Monday, December 03, 2012

Update: What Are Those Handwritten Letters "To Business Owner" Taped To Smith Street Storefronts?

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I just received an email from Reader N. who noticed envelopes addressed to storeowners taped to storefronts on Smith Street. He writes:
I wanted to ask you (or alert you) about something I saw this morning (8am) on Smith Street: Every store front on both sides of the street between Sackett and Warren (where I got on the train, so it’s likely they extended beyond these blocks) had an envelope taped to it that said (handwritten) “To: Business Owner”. A couple of these envelopes had a return address for TransAmerica (company description mentioned Mergers and Acquisitions). Could you find out what all of these solicitations are about?
Does anyone have an idea what the letters are about? Any shop owners out there who care to share with us?

UPDATE:
I got my hands on one of the letters.  See photos below.
The letters are actually from Transworld, business advisors that offer services like business sales, franchises, mergers and acquisitions.  Transworld was founded in 2010 and is located on Prince Street in Brooklyn. According to a Yelp page, "Transworld Business Advisors is the world leader in the marketing and sales of businesses, franchises and commercial real estate. Whether you represent an acquisition-minded corporation, or are personally interested in owning your own company, Transworld offers the professional services that successfully bring buyers and sellers together. From business brokerage to mergers and acquisitions; we are the business sale specialists."
They were distributed to businesses on quite a few blocks on Smith Street as well as Court Street.
Since it was taped to the front door of almost every store on certain blocks, Transworld does not seem to be in the market for a particular business.
Do you think there will be some takers out there?

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The letter in the envelope states:

I was hoping to reach you about the possible sale of your business. If you have ever considered selling, please contact me at 718-XXX-XXXX.

Katia said...

Thanks, Anon. Just updated the post and added photos of the letter.

Anonymous said...

I got a similar letter from a strange real estate office trolling for property. Handwritten. It's a scam. Do not reply.

Anonymous said...

How can they be "world leaders" when they've been in the business for a whopping two years?

Anonymous said...

Sorry to disagree, but most likely, it is not a scam.
These are simply real estate investors looking to buy property. They do not pay top dollar but are all cash buyers and have the ability to close quickly.

Daniel Airday said...

Hello,

My name is Daniel Airday, owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Downtown Brooklyn.

I came across your blog post regarding our advertisements, and wanted to clarify a few things.

Transworld Business Advisors is a business brokerage franchise, based out of Florida, and has been in business for over 30 years. It is the largest business brokerage franchise in the US and the largest business brokerage in Florida.

We are primarily a business brokerage, handling the sale of businesses as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. We also offer franchise sales & consulting, franchise development, and mergers & acquisitions services. We are not a real estate firm although we are capable of selling commercial real estate, usually when combined with the sale of a business.

We are looking for business owners who wish to sell their business, or on the flip-side are looking to expand through various routes.

For more information on the corporate office, visit www.tworld.com

Our firm's website is www.tworld.com/brooklyn-downtown