Top Shelf Tips on Buying a Business

Tony Kereluke • April 17, 2018

Top Shelf Tips Before Buying or Starting a Business


Often times we at Top Shelf Franchising see buyers spending a great deal on procrastination and wondering if this is the right time. Yes this is normal thinking however is not always progressive in moving ahead or stepping away.

Here are some tips that you can sponge upon before making your choice to acquire a business or start one:

1. When purchasing a business one must ask what can I do, and what will I do to make this business successful. How will I grow this business and what do I want to do to build this business.

2. Do I see myself inside this business or location running the day to day? If so how does that feel when putting that hat on?

3. Do you have a support team or someone lean on? As being an entrepreneur can be a lonely road and having a team or support is key to feed off of. So try and surround yourself with other entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off of.

4. There is never a right time. In fact when times are slow or economic times are of stress that is even a better time to open or acquire a business. As rents are more favorable and costs can be lower upon entry. One can use this as an advantage in more cases that one.

5. Try and have a cushion of operating cash set aside. This cushion allows one to weather a stormy day or week and then can be replenished with stronger weeks.

6. Don't listen to naysayers - Those who have never owned or opened a business shouldn't be good people for advice. Talk to other entrepreneurs first and the most. Then digest. Many will give opinions however will not go down this road themselves.

7. Go with your Gut. What does your gut say? Not your ego push that aside. As many times ego gets in the way and many entrepreneurs who taste success will talk about letting go of your ego to become successful as a business owner.

8. Carving out a slice of Niche. Ask yourself does this business have a shaved & carved slice out of a Niche? Niche will get you threw some ups and downs. If you are not prepared to go through an up or a down then maybe finding or staying with your job might be better off.

Tony Kereluke

Top Shelf Franchising


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What's Trending? Businesses With Cash Flow & Hard Assets/Safe Haven's With the recent turmoil in stocks correcting and swinging around like a yo yo in a kids playground. Individuals & smart money investors are seeking out hard assets/ small businesses & franchises with cash flow. I receive hundreds a calls a month from buyers looking for cash flow and focused on hard assets. This sounds like a solid simple plan of attack and is working for a select group of smart money investors. Safe haven demand is at the highest level in a very long time. No one knows what will happen tomorrow or next month with the market or economy so why not take control your own future this way. If you are looking to diversify away from financial instruments and be in the drivers seat of your hard earned work. Why not start a side hustle? Or partner up to buy a franchise business in a great location? Or add onto your existing business portfolio and purchase another business. This I am seeing a demand in calls & especially over the past 6 months. I am a big fan of physical bullion gold and silver and have invested a great deal in this space over the past 5 years and returns are there. Here is a chart of Gold 5 year and one year as of MSN money app in USD funds. Gold Per Ounce 3405 USD ‎+81.80 (‎+2.46%) Today USD PAST YEAR • AS OF MAY 6, 10:05 A.M. EDT ‎+1,073.20 (‎+46.04%) USD PAST 5 YEARS • AS OF MAY 6, 10:06 A.M. EDT ‎+1,659.10 (‎+94.98%) USD While the S +P index YTD to date is seeing a loss YTD YTD • AS OF MAY 6, 10:06 A.M. EDT ‎-282.47 (‎-4.80%) 33.40 Silver Per Ounce ‎+0.90 (‎+2.76%) Today USD PAST YEAR • AS OF MAY 6, 10:01 A.M. EDT ‎+5.99 (‎+21.89%) USD YTD • AS OF MAY 6, 10:02 A.M. EDT ‎+4.12 (‎+14.08%) This type of hard physical asset is yours only and holds no counter party risk. It is recommended to have safe storage in higher amounts & can always be sold and turned into a fiat currency anytime you wish. It's a flight for safety and a safe haven, and is working as world fiat dollars de-value with inflation chewing away slowly at it. One suggestion is to not do what everyone else does. In fact you may want to look at the opposite first. Then do your own due diligence. While I do not give out financial advice you are welcome to speak with your advisor who most likely will not talk about gold or silver or investing into a small business and will push there financials instruments so they can obtain a fee from there bank. So it is important to talk to many others in different fields. Try not to trust one source to park your cash or plan your retirement. It's just too risky to let it all ride on whim of a financial instrument and hope it keeps going up. As there is nothing better than controlling your own destiny in life. Master your own destiny is the way to go and work for it and build it they will come.