Over the next decade, the U.S. business landscape is expected to shift significantly as millions of business owners prepare to retire. The Exit Planning Institute estimates that nearly 50 percent of all privately held businesses in the United States are owned by people over 55, with over $10 trillion in business assets expected to transfer as these owners leave the marketplace. 

This trend will create a large inventory of businesses for sale, offering a major opportunity for acquisition-minded entrepreneurs. Instead of facing the high uncertainty and failure rate of startups- nearly 20 percent fail within the first year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics-savvy buyers are choosing to acquire established companies that already have customers, employees, and revenue. For many, business acquisition is becoming the more strategic and efficient path to ownership.