I have looked at a number of businesses for purchase over the past year – some have been in business for over ten years and are currently profitable with margins of 40% or more. They are in industries that I know – and had compelling stories. Still – there is no certainty in purchasing a business. There are many tricks that owners can play with the numbers (some of which you can catch). There is news about the communities where the businesses operate that you might not know. The industry changes that the owner sees in his or her very specific niche and geography might not be as immediately evident to an outsider. While there is never any guarantee, I wonder if there is any statistic for survival rate on purchased businesses – rather than start-ups? There seem to be many stats on start-up success. Again – never any guarantees – but if one is considering putting significant dollars on the line – well, I’m just curious. Thanks for any info.