A serious buyer should have the answers to the following questions:

• Why are you considering the purchase of a business at this time?
• What is your time frame to find a suitable business?
• Are you open-minded about different opportunities, or are you looking for a specific business?
• Have you set aside an amount of capital that you are willing to invest?
• Do you really want to be in business for yourself?
• Are you currently employed or unemployed?
• Are you the decision maker, or are there others involved?

The real key to being a serious buyer, however, is whether the individual can make that “leap of faith” so necessary to the purchase of a business. No matter how much due diligence a buyer performs, no matter how many advisors there are to advise the buyer, at some point, the buyer has to make a leap of faith to purchase the business. There are no “sure things” and there are no guarantees. If a buyer is not comfortable being in business, he or she should not even contemplate buying one.