Latest Business for Sale - BizAssist Newsletter

In this issue:

• Picking the right ball to hit - Owen Scott.
• Think franchise - buying a business franchise - nzbizbuysell.
• Auckland Business opportunities and franchise expo.
• Quotes to inspire.
• This months featured businesses for sale.

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PICKING THE RIGHT BALL TO HIT.
Travis Wilson is a NZ hero who has made it in the tough US professional sport of baseball. From an early age his skills were recognised, developed and honed with a view to reaching the major leagues... in his chosen field - baseball!

Don't be a BADD - It's ridiculously obvious in Wilsons' example that he should focus on the one sport where he has a real talent, but many businesses don't look at themselves the same way. "Lack of focus, or what I call Business Attention Deficit Disorder, is the Achilles heel of most businesses - large and small - that end up not making it... no one ever sat down and figured out: 1) a specific, concrete need for "it" and, 2) how to market and sell the thing at a profit." says Internet marketing writer Tom Ranseen.

Selecting a market, ie. focusing on a set of customers with a similar level of buying interest, isn't easy. When you are striving hard to grow and expand, it is difficult to have the confidence to say no to sales opportunities.

The courage to focus...
To be successful you can and you must have the courage to focus. What many smaller companies fail to realise is that selling a product into four different markets is the same as selling four different products. Market expansion and diversification is a key to growth at a certain stage of a Company's development, but spreading your focus too widely too early results in stalled growth.

It's not the size of a market that is relevant, but how much customers in those markets are willing to buy of your kind of product. Looking at it from the customer's perspective - their need, buying cycles, competitive position of their industry and so on - a billion-dollar market can quickly reduce to a few million.

Hardest marketing decision...
Focusing on a market is one of the hardest marketing decisions you'll make.

But all companies have limited resources and these resources need to be 100% focused on a specific market to achieve the maximum gain. Everything can then become aimed at a particular group of customers - the sales process, the advertising activity, the support process, the product, the promotion etc. You save time, effort and money. Focus will make things happen.

So how do you go about selecting a market?
1. Establishing the need.
At a fundamental level the process starts with looking at your product or service features and understanding them from the perspective of the customer's need. The CD player becomes "the need for entertainment," or the computer system "the need for better information". It is really about discovering the true value your business brings the customer. The next question then is to establish some sort of priority amongst those people with a need, ie. Who needs entertainment the most.

2. Market attractiveness.
With an idea of some priority markets, you can begin the real work on whether or not a market makes sense for your business. You need to establish how attractive that market is - it's size, where it is located, how competitive it is, what barriers to entry exist and so on.

3. Your capability.
The attractiveness of a market needs to be balanced against your Organisation's capability - what sort of skills you have, where you and your sales channels are located, what reference sites you have in this market, what resources are required to meet the market need.

This is all pretty standard business practice, but a little pointless until you have gone through that very tough process of distilling that customer need very clearly and matching your product accordingly.

This sort of approach might seem illogical to New Zealand companies, used to spreading themselves across multiple small markets to survive. But this sort of market focus is the absolute key to getting to the next level - to achieving market success in large markets like Australia, the UK or the US.

This article has been kindly provided by Owen Scott from marketing strategy company, Concentrate

Alternatively: Increase your market share by business acquisition and buy your competitor,  more on this...

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THINK FRANCHISE - BUY A BUSINESS FRANCHISE.
There are three major ways of getting into your own business.  You could start the business from scratch, buy an existing business or enter into a franchise arrangement.

Each of these three options has it's own unique challenges and the choice you make will depend on your skills, resources and the amount of risk you are willing to take.

If you are thinking of starting a business, review all the options first.
For more on this...

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND FRANCHISE EXPO
AUCKLAND 13, 14 & 15 AUG (ASB SHOWGROUNDS)
Something for everyone considering buying their own business - whether they are in the serious stages of investing large capital or just exploring the idea of a life style change, like working from home...

• Talk to the experts and learn to minimize any risk.
• Franchising and business growth tips are offered at SEMINARS, run daily.
• New business opportunities launching for the first time.
• Plus mature business systems with opportunities available while/or supporting their brand and presence in the market place.
• Look for business ideas to suit your lifestyle and budget - from under $50,000 to over $500,000. 
        
  SAVE $15 AND GET YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASS HERE ...
  Just print off and show this newsletter and you're in at NO Charge!

AUCKLAND ASB SHOWGROUNDS (GREENLANE) 13, 14 & 15 AUGUST.
Doors open at 10am to 4pm. Seminars start at 10.30 and run daily every half hour.

We'll be there on stand 115, so pop-in and introduce yourself, its always great to meet up with our site users.
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QUOTES TO INSPIRE.
"The way we live our days, is the way we live our lives."
Annie Dillard

"Look up and not down, look forward and not back, look out and not in."
Edward Everett Hale.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Albert Einstein.

"An objective without a plan is a dream."
Douglas McGregor.

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FEATURED BUSINESSES FOR SALE.
1. Event Company - Auckland - $80,000.
Enormous growth potential. A rare opportunity to acquire a successful, profitable and well established events company with huge potential. Auckland's largest database of potential event clients, established stable of events; from event themed parties to team building events including the top selling product "The Amazing Race". Support infrastructure in-place with operating manual and marketing plan. Training provided.
For more...  http://www.nzbizbuysell.co.nz/18901

2. Double Glazing Franchise - Auckland - $195,000.
Serious profit potential. High-quality 'Retro-Fit' Double Glazing for existing windows in the quality home market. Franchisee required now to service existing inquiries and workload. So effective 'it almost runs Automatically' even with staff...  Strong Brand, comprehensive manuals, support and training.
For more...  http://www.nzbizbuysell.co.nz/17602

3. Floor Sanding - Nelson - $75,000.
Well established, owner operator business with no experience needed - full training provided. Excellent reputation for providing high quality workmanship and service. Choose your lifestyle and have the future you want. Includes full training and support. All plant, equipment and advertising.
For more...  http://www.nzbizbuysell.co.nz/18419