Gas station and convenience store industry in the US is one of the largest in terms of retail store industry. One out of every 3 stores in the US is a gas station or a convenience store and often a combination of both. Almost two thirds of the Gas Stations are independently owned by individuals who operate a single store location but as of late corporations and larger companies have moved in to take over a number of gas stations to rebrand them or to convert them in to a chain of branded gas stations. This has led to convenience services such as franchised fast-food that gas stations are adding, in order to attract more customers. Even independent small small gas station owners and single store operators are adding food services such as ethnic food, sandwiches and in order to compete, many independent small gas station owners provide car wash and U-Haul rentals. Many independent small gas station owners still have an advantage as they operate it like an old fashioned service station.

Starting vs Buying a Gas Station Business for Sale

Starting or buying and running a Gas Station Business or Retail related businesses such as Gas Station FOR SALE Service Station Business for Sale businesses or complimenting and supporting services such as Independent Gas Stations, Shell, Conoco Phillips, Branded Gas Stations, Gas Station Convenience Store, Conoco Phillips 66, Circle K, Gas Mart, Gas Station C-Store, Service Stations, Shell Gas Station Stores, Chevron, Texaco, BP Amoco, Gas and Convenience Store... etc., can be an exciting, challenging and a rewarding experience especially, to those who are passionate about their work.

If you are interested in starting a small Gas Station business or related company, buying an established Gas Station business or an existing Gas Station franchise for sale near you or buying a Retail related online business, can be one of the best ways to start your own small business. It is fairly easy to start a business in current times but making it profitable and keeping it profitable is not easy and only a small percentage of startups stay in business beyond five years and only a few reach consistent profitability. There are several advantages in buying an existing Gas Station or Retail related business with an established customer base when compared to starting a new Gas Station company and it may also be easier to finance an existing business than to obtain financing for a new start-up, wherein the banker will want you to show assets and collateral along with a solid business plan, before even considering providing any financial assistance. This is no different than financing a vehicle or real estate with a small down payment rather than paying the full price but and the lender is happy to finance as long as the business is cash flow positive, instead of paying the full amount but only in case of buying a business, the amount can be so large that most people do not have the money to make an upfront purchase and even if they do, most small and large businesses are financed via debt or equity financing.

You may consider buying an established Gas Station FOR SALE Service Station Business for Sale Independent Gas Stations, Shell, Conoco Phillips, Branded Gas Stations, Gas Station Convenience Store, Conoco Phillips 66, Circle K, Gas Mart, Gas Station C-Store, Service Stations... etc., Instead of just thinking about the main product or the business, also think about other opportunities that may exist with regards to services centered around a Gas Station business or if it is possible to rebrand or introduce complimenting or other related services such as ecommerce, distribution, and customer acquisition possibilities, etc., While there are many considerations, when it comes to buying a business and the purpose of this page is not meant to outline all the details on how to buy a Gas Station ecommerce store or online shop business, the first and foremost factor is that, one would want to find a profitable business to buy and it is great if it is with business financing arrangement in place with pre-approval for a loan from a SBA qualified lender or a third-praty lender and better if it is a owner financed company but in some cases established businesses and aged shell companies are bought even if they are not profitable. In many cases the company or product can be re-branded later or additional services can be added to existing business to acquire and expand market share but also to finance and even to go public, such as a recent example of an electric vehicle start-up that bank rolled their startup by acquiring a shell company and went public. Also, keep in mind that while starting a new Gas Station company is not too hard, running a business is not easy and making it consistently profitable and growing it is another thing because a vast number of small business that are started will usually fail within first few years and a small number of them are consistently profitable. Hence, buying an existing Gas Station Businesses or franchise with cash flow can be a better option, depending upon the type of business and its finances.

Buying a Small Gas Station Business from a Business Owner vs Broker

Many users seem to be searching online for Gas Station FOR SALE Service Station Business for Sale & and Independent Gas Stations, Shell, Conoco Phillips, Branded Gas Stations, Gas Station Convenience Store, Conoco Phillips 66, Circle K, Gas Mar ... related , website store or shop business for sale by owner and may be it is because buyers are led to believe that they can negotiate better with the owner or get a better deal. Despite websites and marketplaces like our's which facilitate any independent small business owner to sell a business directly, most small Retail businesses are still sold through brokers and hence no FSBO websites & marketplaces have been successful. Also a very few businesses listed by owners eventually get sold because most sellers price it higher than what it is worth or do not use real valuation metrics, whereas an experienced broker in the Gas Station - Retail related industry will price it based on the market metrics and valuation, so that they can sell it quickly because keeping it on market for too long can be counter productive. There are also other advantages of dealing with a qualified and experienced broker but in the end whether it is an FSBO business or listed by a broker, everything depends on the real value of the business, current market conditions.

Whether you are buying a Gas Station business from an independent small business owner or form a broker, the most important factor or the first step is to evaluate the business to make sure the business is priced right or at a discount. You can either use an evaluation software or in some cases you can find valuation metrics online or you can hire an accountant, CPA, professional appraiser or a broker who can use provide a good valuation. While the valuation metrics differ with the type of company, industry and current market conditions, the most used metric for valuation is based on EBITDA or SDE ie Seller's Discretionary Earnings. Buying a small business can be once in a lifetime event for most people and before you put your hard earned savings in the business, always seek advice from a qualified business professional such as licensed broker, M&A advisor, consultant, small business accountant or a lawyer with regards to verification of finances, drafting contracts and price negotiation.

Find Established Gas Station Business for Sale or Existing Franchises & Opportunities

Find established & running Gas Stations FOR SALE Service Station Business for Sale websites & online shops for sale near you or franchise resale listings by a small business owner or by a business broker and Independent Gas Stations, Shell, Conoco Phillips, Branded Gas Stations, Gas Station Convenience Store, Conoco Phillips 66, Circle K, Gas Mar ... & Retail related local and online business opportunities - if you are looking to sell a Gas Station or related Retail business opportunity, list it here to sell your business Commission FREE!