Are you going to buy a business? I've been considering this route as I'd love to aqquire a passive income stream but can't seem to gain any traction on my own projects.
It is something I am considering as well. I am a partner in an LLC that owns a couple of retail stores and am thinking that my future plans will involve buying existing businesses that I feel are under-performaning and that we have the skill set necessary to turn around.
For now I am excited about using the site to start evaluating opportunities for businesses in the areas where we are currently operating, maybe figure out who they are and do some evaluation so that when I am ready to pull the trigger I have a good understanding of the market.
I recommend reading Buying a Small Business http://amzn.to/bmRz0T. It is really outdated in terms of the search methods (You can use a computer to do searches for information!) but the fundamentals about evaluating financials and understanding the relationship between buyer and seller haven't changed. One of the most intriguing aspects is for "lifestyle business" owners, your credentials and commitment to growing and protecting the seller's baby is nearly as important as your offer price. Huge caveat is that 99% of Business Brokers are complete morons and terrible to deal with, give them no insight into your liquidity, net worth, etc and stick to the type of business criteria or industry you are interested in.
Edit: ooooh! Email alerts matching my criteria!