weeks)

The best part?

You don’t need to reinvent the business to grow it.

You just need to run it better than the previous owner — and that’s completely doable when you’ve got a plan.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Start From Scratch

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition isn’t just for private equity bros or MBA grads.

It’s for regular people — including parents — who want to build wealth, own their time, and step into something that already has momentum.

You don’t have to spend years guessing, tweaking, and hoping your business takes off.

You can buy something that’s already working — and make it your own.

This might not be the path you’ve heard about — but it could be the one that gets you where you want to go, faster.

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition: A Different Path to Being an Entrepreneur