How to avoid buying a 60-hour-a-week job instead of a business
Prospective buyers face the danger of acquiring an enterprise that requires their constant presence rather than running semi-absentee. This traps corporate professionals with full-time careers into working grueling hours instead of owning a scalable, independent asset.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Cold calling former franchisees listed in the FDD to ask about actual take-home cash flowDid this help you?
- 2Looking at unsexy service businesses or acquiring existing independent businesses from retiring owners instead of buying new franchisesDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Before looking at specific brands, the biggest filter is deciding whether you want to buy an actual business or just buy yourself a 60-hour-a-week job.”source ↗
“I have a full-time corporate job and don’t want to simply buy myself another 60-hour/week job.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 2How to check local demand before buying embroidery equipment
- 11How to quit a corporate job to start your own business
- 28How to start a business with no industry experience
- 7How do I find a trustworthy business partner and avoid split mistakes?