Are you a business owner or did you buy a job? You need to be clear about your intentions when you purchase or start a business.  If this is an investment for you it’s important to determine what it would cost to replace the general manager (because you do not want a job). The real value of the business is the excess earnings above and beyond operational costs and after you hire someone to manage the business.

Many times, business owners look at whatever compensation they take out for their paycheck as being the profits and the value of the business—which is inaccurate.  Additionally, business owners get mired in the pitfall of working the business when what they wanted was personal and economic freedom.  Business owners often become entangled in the day-to-day operations--they end up doing more and more work (i.e. they bought a job).  With the end goal of selling the business for a profit, structures must be in place;

• Do you have Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) defined? 
• Have you invested in someone to manage the business? 
• What needs to change to make your business profitable?
• Are you committed to making those changes?

At the end of the day, you want to sell your business for its value to your customers in the marketplace NOT the cost of hardware and equipment.

What would you have to change in your business to make it profitable and attractive to investors or buyers?