Buy Box
Buy a BusinessA buy box is the short, specific list of criteria that defines the deals you’ll actually pursue — and, just as importantly, the ones you’ll ignore. A good one covers four things: industry (what you understand or can operate), size (a revenue or SDE band), geography (how far you’ll travel to oversee it), and structure (cash, seller financing, the terms you need).
Why it matters. A vague buyer looks at everything and closes nothing — every listing is a maybe, and the analysis never ends. A tight buy box does two jobs: it lets you triage opportunities in seconds, and it lets you hand your network a single clear sentence they can act on. “I’m looking for a home-services business doing $1–3M in revenue within an hour of the city, and I can move fast with seller financing” is something a deal intermediary can actually remember and refer.
Write your buy box in one sentence. If you can’t, it’s too broad — and a broad buy box is why beginners spend months “looking” without ever making an offer.