Introduction Your Companion for Buying a Business Part 1 Overview of the Process1. Thinking About Buying a Business 2. The Key Legal Issues in Buying a Business 3. Tax-Saving Strategies 4. Finding the Right Business for You 5. What's the Business Worth? 6. Working With Lawyers, Accountants, and Brokers Part 2 Getting Ready to Buy 7. Financing Your Purchase 8.

Structuring Your Purchase 9. The Investigation Stage: How Buyers and Sellers Check Each Other Out 10. Drafting a Letter of Intent Part 3 Preparing the Sales Agreement 11. Preparing the Sales Agreement and Other Legal Documents 12. Who's Selling, Who's Buying -- And What Is Being Purchased 13. The Sales Price and Terms of Payment 14. Dealing With Liabilities and Representations 15. Payment for Noncompete Agreements and Consultant Deals 16.

Other Important Legal Language for the Sales Agreement 17. Signatures on a Sales Agreement Part 4 Preparing the Promissory Note and Other Sales Documents 18. Promissory Notes and Other Installment Payment Documents 19. Bill of Sale, Lease Assignment, and Other Documents for Transferring the Business 20. Documents for Noncompete and Future Work Commitments Part 5 Closing the Deal 21. Preparing for a Smooth Closing 22. Running a Small Business: Some Legal and Tax Basics Appendixes A. How to Use the Forms B.

Sample Sales Agreements C. Forms Index.