The process begins when you find a company you think you would like to buy (or when the company's current owner thinks he would like to sell it to you). A preliminary conversation sets things in motion. You and the company's owner discuss whether a deal can occur, including a range for the acquisition price. In our case, the business' owner initiated negotiations. An initial meeting revealed that the seller's target price was twice what the buyer had in mind, but the parties did agree that they would probably be able to negotiate a deal in that range.