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The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect, and Exit Your Business with Confidence


Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk 

This book isn’t written for Wall Street titans or Silicon Valley startups. It’s for the real business owners who carry the risks every day.

If you own a small or mid-sized business — where your signature is on the loans, your family depends on your success, and unexpected setbacks could jeopardize everything you’ve built — The Business Fortress was written for you.

In today’s uncertain economy, surviving isn’t about hustle and hope — it’s about building a fortress.

In The Business Fortress, business expert David C. Barnett and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional Mark Willis reveal a practical blueprint for entrepreneurs who want to protect their companies, their wealth, and their future.


21 Stupid Things People do When Trying to Buy a Business- 2nd Edition


Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk in Softcover, Kindle and for in pdf.


2nd Edition now available with even more Stupidity and Real-Life Case Studies!!

Want to break free of the shackles of corporate life? 

Want to control your own destiny and set your own hours, priorities and life direction? 

Simple, become an entrepreneur and start a business! 

Don’t like the risk of starting and want to buy a successful business instead?

Ok, just don’t do these stupid mistakes that I see novice business buyers make over and over and over again.

Every day thousands of really awful businesses go up for sale and thousands of good businesses go up for sale with outrageously inflated asking prices. Many of these businesses will sell to people who simply have no idea what they’re getting into and don’t know how to get the right guidance or advice. Invest some time and learn from the mistakes that I’ve observed through my years as a business broker and private sale transaction adviser.

You really can learn from other peoples’ mistakes and make yourself a better deal…. Or know when to go home and leave your money in the bank.

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David C Barnett’s Small Business and Deal Making Glossary: Action-packed with truthful examples, opinions, stories  and warnings.


Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk and for in pdf.

Maybe you’re new to the world of small business deals or maybe you have an MBA.

I’ve been working with small business owners and the people who serve them since the 1990’s and I can tell you one thing for sure… ignorance is available in large quantities anywhere you look in the business world.

There are people who know their stuff, those who make it up along the way and people who are very, very certain that they know things they just don’t.

Two people making a deal in which they each believe that a certain word means something different is a recipe for disaster. That’s why I assembled this glossary. The entries for each word are much more than just what you’ll find if you google their definitions.

The glossary includes words that are common in the deal-making and small business operations space and many abbreviations that you’ll see when reading articles about these topics.

For most entries, I give a definition, I give an example, and, in some instances, I dig into my own deal-making experience to show how these concepts fit into other real deals. I host a YouTube channel with over 700 videos and, where appropriate, I’ve also noted some of these recordings to offer further opportunities for you to learn.

This book can be used as a reference, but, unlike most other glossaries out there, it can also be read from cover to cover to fill in the gaps of your vocabulary and, if you’re new to small business conversations, I’d highly recommend you do just that.

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Buying vs. Starting a Small Business: Search or Startup? A Guide to Keep you from Going Broke.


Amazon Best Seller in Consolidations & Mergers Industry!!

Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk and for in pdf. 

Do you dream of being your own boss? You can start a small business, or you can acquire one already underway. After going through this program, you will understand the particular risks and benefits of each method. We will explore what it really means to be successful in your own business beyond the surface-level statistics. You will learn how businesses are valued and how to use tools like debt to acquire one or buy the stuff you need to do a startup. Most importantly, we’ll explore the real risks of small business and manage those risks by understanding how to plan for contingencies, pivots and setting limits.

WARNING: This is not a book to get you all excited with lots of empty-headed pro-entrepreneurship lifestyle cheerleading stuff. It’s about the real world and based on the author's experience as a business owner and advisor since the 1990's.
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Smarter than a Startup


Special Report.

Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk 

You’ve seen the hype, the raging videos from high octane YouTubbers, the dream, the lifestyle… The Startup experience.

Is it for everyone? I don’t know. Does quitting your job and gambling that you’ll be able to start a new business and build the clientele to the point of profitability before you run out of savings sound like a smart idea?

What about the mortgage or the kids education fund? What about feeding the kids?
A startup is a risky thing but there is a better way.

