Audiofn

This is not a partnership. It is me selling my business to some one else and staying on to work for them.

My concerns are as Chart has pointed out after a year of working for him he finds that he needs a different person and gets some one else. This could leave me in the position of having to take a job with another company at MUCH less pay with no real benifiets. That is the risk that I see that I am taking.

The pluses are that I have talked to a couple of his employees and they all say that he treats the guys that he likes very well. The initial pay that he has laid out is very good, at leaste on the surface. I am not sure what a guy like me is worth as there are really very few of us around that have the skills to do a job from start to finish. Lots of specialists but very few Jack-asses-of-all.

bajabob38

Does this guy realize that you will be spending at least 3/4 of your day on OSO while at work..

Pure Energy

Don't sell. If things go bad money wise he may have to let you go, and then where would you be? I have been in business 11 yrs and every morning I have great expectations and hopes, then the headaches begin and by lunch time I am ready quit! Then I think about what I have, what I have built, and how well this positions suits my personality. I could not picture myself anywhere else, or working for someone else. If you want a change that's fine, sell your busines and move on, don't stay.

Look at it this way, after all the work you did to your boat would you sell it to someone and go on it as a co-pilot?? No way!!

THRILLSEEKER

Audio, from the way you describe it in post 12, I would stay where you are

sounds like way too many "what ifs" compared to what you "know" about where you are now.

Just my .02

mopower

Long story short...stay put

puder

if your makign money and you see a turnign poitn (upward hopefully) stick it out. I also run my own lil $$ making operation nothign to substantial but enough to keep me afloat. I have worked for other before doignteh same thing and its a grind. When i am working for myself i can se my bussiness account getting bigger. When i screw up its all on me to make it right but when i suceed it know its all me

Its a gamble but i know i don;t get any satisfaction out of workign for others its just a way to get some green.

ragtop409

I say if you are gona sell it sell it out and be on to something else big or small. Can't see many positives of working for the new owner of your old company. Rag's

cuda

I've had my own business for the last 13 years, and I know I couldn't work for anyone else. I will succeed or fail on my own. I know if it goes bad, it's my own fault, and I'd much rather have my destiny in my own hands. Another thing is that someone may want me to do something that I thought was unethical, which I absolutely would not do, even if I had to quit my job. I haven't had a real vacation in 13 years, because if I'm busy, I don't have the time, and if I'm not busy, I'm out beating the bushes trying to get busy. The only regret I have is not going on my own about 15 years earlier. It's your baby, your nutured it and watched it grow. Stay with it to reap the harvest.

Peconic

Some thoughts, knowing no background:

- It would be extremely hard for me to work for someone else after having worked for myself for the last 20 years.

- Knowing a little bit of the industry, I don't see a very bright future for a high end audio/video store, or for an audio/video store, period. There are always exceptions.

- Can you do both? Put someone in the store, and run that guy's AV gig. If it doesn't work out, there's always a fallback.

Ron P

I would agree, a trial period would be nice.

You've worked hard to build something and now it looks like it might finally take off for you. Why hand that to someone else?

What happens if he sells the business? Are you a part owner? You really need to think about the exit before you enter.