Insights into Buying an Online Business?

searcher profile

November 07, 2025

by a searcher from Rice University - Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business in Austin, TX, USA

Can anyone share their experiences (pros and cons) of buying, selling, or operating an online business (with zero or limited physical assets)? I would like a frame of reference that will help me evaluate online businesses in the future. I realize the question is very broad but any insights will be helpful at this stage. Thank you.
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Reply by a searcher
from IE Business School in Toronto, ON, Canada
Hey Owen, I think the biggest difference in online via offline companies are the scalability. If you can forecast that your company could grow much faster (both across the country and internationally) - the online one if rather the correct choice, as otherwise you will have to spend lots of time on many more areas (like staff, stores, etc.). From another side, the online business lacks serious (real) assets, which will play against you if you would like to get a loan from a bank. From the my personal perspective (several companies) of complexity of growth, the online company is rather easier than the same size offline. Hope it helps.
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Reply by an intermediary
from University of Nevada in Henderson, NV, USA
Some of the pros, you can operate it remotely, you have the capability of being worldwide if you have your logistics and supply chain in order. Some of the challenges are that it is a little more difficult to build a company team culture, there are at times platform risk, and you are dependent on platforms for marketing often times. We can get more granular on things, but these are a few things to start, if you like me to dive a little deeper, than shoot me a message
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