3-time best-selling author David C Barnett uses his decades of business ownership, management and consulting experience to show you the lower-risk path to owning the business of your dreams. It’s not new. It may be less exciting. But your kids will get fed everyday with this plan.


How to Borrow Money from your Business Broker: A guide to finding some of the money you need when you buy a business



Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk
And in PDF with videos and audios here.

After the savings, mortgages, term loans, vendor financing, lines of credit and even credit cards have been applied there sometimes remains a 'gap' in the money required to buy a successful business.

David C Barnett has spent years helping people buy and sell businesses as both a business broker and private transaction advisor. In his years of experience, he has had to bridge that gap several times using broker loans.

Business brokers are not in the normal business of lending money. How does one convince a broker that this is the right thing to do?

Barnett explains the problems in the business broker industry and shows you several reasons why your broker would help you with financing while protecting his own interests.

Don't let a funding gap rob you of your dream of becoming a successful business owner.
If you're a business broker, the techniques outlined in this special report can help you close more deals faster and protect your commissions from untrustworthy sellers.

Purchasers of the Gumroad edition have access to the full Special Report package which includes video, audio files and sample documents.
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How to Sell my Own Business: A guide to selling your own business privately and not pay a broker's commission 



Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca,  Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk, 
Order the .pdf 

GET INSIDER SECRETS on how to sell your own business.
For years David C Barnett met with business owners and showed them that he could get them the maximum value for their business, now he shares these secrets with you.
When it comes time to retire, divest or simply move on to something else and you want to sell your business; read this book

Buy Amazon.ca Best Seller: Invest Local 

       

Buy a .pdf copy of Invest Local

 Also Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk in Softcover or Kindle.

Official Description from the Cover Jacket

Invest Local is a peek into the experience of local deal-making expert David Barnett. His experience and education in business brokerage, small business financing and private finance deals gives him an insight into what's wrong with the common financial planning advice available today and how you can make higher investment returns while reducing risk and helping your local community. 

This is not a book about social enterprises or charity. This is a book which guides you on how to find and obtain superior returns in the community where you live, without paying fees to the financial industry. 


Buy Amazon.ca Best-Seller
Franchise Warnings 

   

  

Buy the .pdf download

Also Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.au, Amazon.uk in Softcover or Kindle.

In this book I share what I've learned over the years. There are stories of real people and real experiences. The book is called Franchise Warnings because it is filled with information that you need to know before you invest your money into a franchise business.

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Buy Credit Card Advantage  

   

Download the .pdf 

Also available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.au, Amazon.co.uk in Softcover and Kindle.

Credit Card Advantage will show you how the correct use of credit cards as a payment and collection tool can help you achieve strategic goals in your business. 

 Save your business money on bank interest, reduce the amount that you invest in receivables, free up cash flow and find free capital to finance growth. 

 The book also teaches you how to maximize profits by gaining value from paying the bills you need to anyway. Especially through rewards points arbitrage.... my own formula to maximize profits.

Every business owner should be using these techniques to enhance lifestyle, reduce expenses, grow sales and save on bank interest.

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Affiliate Program

If you're interested in helping to promote my products and earning a commission to do so, just let me know. info@alpatlantic.com

Quantity Orders

My books are a great gift. Order batches of at least 10 for significant discounts.  Ask me: info@alpatlantic.com

Detailed Summaries

Books written by David C Barnett
(or co-authored)

These summaries are of books that are all available on Amazon. Each description will tell you the name of the book, what it’s about and who the intended reader is.

 

 The Business Fortress

by David C. Barnett & Mark Willis.

