We live in an age where starting an online business has never been easier. Through the Internet and AI, you can do more things and reach more people than ever before. And yet, many aspiring founders fail or burnednever realizing their goals. Why? Maybe because building a business isn't for everyone.

Entrepreneurship through acquisition it can be a much faster way. A existing business it already has customers, technology, staff, revenue and product-market fit. Monetizing those assets is easier than creating them, allowing you to skip those early months or years of experimentation to get off the ground.

Yes, some may try to sacrifice learning for day one profits, but buying a company instead of building it opens doors for those who might otherwise have been burned. Better yet, there's a business for every type of entrepreneur and budget. The barrier to entry is only as high as your available capital.

Instead of a multi-year effort, buy a business that is already making money and has the talent you need to succeed. Focus on growth, not survival. Trade equity for market time, late night rush for instant income and learn as you go. Interested? See if entrepreneurship through acquisition is for you below.

Related: Do you want to start a business? Consider buying one instead – Here's why.

Stairs or elevator?

Finding a market for a new product or service costs time and money. Before you can even consider it scaling your businessyou have to test if people want what you are offering. Between building the product or service, marketing it, and gathering feedback, momentum can take months or years to build.

Now imagine getting past the early testing phase and knowing that your product or service is in high demand and you can capture a piece of the market the moment your company launches. Time saved is time you can invest in growing the company, providing more of what the market wants to multiply your income.

Acquiring a company with growing revenue and cash flow shifts the focus from experimentation to scaling proven strategies. As a result, there is less financial risk, less budget wasted on failed marketing campaigns, and less pressure to find customers. Instead, you know exactly where to spend your money.

Such knowledge only comes from building a successful business or buying a business where the hard lessons have already been learned. It is the career equivalent of taking the stairs or elevator. Which you prefer is up to you, but one is faster, easier, and offers potentially bigger rewards sooner.

A smooth product

Many people can't code or don't want to learn. That's okay. When you buy a company, you buy a ready-made or “turnkeyThe set of technology, infrastructure and processes, often driven by those who built them and can stand behind the acquisition. Then you're free to focus on what you do best.

That's not to say that buying a tech company means you'll never need engineering expertise. But you can go a long way with ready, working, bug-free technology before hiring developers. All prototypes are made, tested and iterated. You just choose what to develop next.

The company roadmap is a font of new growth ideas. New features, especially those that customers are constantly asking for, help increase the perception of value and justify price increases. By buying a company, you won't need expensive experiments to test the market – your customers will tell you what they want.

Related: 5 important factors that startup entrepreneurs should consider before buying a business

Ready teams

When you build a business from scratch, you will usually need to hire people more skilled than you to perform various business functions. Perhaps less fun roles in HR, engineering or sales, for example. Finding the right people for these jobs is a long and complex process. Hiring mistakes are stressful, costly and require you to repeat the process (with the same risk of hiring the wrong people).

However, a business acquisition may include it talented teams and leaders. You can then ignore the cost of finding talent and the time spent on interviews, aptitude tests and onboarding. As long as you know how to lead (or are open to learning or hiring someone who does), getting a high-performing team to complement your skills will maximize your return on investment in no time. short reducing risk.

Follow your passions

There's a reason startups fail at rates of 90% or more. Sometimes it's at the wrong time and place. Others fall behind competitors or throw money at problems instead of solving them. But to psychological tax Building a business from scratch can also reduce a founder's stamina.

Building a business from scratch means wearing every hat – sales, marketing, operations, human resources, finance and more. Does your entrepreneurial passion span these departments? Does closing the books every month excite you as much as creating a viral marketing campaign? Avoiding things you're not passionate about can ruin the entrepreneurial experience.

The joy of buying a business is choosing what you want to run and shaping your day-to-day. Do you like marketing? Buy a company that has never advertised. Do you like leadership? Take a company with a strong team but no rudder. You have thousands of businesses to choose from, so you don't have to sacrifice your passions for income. Choose the right business and you will always love what you do.

It's time travel – for your career

Buying a business can shave years off your career, forcing you to think harder. Why make countless mistakes before arriving at your one and only idea that takes off? How long can that trial and error period last? Can you afford to sacrifice years of your career to learn how to build a profitable business from scratch?

You can buy a profitable company for as little as $50,000. Will it be a staggering income? Probably not, but it's a reasonable starting point. And the upside potential is massive. of APPROPRIATION it's just the beginning of your journey. The next rung on the scale is one exit. Get it right and you'll be rewarded for your hard work, life-changing cash and the freedom to pursue another acquisition.

Some might say that strife is a rite of passage, that you learn more through failure than through success. But buying a business is not WARRANTY success. It just increases your chances. If you can raise capital, buying a business often works better because the mistakes have already been made. The founder figured out what worked and now you can take advantage of that by giving them an exit.

Related: What you need to know to buy the right business and earn your empire

Is buying a business for everyone?

Building a business isn't for everyone, and neither is buying one. Some people are better suited to doing things alone and in their own way. There's always the chance that the crops will collide once you get on the brakes. That said, buying a company to become a full-time entrepreneur is the fastest route you can take, accelerating returns and freeing you to focus on growth rather than survival.

Our advice? Start small. Buy a company whose biggest weakness is your biggest strength and see how far you can take it. Rinse and repeat until you learn how to make consistent profits on a startup portfolio. Maybe then you can start something completely new, where the only “grinding” you'll be doing is on your morning coffee beans. Everything else will be meaningful work and a happier life.