Buy box worksheet

The worksheet is a printable buy box in six parts: the buyer's capacity, a never list, the wants, a test of the wants against the capacity, a screening log and an exceptions ledger. Once finished, the sheet holds the rules a company must pass, and its log records why each company screened was dropped or kept.

The never list sits ahead of the wants, so a company that fails one never rule is out however many wants it meets. An undecided line says "open".

Filling it in

Print the page and use a pen.
Fill in the buyer's capacity table.
Write at least three never rules.
Fill in the wants, with a reason beside every number.
Answer the part three questions. Each "no" means a line above changes.
Log every company screened, including the ones dropped in a minute.
Before breaking a rule, write it in the exceptions ledger.

The buyer's capacity

These answers set the limits for everything after them.

Question	Answer
Hours a week available for the business in its first year
Money the buyer can put in, as a range
Money the household could lose without real harm
Years spent running people or operations
Licenses or credentials held that this kind of business needs
How long the buyer intends to own it
What the buyer will not give up for it, such as a job, family time or health

Part one, the never list

Each rule is a fact that shows up early, in the listing or the first call with the seller, and something no price would fix for this buyer. The prompts below are examples to keep, cross out or change.

One customer brings in over ____ percent of revenue.
Revenue fell in ____ of the last three years.
The business depends on the seller's personal license.
The business depends on the seller's personal relationships with customers or suppliers.
The lease runs under ____ years and the business cannot move.
There are unresolved lawsuits or environmental problems.
The seller refuses a conversation with the second-in-command before closing.
Another rule: ______________________________
Another rule: ______________________________
Another rule: ______________________________

Part two, the wants

One or two lines for each dimension, with the reason beside any number.

Dimension	Prompt	Answer
Kind of business	Narrow enough that a typical listing falls outside it
Size	A floor and a ceiling on yearly owner earnings, and the reason for each
Distance	How far from home the business can be run
Money floors	Years of steady revenue, largest customer share, share of contract or repeat revenue
What must exist	A manager, written scheduling and billing, anything else
Handover	What the seller does after closing, and for how long
Seller situation	Reasons for selling that are welcome, and reasons that raise concern

Part three, checking the box against the capacity

Each question takes a yes or a no. Every no means a line above changes.

Can a business at the size floor pay a manager if the buyer steps back?
Does the size ceiling fit the money listed, with room for a bad first year?
Does the distance fit the hours listed?
Does any want conflict with a never rule?
Does the kind of business need a license or skill listed as missing?
Would the box still hold if it could not change for a year?

Part four, the screening log

One line for every company looked at.

Date	Company	First never rule it failed	Wants it met	Decision

Part five, the exceptions ledger

A rule that appears here three times gets a dated decision: the rule changes, with a reason, or it stands and every company that fails it is dropped.

Date	Company	Rule the buyer wanted to break	Why this case seemed different	What happened

Version

Version date: ____________. Previous version date: ____________.

The box is reviewed every three months, and old copies stay in the folder with their dates. A change to the box carries its date and a one-line reason.

The guide how to build a buy box carries a complete invented example and the reasoning behind each part.