📘 Promo Sheet – The Business Fortress

Title: The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect, and Exit Your Business with Confidence
Authors: David C. Barnett & Mark Willis, CFP®
Where to Buy:

✅ Who This Book Is For

  • Small business owners who want long-term security, not just short-term profits.
  • Entrepreneurs tired of living deal-to-deal or paycheck-to-paycheck.
  • Owners who want to build a business that can survive downturns, unexpected expenses, or economic shocks.
  • Anyone planning to grow through acquisition or eventually exit their business.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

  • Resilient Business Design: How to build a company that can withstand recessions, inflation, or sudden shocks.
  • Financial Risk Management: Spot hidden risks in your business before they become threats.
  • Balance Sheet Mindset: Why equity and liquidity matter more than raw profitability.
  • Bank On Yourself® Strategies: Use whole life insurance as your business’s “financial bunker.”
  • Buying a Business Safely: The “Fortress Way” to structure deals without dangerous debt.
  • Exit Planning: How to design a sale, succession, or wind-down that preserves value.
  • Employee Retention Tools: Smarter, more flexible benefits that build loyalty.

🧱 Why It Matters

Most small businesses fail not because of bad ideas but because they are fragile—too leveraged, too reliant on the owner, or too exposed to shocks. The Business Fortress provides a step-by-step framework to:

  • Grow safely.
  • Protect assets and cash flow.
  • Exit with confidence and peace of mind.

📌 Key Use Cases

  • Bankers, landlords, or lenders who want insight into how businesses survive shocks.
  • Business buyers learning how to structure safer acquisitions.
  • Owners considering an exit strategy in the next 3–10 years.
  • Entrepreneurs interested in Bank On Yourself® as a financing and resilience tool.

🔑 Quick Reference Benefits

  • Builds resilient business models that can weather storms.
  • Offers a practical toolkit (case studies, scorecards, action steps).
  • Provides peace of mind through stronger cash flow, liquidity, and balance sheet management.
  • Equips you to think like a banker—so you can spot risks before they sink your business.

👉 Buy on Amazon: www.DCBBookList.com
👉 PDF downloads: https://www.investlocalbook.com/p/buy-book.html

 

21 Stupid Things People Do When Trying to Buy a Business

Learn how to avoid these awful novice mistakes
2nd Edition – More Stupidity and Case Studies!

By David C Barnett

Book Overview

Buying a small business can be one of the smartest financial moves of your life—or one of the costliest mistakes. This book distills years of experience from business broker and consultant David C. Barnett into 21 common (and painful) errors buyers make, plus bonus warnings and case studies.

This isn’t theory. It’s based on real deals, real mistakes, and real people who either lost big or avoided disaster by learning these lessons.

What You’ll Learn

Inside, you’ll discover how to avoid:

  • Overpaying by misunderstanding business valuation.
  • Forgetting to account for your own labor and capital.
  • Overcommitting cash flow to debt service.
  • Failing to budget for working capital or capital expenditures.
  • Skipping critical due diligence steps (financial, legal, operational).
  • Trusting unqualified advisors—or asking the wrong people for advice.
  • Ignoring the landlord’s influence or franchisor’s financial health.
  • Neglecting to plan for transition, resiliency, or exit contingencies.

You’ll also see bonus lessons on:

  • Inventory-heavy businesses.
  • Partner and shareholder agreements.
  • Firing underperforming employees.
  • Real-world case studies from actual buyers.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Aspiring Entrepreneurs who want to buy their first business.
  • Experienced Buyers who want a refresher on risks and blind spots.
  • Business Owners considering acquisitions as a growth strategy.
  • Advisors, Bankers, and Accountants working with small business clients.

Not for people looking for shortcuts or “get rich quick” schemes.

Why This Book?

  • Based on real-world brokerage experience (over 35 deals closed).
  • Filled with case studies and buyer stories.
  • Helps you spot bad advice and protect yourself from brokers, sellers, or advisors who don’t know what they’re doing.
  • Costs only a few dollars—the lessons could save you hundreds of thousands.

What Readers Say

"Covers key information—get educated before you leap." — Mark, Amazon.ca
"One of the best training programs I’ve ever seen… clean, well broken out, well described." — Cody, OK
"Don’t buy a business before reading this." — Amazon reviewer

Where to Buy


 

Buying vs. Starting a Small Business:
Search or Startup?

A guide to keep you from going broke

By David C Barnett

Book Overview

Should you buy an existing business or start one from scratch? This book helps aspiring entrepreneurs make one of the most important financial decisions of their lives by showing the real risks, costs, and trade-offs of each path.

