How To Buy A Small Business: Part 2 - Reviewing a Small Business (Due Diligence)

How To Buy A Small Business: Part 2 - Reviewing a Small Business (Due Diligence)

The “review” stage of the purchase comes after an offer to buy the business has been made and accepted by the seller. This stage is what the lawyers call “due diligence”. This stage is important for 2 main reasons. First, it can reveal issues in the business which are so fundamentally different from what you expected that you will either decide not to purchase the business at all, or lead to significant renegotiations of the purchase terms. Second, the review provides information which is key to drafting the Purchase Agreement and providing any additional information needed for finalizing the purchase.