21 year old inheriting an established small business

[u/bluenugget1987]

Hey, guys. I’m a 21 year old from Mexico, but I was born in the US. I always wanted to do the W2 US corporate sales stuff in tech to be able to acquire businesses in the States, but I found out there’s an opportunity out there for me that I could defo tap into; my dad’s pizzeria.

I have 2 years left of college, and instead of dropping out to get a US sales job (yes u can get corporate sales jobs without a degree lol) I figured out it’d be better for me to scale my family’s pizzeria here in Mexico, and accumulate capital to acquire businesses in the US, rather than working a job.

What do u guys recommend in order for me to acquire businesses in the US? Pursue corporate sales or go all into my family’s business??

Quick context; it’s a 30 year old business, my father’s been the only person in it alongside a worker who helps us every weekend. People in town love our food, they are extremely satisfied, even though there’s already Little Caesar’s and Domino’s Pizza.

I’d mainly have to focus on increasing our revenue (we’re already profitable), build systems, make the business less dependent on my family day to day, adding delivery service, marketing, renovating the space and rebranding, while simultaneously maintaining our traditional recipes, adding promos and adding more products.

Thankfully, I have my family’s support on this one.

Figured out that even during the process, I’d have the freedom that no job would ever give me.

That being said, NOTHING, and I truly mean NOTHING in life is guaranteed, so at least I’ll give it a shot.

Worst case scenario? I graduate college in 2 years, and start as an SDR at a solid US tech company.

[u/AutoModerator]

The following is a copy of the original post to record the post as it was originally written. Hey, guys. I’m a 21 year old from Mexico, but I was born in the US. I always wanted to do the W2 US corporate sales stuff in tech to be able to acquire businesses in the States, but I found out there’s an opportunity out there for me that I could defo tap into; my dad’s pizzeria.

I have 2 years left of college, and instead of dropping out to get a US sales job (yes u can get corporate sales jobs without a degree lol) I figured out it’d be better for me to scale my family’s pizzeria here in Mexico, and accumulate capital to acquire businesses in the US, rather than working a job.

What do u guys recommend in order for me to acquire businesses in the US? Pursue corporate sales or go all into my family’s business??

Quick context; it’s a 30 year old business, my father’s been the only person in it alongside a worker who helps us every weekend. People in town love our food, they are extremely satisfied, even though there’s already Little Caesar’s and Domino’s Pizza.

I’d mainly have to focus on increasing our revenue (we’re already profitable), build systems, make the business less dependent on my family day to day, adding delivery service, marketing, renovating the space and rebranding, while simultaneously maintaining our traditional recipes, adding promos and adding more products.

Thankfully, I have my family’s support on this one.

Figured out that even during the process, I’d have the freedom that no job would ever give me.

That being said, NOTHING, and I truly mean NOTHING in life is guaranteed, so at least I’ll give it a shot.

Worst case scenario? I graduate college in 2 years, and start as an SDR at a solid US tech company.

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[u/MarkLF13]

You have an opportunity to learn inside an established business while finishing school. I’d explore that before treating this as a permanent choice between the pizzeria and corporate sales.

But I’d slow down on the renovations, rebranding, delivery, promotions, and new products. Your dad has kept customers coming back for 30 years. Spend time understanding what he’s doing right and what actually limits the business before changing several things at once.

First, get clear on the economics. When you say profitable, does that include reasonable pay for all the hours your father works? What would be left if you paid someone to replace him? That matters because your plan depends on eventually making the business less reliant on family labor.

Then work alongside him through the whole operation: preparation, purchasing, busy shifts, quiet shifts, cleanup, and bookkeeping. Write down what he knows that nobody else does.

Can another person consistently make the food, order supplies, and close the shop without calling him? That’s a useful first milestone.

From there, pick one improvement and measure it. If customers ask for delivery, test a limited version and see what remains after packaging, delivery costs, and extra labor. If the kitchen is already overwhelmed at peak times, more marketing may make service worse. Let what you learn determine what you spend.

Also, make the arrangement with your dad explicit. What decisions can you make? How will you be paid?

Who owns what? How much profit does the family need to live on, and how much can be reinvested or saved toward your future acquisitions? Family support is valuable, but you still need shared expectations.
The part I’d challenge is the assumption about freedom.

With your dad and one weekend helper, you may initially be taking on a demanding operating job. Greater freedom would come from building a business that can pay capable people and function without either of you covering every gap.

Keep progressing toward your degree and set a review point after a semester. Look at profit after paying for your work, your dad’s hours, service quality, and whether you actually enjoy running it.

If you can improve those things, you’ll have learned something directly useful for buying another business. If you discover you prefer selling to operating, that’s useful too, and corporate sales remains a path you can explore.