David C. Barnett draws on decades of experience in small business brokerage, consulting, and ownership to provide radically honest advice and practical tools for evaluating your entrepreneurial options.

What You’ll Learn

  • The true risks of owning a small business—beyond the hype.
  • How to measure your resources and avoid overcommitting.
  • The race to breakeven: why most startups run out of cash.
  • How to hedge risks with pivot funds and contingency planning.
  • The difference between investors and entrepreneurs—and which role fits you.
  • Why buying an existing business often carries less risk than starting from scratch.
  • How to creatively use acquisitions as platforms for new ideas.
  • The biggest pitfalls in overpaying for small businesses—and how to avoid them.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Aspiring Entrepreneurs debating whether to buy or start.
  • Corporate escapees seeking freedom through business ownership.
  • Side hustlers considering their first serious step into entrepreneurship.
  • Advisors and educators guiding people on entrepreneurship choices.

Not for:

  • Those looking for “entrepreneurship porn” or hype-filled promises of easy success.

Why This Book?

  • Honest, practical, and reality-based—not motivational fluff.
  • Backed by real-world experience selling 35+ businesses.
  • Endorsed by entrepreneurs, franchise consultants, accountants, and business professors alike.
  • Short, actionable, and clear—perfect for anyone at the crossroads of “buy vs. start.”

Praise from Readers

"Cuts through the fluff and focuses on the core issues impacting aspiring business owners." — Mike Finger, 4X Exit Entrepreneur & Small Business Coach

"Radically honest and simple. I wish all my clients had this foundation." — Katherine Pomerantz, Accountant & Money Coach

"A step-by-step guide that fairly lays out the pros and cons of each option with real-world examples. Highly recommend." — Kevin Rogers, Professor of Sales, Marketing & Entrepreneurship

Where to Buy

 

  

Credit Card Advantage

Understand the costs and benefits for your business while you improve your lifestyle and profits

By David C Barnett

Book Overview

Most people see credit cards only as consumer debt traps or ways to earn free travel points. Few realize that, when used strategically, credit cards can become powerful tools for small business growth, cash flow, and profitability.

In Credit Card Advantage, David C. Barnett explains how business owners can leverage cards to reduce costs, increase capital, earn rewards, and even boost sales—without falling into debt.

What You’ll Learn

  • Maximize Lifestyle Perks: Earn points for travel, cash back, or perks by paying business expenses strategically.
  • Reduce Expenses: Save on cheque printing, bank fees, postage, and staff bonuses through gift card redemptions.
  • Expand Operating Capital: Use credit card float to increase working capital by 30–60 days.
  • Grow Sales: Create promotions and loyalty programs funded by points at no cost.
  • Enhance Public Image: Support community raffles and sponsorships using rewards.
  • Understand the Value of Capital: Learn daily interest cost calculations and how deferring payments creates real savings.
  • Points Strategies & Arbitrage: Compare programs, calculate “Return on Spend,” and leverage arbitrage to your advantage.
  • Accepting Cards as a Seller: Reduce receivables, eliminate collections, win loyalty, and avoid discounting.
  • Credit Card Policies: How to clearly set and communicate payment policies for maximum benefit.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Small Business Owners looking to stretch capital and improve cash flow.
  • Entrepreneurs in competitive industries who want to win loyalty and reduce costs.
  • Owners preparing to sell who want to make their business appear more efficient and profitable.

Not for:

  • Individuals planning to carry balances and pay high interest.
  • Businesses unwilling to manage policies or use cards responsibly.

Why This Book?

  • Written by a former business broker and Amex corporate specialist who saw firsthand how small businesses use credit cards effectively.
  • Shows both financial benefits (capital, cash flow, tax effects) and marketing advantages (loyalty, promotions).
  • Packed with calculations, case examples, and strategies business owners can apply immediately.

Key Takeaway

If you pay your statement in full and on time, credit cards aren’t just convenient—they can be a hidden financial lever to grow your business while funding your lifestyle.

