When you start your program to purchase your "ideal" company,you quickly realize that your ultimate success will depend ontwo primary skill sets: 1) Your ability to FIND viablecompanies that are for sale, and 2) Your ability toeffectively qualify the potential acquisition investment oncefound.

This article is about only step one, how to creatively findviable companies and one's that are able to be purchased.

Assuming you have clearly defined your business purchasecriteria and you have decided to pursue only companies thatare "officially" for sale, versus attempting to find andcontact company owners who might be willing to sell, you willneed to explore as many ways as you can to find companies forsale as possible.

As a business buyer you want to use the best means possible toposition yourself to get the first shot at your most promisingacquisition candidates and to do such in as cost effectivemeans as possible.

Often the more "creative" you are to find deals, the quickeryou'll find the "right" deal. The more diverse your means tolocate viable companies for sale the better your chances offinding a quality acquisition candidate that few others areaware of.

When you are pursuing acquisition candidates you really neverknow where your next deal will come from. It could be word-of-mouth, something your read in a newspaper, a visit to a websiteor a lead from an association meeting. Listed below are avariety of ways you can use to find businesses to buy:

25 Ways to Find Businesses For Sale

* Investment Bankers: Regional, National, International

* Investment Banker websites: Listings of businesses for sale

* Business Brokers: Regional and National

* Business Brokerage websites: Listings of businesses for sale

* Venture Capital Firms: Good referral potential

* Mezzanine Lenders: Regional, National, Always aware of potential deals

* Newspapers: Listings in Local, Regional, National and Industry specific

* Magazines: Listings in Regional, National and Industry specific

* Newsletters: Listings in printed or "Ezines" on the internet - Industry specific

* Commercial Banks: Many of their clients are considering sale of their company

* Consultants: All varieties, many have extensive practices and many owner contacts

* Associations: All varieties, some are focused just on merger & acquisition activities

* Business Directories: All forms of printed and electronic, many industry specific

* M&A Service Providers: They know who is selling what often on a national basis

* Product Suppliers: Many product manufacturers/ distributors are in the know

* Trade Shows: Walk a trade show in an industry of interest, salesman love to talk!

* Accountants: Many have large practices with extensive business owner contacts

* Professors: Many provide consultative services to business owners or are board members

* Corporate Officers: Especially Corporate Development managers, seeking "spin-off's"

* Bank Trust Departments: Sometimes viable businesses surface in trust situations

* M&A Legal Specialists: Many are in the "crosswinds" of constant deal opportunities

* Networking Meetings: Your local business newspaper publishes many of these

* Technology Licensors: Always aware of companies getting "out" of new technologies

* Directory of Board Members: Board members typically know other board members

* Business Associates: Current and previous business associates and service providers

These "25 Ways to Find Businesses for Sale" are only a few ofthe creative means you can use to find acquisition candidates.Keep this list and add your own methods once you start yourbusiness pursuit program. With today's endless capabilities ofthe internet, its worldwide reach into various countries,industries and industry participants, there are countlessvariations for most of the means listed here.

As important about being proactive to locate companies toacquire you need to be as diligent to broadcast and documentyour specific business purchase interests and purchasecriteria whenever and wherever possible. Business owners;individuals, corporations with multi divisions, merger andacquisition intermediaries, private equity firms need to knowwho you are and what specific businesses you seek to purchase.

This notification effort can be manifested in printed or"electronic" formats. The internet again is the most costeffective means to document your exact business purchasecriteria and interests. However, be aware that there are fewe commerce sites that specifically accommodate proactivebusiness buyer needs. Most business transaction websites focuson listing businesses for sale, facilitating primarilybusiness sellers needs, not business buyers.

Take the time and effort to research and try all thesedifferent means to locate companies to buy. Some will be moreproductive than others, while some may be more accommodatingto your specific business pursuit requirements. You must dowhat you must to throw away as much hay as you can to get tothat needle in the stack!

About the Author:

Mark Smock is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com,the FIRST international business buyer directory of its kind.Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means forproactive business buyers to locate businesses for saleworldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria.

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