Library
A short shelf for the person doing the buying.
Books we would hand someone before a first acquisition or a first month as owner. The notes are ours. The links go to Amazon.
Research
Business Valuation For Dummies
The gentlest introduction to how a business gets a price. It covers earnings multiples, discounted cash flow and asset methods, which makes it a good companion when a listing quotes a multiple and you want to know what sits behind it.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Research
Lean Analytics
A guide to choosing the few numbers that tell you whether a small business is healthy, and to spotting vanity metrics. Handy when you are asking a seller which figures they actually track.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Research
The Lean Startup
A reminder to test a change before you rebuild the store you just bought. The score is about the business as it is. This book is about the experiments you run after closing.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Research
The Mom Test
How to ask customers what they do, instead of whether they like the idea. Use it when a listing's growth plan depends on a new product the seller has not sold yet.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Research
Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies
The standard reference from McKinsey on how value is created and measured. It is heavy going and aimed at larger companies, so treat it as a book to dip into once you want to check the logic behind a number.
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That costs you nothing extra and never changes what we recommend. Read our disclosure.