Where to Buy

 

Small Business and Deal Making Glossary

270+ Terms Every Entrepreneur, Buyer, and Advisor Needs to Know
By David C. Barnett

Book Overview

Confused by jargon in small business deals? You’re not alone. Words like EBITDA, normalization, holdback, earnout, and vendor financing often trip up new entrepreneurs—and even experienced professionals. Misunderstanding a single term can cost you thousands or sink a deal.

That’s why David C. Barnett created this glossary: a plain-English reference of over 270 terms with definitions, examples, and real-life deal stories . More than a dictionary, this book is packed with warnings, case studies, and cross-references to videos and podcasts for deeper learning.

What You’ll Learn

  • The meaning of 270+ key terms across finance, valuation, deal-making, and operations.
  • Clear examples for each term to understand how it applies in practice.
  • Insights drawn from real business brokerage and consulting experience.
  • How to avoid dangerous misunderstandings when negotiating deals.
  • Links to videos and podcasts for further context .

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Business buyers and sellers who want to understand the language of deals.
  • Entrepreneurs preparing to negotiate with landlords, lenders, or investors.
  • Advisors, bankers, accountants, and lawyers who support small business clients.
  • Students and professionals in entrepreneurship, finance, or business programs.

Not for:

  • Readers looking for motivational fluff instead of practical definitions.

Why This Book?

  • The only glossary written by a former business broker and deal advisor with decades of real-world experience.
  • Goes beyond definitions—includes stories, warnings, and applications.
  • Can be read cover to cover as a crash course or used as a quick reference guide.
  • Helps you avoid expensive miscommunications in negotiations.

Key Takeaway

If you don’t know the language of business deals, you’re at a disadvantage. This glossary makes sure you’re never out of your depth when buying, selling, or managing a small business.

Where to Buy

 

 

Franchise Warnings

What You Really Need to Know Before You Buy
By David C. Barnett

Book Overview

If you think buying a franchise is the shortcut to business success, think again. Franchise Warnings is an unflinching guide that pulls back the curtain on the franchise industry, showing how hidden fees, restrictive contracts, and misplaced expectations can turn a dream opportunity into a financial trap.

This book isn’t anti-franchise—it’s pro-informed decision making. Through real-world stories, insider insights, and plain-language explanations, David Barnett empowers you to spot red flags, ask the right questions, and evaluate whether a franchise—or an independent business—is the better path for you.

What You’ll Learn

  • What a franchise really is vs. a business opportunity or licensing deal.
  • Why franchisors franchise (money, collateral, labor, and marketing)—and how it shapes the deal you’re offered.
  • Franchise agreements explained: fees, royalties, renewals, territory clauses, and hidden obligations.
  • How businesses are valued and why most franchise resales don’t return the initial investment.
  • The day-to-day reality of running a franchise (often more like buying a job).
  • What can go wrong: financial traps, franchisor conflicts, and even franchisor bankruptcy.
  • Alternatives to franchising: building your own system, hiring consultants, or buying existing independents.
  • Ethical franchising: what it is, why it matters, and how to tell if a system practices it.
  • Franchise Investor’s Action Plan: a checklist of steps before signing (talking to franchisees, digging into lawsuits, understanding fees, knowing your exit options).

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Aspiring franchisees thinking of buying into a brand.
  • Corporate professionals, retirees, or career changers considering franchising as a “safe” path into business ownership.
  • Investors and dealmakers who want to understand the economics of franchising vs. independent businesses.
  • Franchisors and advisors seeking to learn how to structure fairer, more sustainable deals.

Not for:

  • People who want a purely optimistic, “rah-rah” view of franchising.
  • Those unwilling to dig into the details of contracts, fees, and real-world financials.

Why This Book?

  • Written by a former business broker, franchisee, and consultant with decades of first-hand deal experience.
  • Updated in 2025 with new stories, case studies, and coverage of recent FTC regulatory crackdowns on hidden franchise fees.
  • Includes interviews with experts like Joel Libava (The Franchise King®) and franchise coach Giuseppe Grammatico on spotting bad deals and evaluating ethical systems.
  • Balances hard facts with practical tools, showing both the promise and the pitfalls of franchising.

