Christo Botes When it comes to starting a business venture, many people think that an out-of-the-box, unique idea is needed in order to develop and build a company. However, this notion is progressively changing as more and more budding entrepreneurial-minded individuals are looking to seasoned entrepreneurs for their starting block in the form of an offer-to-purchase. Christo Botes, executive director at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS), says that developing a start-up business or buying a franchise isn’t the only path to becoming a successful business owner, and that the route of purchasing an already existing business is growing in popularity. Botes says that the country’s high startup failure rate is contributing to the shift from start-up ventures to acquisitions. According to the 2016-2017 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, South Africa’s established business rate – the percentage of the adult population that are owners or managers of businesses that have be...