How to buy a small e-commerce business for under 20k
Finding a profitable e-commerce acquisition under a $20,000 budget is difficult because revenue multiples at this price point rarely match sound unit economics. This leaves buyers searching for under-optimized businesses where the core product is solid, but the founder has failed to scale marketing and distribution.
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.
- 1Looking for sites with bad marketing that can be improvedDid this help you?
- 2Focusing on building a site from scratch using Shopify instead of buyingDid this help you?
- 3Targeting higher price ranges like $100k-200k for serious acquisition targetsDid this help you?
- 4Having a broker or lawyer reach out anonymously to gauge interest.Did this help you?
- 5Searching online listing marketplaces like BizBuySellDid this help you?
- 6Trying to find businesses directly from ownersDid this help you?
- 7Exploring SBA financing or business loansDid this help you?
- 8making a list of hole-in-the-wall local shops and sending cold letters asking about a buyoutDid this help you?
- 9searching commercial real estate listings like LoopNetDid this help you?
- 10checking county property tax records to find commercial landlords and build relationshipsDid this help you?
- 11Cold emailing local business ownersDid this help you?
- 12Sending hand-signed or addressed lettersDid this help you?
- 13Browsing listings on business acquisition marketplacesDid this help you?
- 14Contacting investment banking connections for deal flowDid this help you?
- 15Reaching out directly to small to mid-size firms in the target area to ask if they want to sellDid this help you?
- 16Mailing a short, hand-signed first-class letter with contact details instead of calling or emailingDid 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.
“I want to buy a Pizza Shop in my area, specifically somewhere that's struggling or has a owner that's totally burned out, etc”source ↗
“I'm ready to buy my own and want to find a distressed place that I can get a deal on and turn around for myself”source ↗
“Think there's a lot of owners out there open to selling?”source ↗
“I’m currently searching for a business to buy.”source ↗
“Curious if anyone’s found outreach channels that worked well for them”source ↗
“We have considered asking the owners if they would ever sell, but don't want to make it awkward for my wife if they say no.”source ↗
“Main thing is I don't want them thinking my wife will go off and start her own business or ask other clinics in the area if they say no.”source ↗
“I'm 22 and looking to buy my first small business. I currently have around $40,000 in cash that I could put toward the purchase.”source ↗
“How trustworthy are businesses listed for sale on websites like BizBuySell and similar marketplaces?”source ↗
“Is working with a business broker generally a good idea for a first-time buyer, or should I try to find businesses directly from owners?”source ↗
“I’m looking to acquire a US-based e-commerce business with a budget of up to $20K.”source ↗
“$20K doesn't seem like much of a revenue multiple for anything”source ↗
“Yeah, I’m mainly looking for a solid product/business where the fundamentals are good, but the founder hasn’t cracked marketing/distribution yet.”source ↗
“I'm looking for a little guidance on acquiring a book of business for my current employer.”source ↗
“I have done this twice, but that was more than 10 years ago. Things have changed. I was also buying for an industry that had many more available businesses to buy.”source ↗
“I'm thinking I maybe try to reach out to small to mid-size firms in my target area and just, idk, ask if they want to sell? Maybe someone wants to retire or something?”source ↗
“What do you think would be the best way for me to go about this? Should I mail a letter? Try to get an email or phone number? I feel like this might get awkward.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Where do I even start when opening a small business?
- 2How to avoid buying a 60-hour-a-week job instead of a business
- 2Low budget remote business ideas with decent profit
- 8How to get a small business loan to buy an existing business
- 7How do I find a trustworthy business partner and avoid split mistakes?
- 9Where do I find wholesale suppliers for a small business?