Key Takeaway

Buying a franchise isn’t buying freedom—it’s often renting a business under someone else’s rules. Read Franchise Warnings before you write that cheque—it could save you from years of financial and personal frustration.

Where to Buy

 


 

How to Borrow Money from Your Business Broker

A guide to finding some of the money you need when you buy a business

By David C Barnett

Book Overview

Most buyers struggle to come up with the full down payment needed to acquire a business. This book reveals an often-overlooked source of financing: your business broker.

Drawing on years of experience as a successful business broker, David C. Barnett shows you how and why brokers may be willing to lend part of their commission to close a deal. You’ll learn how to structure broker loans, when they make sense, and how they benefit buyers, sellers, and brokers alike.

What You’ll Learn

  • How business brokerage really works (commissions, splits, cash flow challenges).
  • Why brokers sometimes lend money—even if they don’t “have it.”
  • Step-by-step mechanics of broker loans (promissory notes, credit memos, closing process).
  • How to negotiate with brokers for small “funding gap” loans.
  • Advantages of broker loans vs. bank or institutional debt.
  • Stories and case studies of real deals saved by broker loans.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Business Buyers facing a shortfall in their deal financing.
  • Entrepreneurs seeking creative ways to close deals.
  • Advisors and Consultants who want to understand alternative funding strategies.

Not relevant for:

  • Large corporate or institutional buyers.
  • Public market investors.

Why This Book?

  • Written by a former top-performing business broker who closed 35+ deals.
  • Offers a creative financing tactic rarely discussed in mainstream business buying guides.
  • Can save buyers from losing a deal—or overextending with risky debt.
  • Shows how broker loans create win-win-win outcomes for buyers, sellers, and brokers.

Key Takeaway

Broker loans are not a replacement for solid financing—but they are a powerful tool in your arsenal to cover funding gaps and ensure deals close smoothly.

Where to Buy


 

How to Sell My Own Business

Get insider secrets on how to sell your business for maximum value
2nd Edition – Updated for 2025

By David C Barnett

Book Overview

Selling a business is one of the most significant financial transactions of an entrepreneur’s life—but most owners go in unprepared. This book gives you the tools, insights, and step-by-step guidance you need to confidently sell your business without leaving money on the table.

Written by David C. Barnett—former business broker, consultant, and author—this updated 2nd edition includes new examples, expanded sections on valuation, and guidance tailored to today’s marketplace .

What You’ll Learn

  • When to use a business broker and when to go it alone.
  • How to evaluate brokers and avoid charlatans.
  • The real process of selling a business, from preparation through closing.
  • What buyers are really looking for (and how to present it).
  • How to avoid rookie DIY mistakes that scare off buyers.
  • Negotiation tactics to improve your final selling price.
  • Alternatives to selling—succession, wind-down, or partial exit strategies.
  • Insights into valuation multiples and how buyers determine price .

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Business owners planning to sell in the next 1–5 years.
  • Entrepreneurs preparing for retirement or career change.
  • Advisors, accountants, and bankers who work with small business owners.
  • Anyone curious about what makes a business transferable and attractive to buyers.

Not for:

  • Owners expecting to sell a business in distress without preparation.
  • Those who want to skip planning and just “list it and hope.”

Why This Book?

  • Written by a former top-performing business broker who has sold dozens of businesses.
  • Shares real-world stories and client case studies.
  • Practical and clear—no jargon, no fluff.
  • Updated to reflect today’s buyer market and financing environment.
  • Costs only a few dollars—the insights could add hundreds of thousands to your sale price.

Key Takeaway

With preparation and the right approach, you can sell your own business successfully and keep more of the value you’ve built over years of hard work.

