Everyone knows the famous headline statistics on the number of new businesses that fail. Let’s say that you wake up tomorrow with an absolutely stellar idea for a new business. You’re feeling unstoppable and you start pulling together a team to make it happen.

You could slog away for the next few years, putting in place key people, systems and processes and growing your new business through sheer hard work and determination. Maybe you’ll secure some investment to speed up the process. But you’re still going to have to work seriously hard to get this thing of the ground.

Of course, the hope is that all of that hard work pays off. All of that sacrifice, all of those hours away from your family will be worth it in the end, when you have an asset that you can choose to sell if you so desire.

Maybe you’ll be onto a winner? Or maybe not.

The truth is that 50% of businesses fail within the first five years.

In fact some stats now suggest that only four out of ten businesses make it past the five-year point.

So while you’re working away on your new business venture, there are no guarantees that you’ll be one of the lucky ones. The odds are 50:50. Or worse. You could put all of that work in for nothing.

That’s why it’s completely and utterly insane to start a business from scratch. I can understand why you would want to – indeed, I’ve done it myself in the past. It’s fun and exhilarating and it feels good when it pays off.

But what I’ve learnt over the last couple of years is that life is short. We’re not going to be here indefinitely and it’s no good putting off all those things you want to do – the travel, the family time, the adventures – to some undisclosed point in the future. You need to live life NOW.

So if you’re aiming to create a better life for yourself, if you’ve got big goals and one of those goals is financial freedom, then there’s a much quicker route to the cash than starting a business.

Instead of slogging away to build a business organically from the ground up, simply buy a business that’s already made it through that critical five-year point and has a healthy balance sheet.

It’s a true shortcut to financial freedom, and it’s entirely possible to do it without any of your own personal capital.

Our revamped online course Business Buying Blueprint now comes with additional support from Guy and the team. Click here for details http://bbc.thebusinessbuyersclub.co.uk/business-buying-blueprint

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