When was the last time you heard that advice? Well, we’re going to tell you that when the time comes to scrutinize a business for sale in a resort or vacation area you need to follow the time tested parameters of business evaluation and valuation before you make an offer.  Do not allow the influence of the area and its emotional or aesthetic appeal carry any undo weight in the decision to buy a business.  Be careful not to be blinded by the Elysian Fields.

People long to live in and own a business in a resort or vacation area as a means to escape the trappings of modern life, which is increasingly influenced by our ‘connectedness.’  The person who does not own a smart phone, send text messages, or complain about the daily avalanche of emails is a rare bird indeed. Just as ubiquitous most people’s lives is social media. As a business owner, whether you are in Atlanta or Aspen, Minneapolis or Maui, you should not ignore the power and ease of Twitter and Facebook.

Despite an economy that is still sluggish, ski areas are feeling positive and looking towards the future. Major projects are underway or recently completed in many Colorado areas and the entire Tahoe region seems to be...

Resort Business Opportunities has been invited to be one of the featured businesses at Boulder Beta on September 15. This is one of the premier startup events in Boulder, Colorado, which was named the best startup town in America by Bloomber BusinessWeek. We are very excited about this opportunity as this event is attended by over 300 people, many of whom are very well entrenched in this dynamic startup community. And, the event is a lot of fun as there are food and drinks served, music playing...

At RBO our goal is to be the resource for those searching for a resort or recreation area business for sale. We want to help people realize their dream of living and working for themselves in that perfect place. To that end we are pleased to announce that we are preparing to launch the Resort Life Insider Network. This feature, which will be completely unique to RBO, will be hosted by a local expert from resort areas around the country. These “insiders” will essentially act as bloggers and forum moderators and...

Identifying the right resort area business for sale is just the first step on the path of realizing the dream of business ownership in an idyllic location. After the business purchase, (and most likely the relocation of yourself and/or your family to the area,) and the turnover of the keys, a new set of challenges present themselves. If the business requires employees to help with the day to day functions then staffing will often be one of the most demanding aspects of the operation.

If you are searching for the perfect resort or outdoor recreation business for sale then an RV park or campground may be the perfect opportunity for a number of reasons. First off, you get to spend a lot of time outside- and if the surroundings are pleasurable enough that people drive to there to camp, then we'll bet it beats any office. Second, the customers tend to be pretty laid back, and, for the most part enjoying themselves; after all they're on vacation or retired.

Lately we’ve been doing a lot of analysis on business for sale trends in resort, vacation, and outdoor recreation markets. In our most recent study we looked at three distinctly different resort areas around the country: Winter Park, Colorado; Hayward Lakes, Wisconsin and the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Our goal was to determine how many businesses and commercial properties were for sale in these markets and exactly where those businesses were being advertised.

The results confirmed what we already knew, before the...

Have you been looking for an Inn or B&B for sale, but are not quite sure if it is really what you would like to do as you new full-time job? Consider taking an "Aspiring Innkeeper Seminar." This is the perfect way to familiarize yourself with the day to day realities of running a small hotel, inn, or bed and breakfast.

On Friday we were down in beautiful Pagosa Springs, Colorado and met with Charlie Cole of Cole Acquisition Partners of Durango, CO. We were discussing the state of the market for vacation and outdoor recreation properties. His take: demand is very strong, supply is good, and financing is almost non-existent.

Snow's good. As in- the snowfall has been good, great, and even historic, throughout the West. As in- the snow is good for business.

For skiers and snowboarders the early season accumulations are blanketing ski areas with a feeling of euphoria; especially after so many years of drought in a number of regions. For business owners there is a sense of relief. After two recession-winters nothing (short of global financial reform and sky-rocketing consumer confidence) is more important to a ski area business owner than...

Resort Community spirit, and how to capitalize from it

Part of living in a small, resort town is the enjoyment of getting to know your neighbors and feeling like you're part of a community. In a small town, there's the sense that you're all in it together. People help each other, lending a hand where it's needed. What you might not know is that that community spirit can also help you build and launch your business!

Plan to Buy a Ski Business While Skiing

It’s mid-November and the snow is starting to fall and the lifts are slowly beginning to turn. In another 10 days nearly every ski resort in the country will be open for the Thanksgiving holidays. For the owners of businesses in these areas they are gearing up and anxiously awaiting their busy season. Selling their business is the last thing on their mind right now- they’re focused on training staff, upping inventory, and watching the weather forecast. You should be...

So you are considering moving to a Rocky Mountain Ski Town? For nearly everyone who has ever considered it, or actually gone through with it, it is no light matter.  For most it is akin to moving to a foreign country. 18 years ago I cashed my last pay check from my first post-college job. Life in cubicle in New Jersey was not for me and I knew it before I started! I packed up my 13 year old Toyota Tercel, stopped in Kentucky and picked up a friend I had met while doing a semester abroad in college, and headed west.

A recession-proof resort/vacation business? Is there such a thing? In this economy isn't everyone, everywhere, (with the exception of pro-athletes, celebrities and the just-plain-wealthy) tightening their belts, spending less and not going on extravagant vacations? Sure, that's accurate too a degree, but the operative word is extravagant. Life is tough and seemingly getting tougher, but people still need to get away. So where are they going? Camping. That's right, in this economy campgrounds are doing extremely well. It doesn't...