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    Building a Small Business that Warren Buffett Would Love
    Building a Small Business that Warren Buffett Would Love
    Building a Small Business that Warren Buffett Would Love
    Ebook294 pages3 hours

    Building a Small Business that Warren Buffett Would Love

    By Adam Brownlee

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The guide to making money the Warren Buffett way

    The book that presents the same fundamentals that Warren Buffet used to turn an initial $105,000 investment into a $40 billion fortune in a way the general reader can apply, Building A Small Business that Warren Buffett Would Love is a succinct, logical, and straightforward guide to financial success. Highlighting one simple message: that Warren Buffett successfully invests in great businesses with strong fundamentals, it argues that these fundamentals can be replicated in a small business to yield outstanding results. Offering a solution for people wanting to start a business to provide additional income in today's uncertain economy, and designed to help entrepreneurs build fundamentally sound, small businesses using Warren Buffett's business investment perspective, the book covers:

    • An overview of Warren Buffett's investment methodology and how it applies to small businesses
    • The details of the Buffett investment criteria—a consumer monopoly, strong earnings, low long term debt, and high ROE with the ability to reinvest earnings—and the application of these fundamentals to both start-up and existing small businesses

    An approach to building a small business that applies the well respected principles of Warren Buffett, the book presents an exciting new look at the steps to success that have been proven trustworthy by one of the richest men in the world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWiley
    Release dateFeb 1, 2012
    ISBN9781118238899

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    3.5/5

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    • 2/5
      Decent enough book, but I do take issue with the parts he left out, so conveniently. First of all, this man is a despicable sleazebag, via his beloved Bank of America and Wells Fargo, who gleefully laundered money for just about every vile, sickening drug cartel, without penalty, as a matter of fact, after he screwed the entire economy over, via the 2008 global financial crisis, he arrogantly pushed for the government bailout, to save his disgusting skin, at our expense. He is the most overrated, garbage human, who has done more to destroy the future, for my generation and each one to follow, via his greed and lack of empathy. What a sick f—-.

    Book preview

    Building a Small Business that Warren Buffett Would Love - Adam Brownlee

    Buffett and the Fundamental Business Perspective

    He doesn’t gamble in the stock market; he doesn’t take short-term, technical positions betting on immediate spikes or dips. He is not a buy-and-hold mutual fund investor. Warren Buffett is a long-haul business investor who takes partial, if not whole, positions in companies with favorable underlying economics, good management, and consumer monopolies.

    Warren Buffett as Your Small Business Consultant

    To draw a quick distinction between a Buffett-style investment and one that is not, ask yourself this question: In 20 years, is it more likely that consumers will be drinking Coke or using the iPhone? This question is not designed to play favorites. It is meant to illustrate the guts of the Warren Buffett investment methodology, and if you can understand the reasoning behind the answer, you will be well on your way to building a small business that Warren Buffett would love. In 20 years, is it more likely that consumers will be drinking Coke or using the iPhone?

    I choose Coke … why? First, four prima facie answers:

    1. The company has been building its brand since 1886.¹

    2. A can, bottle, or fountain Coke is always within about a 100-yard reach of every human being on the planet regardless of location.

    3. The company had $35 billion in sales last year.²

    4. Every time I go to the movies, I see a Coke commercial. (Amazingly enough, although polar bears can swim up to 100 miles at a stretch, they are very awkward, lumbering walkers and must kill their prey by resting silently outside of breathing holes in the ice. Even more amazing is the fact that they have enough dexterity in their goofy paws to twist off bottle caps.)

    And here are five financial answers that Warren Buffett loves:

    1. Outside of a few blips on the radar, the company has had increasing and steady earnings over the past 10 years.

    2. The earnings per share have grown at an approximate rate of 13.65 percent over the same period,

    3. The return on equity has averaged 32 percent over the past 10 years.

    4. The company could pay off its long-term debt in about one year, strictly from earnings.³

    5. The company can adjust its prices to inflation. In 1950 a bottle of Coke cost a nickel.⁴ Today, depending on location, a Coke will cost anywhere from one to two dollars.

    The answer to our question and subsequent analysis is not a comment on the viability of Apple or a statement on the quality of the product. Apple is a highly innovative company with outstanding, mind-numbing products. The intention of the answer is to place an emphasis on the predictability of a company. No one can predict the future, but if an attempt must be made (that is, we are building a business that needs to be successful in the future), is it more likely that an accurate prediction can be made based on a rock-solid, consistent track record or on one that is questionable? Not that Apple does not have a strong track record, but guess what, Coke’s is stronger. Plus, you are already taking the bet. It’s a moot point to say I wouldn’t take either one since you are already putting your chips on the table whether by stock purchase, rental property investment, or building a small business that Warren Buffett would love. Since you are joining the party, make sure it is a fun one by taking the surer bet.

    Many will argue that past results are not an indicator of future performance, but in the case of Warren Buffett’s track record, much of his success can be attributed to a mold of key historic attributes. These attributes, when modeled after in a small business, can lead to great results.

    Return on Equity, Return on Investment—the Preview

    For any investment decision, whether it be the purchase of a fourplex or the launch of a small business, it is important to calculate the investment’s return on investment and return on equity in order to determine if we have a stinker or a winner. (Why would I buy into an investment that churns out a 5 percent return when I can get 10 percent down the road at the local investment farmer’s market?) Return on investment is found simply by dividing the business’s earnings by the initial investment, whereas return on equity is the earnings divided by the equity in the business found on the balance sheet. These ratios are crucial for investment purposes—crucial, I tell you!

    For example: Your business, a hamburger stand, let’s call it Sloppy Joe’s, consistently generates $10,000 a year in earnings on an initial $50,000 investment for a return on investment of 20 percent. You peer into the feasibility of a second location and determine that Sloppy Joe’s Too will generate $1,000 a year in earnings on top of a $25,000 investment for a 4 percent rate of return. A quick Google search reveals that risk-free Treasury bills are paying approximately 4.7 percent,⁵ a return slightly higher than the 4 percent that would be churned out by SJ2. The optimal investment decision would be to take the T-bills and not the second location. If you discover another expansion opportunity yielding a return greater than or equal to 20 percent, all things equal, it would be financially prudent to pursue the new opportunity. Honestly, it would be financially prudent to pursue any opportunity that is greater than the return you can get in the next best investment. If you can get 15 percent in the market, then you have to beat 15

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