A Note to the Reader

The stories in this book are true. The businesses were real. The money was real. The losses were real.

But the names are not. I changed the names, the companies, the towns, and small details. I did this to protect the people who trusted me with their worst days. Think of each one as a true story wearing a mask. The mask hides the face. It does not hide the lesson. The dollar figures are real.

I collected these stories so the lessons would not be buried with the businesses. This book is not here to scare you away from buying a business. It is here to make you ready. Every story holds a mistake you do not have to repeat. Read it slowly. Then go buy something with your eyes open.