Once you've decided to become a business owner, it's safe to say you've made the first of many important decisions. If you've already begun your search you might have uncovered the fact that there are A LOT of businesses available for purchase in Minnesota. Below, I'll share some strategies for narrowing the field. 

Narrowing Your Search for Available Businesses

Don't let the sheer number of available businesses intimidate or dissuade you. Instead, use the following strategies to navigate your way from employee to entrepreneur. 

Newspapers and Classifieds

First, let's start with where to find businesses for sale in Minnesota. It pays to follow local and online newspapers with classifieds. Newspapers in major cities, like the StarTribune and the Duluth News Tribune both, have classifieds sections dedicated to businesses for sale. Newspapers can be a good resource, especially if your search is location-specific. 

Business Listing Websites

There are entire websites dedicated to listing businesses for sale. With these sites, you can narrow your search by location (sometimes on a state by state basis, sometimes more specific regions), and you can narrow by type of industry. Some popular sites include:

• BizBuySell
• BusinessBroker.net
• BizQuest
• GlobalBx
• BusinessesForSale.com
• Transworld Business Advisors of Minnesota

Word-of-Mouth

One tactic people rarely rely on in our tech-savvy world is just talking to current business owners. One strategy is approaching business owners of businesses you like and starting a conversation.

Current owners give a lot of effort and attention to their businesses, and to be honest, it can be nice to have an interested person to talk to. Even if they don't want to sell, they can provide insights into the industry and they might know someone in their network who is looking to sell.  

Work with a Business Advisor

If you're looking for a search method that's a little less of a headache and geared more toward your specific needs and preferences, working with a business advisor might be the right option. When you work with a business advisor, they get to know your needs and preferences, and then they do the searching for you.  

There's a lot less legwork on your side when you work with an advisor, and they can help you find businesses that might be filtered out of online search queries. For instance, perhaps the industry you're most interested in has remarkable similarities to another one you had never considered. Working with a business advisor can help you locate businesses for sale in Minnesota that fit you.