Where to Buy

 

  

Invest Local

A Guide to Superior Investment Returns in Your Own Community

Author: David C. Barnett

Overview

Invest Local reveals how ordinary people can achieve superior investment returns by engaging in small-scale, private deals within their communities. Drawing on his years of experience in business brokerage, financing, and private lending, Barnett shows that high yield investing doesn’t have to mean high risk.

The book explains why traditional financial advice often falls short and provides step-by-step guidance on how to structure simple, profitable deals with people and businesses you already know.

What Readers Will Learn

  • How inflation erodes savings and why traditional investments often underperform.
  • The 8 distinct asset classes and how local deals fit into a diversified portfolio.
  • The difference between retail (low-yield, bank-like) vs. wholesale (direct, high-yield) investments.
  • How to use simple financial tools like the Time Value of Money (TVM) to evaluate deals.
  • Real-world examples of local deals, including:
    • Vehicle leases and loans
    • Machinery and equipment financing
    • Inventory financing
    • Receivables factoring
    • Mini-home and trailer financing
    • Cash flow assignments
  • Understanding risk types (counter-party, liquidity, inflation, credit, etc.) and strategies to mitigate them.
  • Practical paperwork and legal considerations for small, private transactions.

Key Takeaways

  • You can earn returns from 9% to over 40% on well-structured community-based investments.
  • Investing locally keeps profits in your community and supports small businesses.
  • Even small deals ($2,000–$5,000) can deliver strong returns while teaching you valuable skills.
  • Private lending and leasing can diversify your portfolio beyond stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
  • Risk can be reduced by structuring deals smartly—using collateral, liens, or operating leases.

Who This Book is For

  • People frustrated with low bank interest rates and traditional investment advice.
  • Individuals with some savings looking for higher-yield, lower-risk opportunities.
  • Entrepreneurs or community-minded investors who want to support local businesses.
  • Anyone interested in creating cash flows outside of Wall Street.
  • Readers who want practical, real-world strategies instead of theory.

Reader Praise

"Invest Local is a peek into the experience of local deal-making expert David Barnett. His step-by-step guidance shows how to achieve high yields while reducing risk and helping your local community."

Where to Buy

 

Smarter Than a Startup

The risk-reduced way to get the business of your dreams up and running
By David C. Barnett

Book Overview

Starting a business from scratch is risky—most startups fail within five years, and many drain their owners financially and emotionally. Smarter Than a Startup shows readers a lower-risk, smarter path into entrepreneurship: buying an existing, profitable business and using it as a launchpad for innovation.

Barnett explains why most people shouldn’t gamble on startups, how to recognize survivorship bias in success stories, and what safer alternatives exist for achieving your entrepreneurial dreams.

What You’ll Learn

  • Why startups fail: cash flow challenges, unrealistic valuations, personal guarantees, and “hobby businesses” that drain families.
  • How to reduce risk by buying an established business with cash flow in place.
  • Side-hustle vs. smarter way: why part-time ventures often fail and why acquiring a business gives you more control and leverage.
  • Incubator model: use existing business resources (staff, equipment, space) to test new ideas while maintaining stability.
  • Real-world examples: auto repair shops turned into used car dealerships, consulting firms incubating online courses, and more.
  • Creative alternatives like sponsorship arrangements and strategic partnerships to reduce startup runway risk.
  • Financing strategies: how buyers use banks and seller financing to acquire businesses—even without large cash savings.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Aspiring entrepreneurs tempted by the startup hype.
  • Corporate employees who want independence but fear losing financial security.
  • Side hustlers trying to transition into full-time ownership.
  • Investors and advisors who guide entrepreneurs on smarter business entry strategies.

Not for:

  • People chasing the “Silicon Valley lottery” or purely motivational hype.

Why This Book?

  • Written by a former business broker who has seen both startup failures and acquisition successes.
  • Blends reality-based insights with practical tools for risk-averse entrepreneurs.
  • Provides readers with a step-by-step plan to secure their dream business without losing their shirts.

Key Takeaway

Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to mean risking everything. By buying an existing business—or structuring smarter entry strategies—you can secure income, build stability, and still pursue your dreams.

Where to Buy

 

 

 

 

 






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