It’s a question many wrestle with. Start from Scratch or Buy Established—what’s the smarter move? This one’s easy for an experienced business broker: buying an existing business is a much less risky proposition. You’ve probably heard the statistics: one in five new businesses don’t survive the first year. About 50 percent will not survive for five years. The odds are not in your favor, no matter how passionate you are about the business or the industry.

I know from my own experience as an entrepreneur. I was a typical corporate escapee; after working for a large company for years, I decided to start my own business. I had a concept that I strongly believed in, and I spent a year building a solid business plan. Despite careful planning, I was turned down for funding by ten lenders before I found one who would agree to finance my startup.

I spent months scouting locations, designing and overseeing the construction of the building, and attending to thousands of details and problems before we ever opened our doors. I relied on guerrilla marketing, since the funding I had wouldn’t cover traditional advertising. It was equal parts exhausting and exhilarating.

I’m proud of what we accomplished. I sold the company after five years, so I was one of the owners who built a sellable business. Would I do it again, knowing what I know now? Nope.

Here are four reasons you should buy an existing business rather than building one from scratch:

You get the benefit of the founder’s experience and lessons learned. By the time an owner is ready to sell the business, they have figured out how to run efficiently and make money. The trial-and-error period is over, and the new owner will have a clear idea of what works and what doesn’t – and why. The customer base is established, and so is the model for repeat revenue. As a buyer, you’ll be on a faster track to achieving your goals because you’ll be building on their hard work.

You’ll have financial data, a proven track record, and realistic predictions of return on investment. Buyers get to take a deep dive into the company’s financial performance over the course of a few years. Tax returns provide verifiable proof of the business’s profitability, and you’ll be able to see where the business would benefit from more efficiency, cost-cutting, or expanding products or markets. You’ll have evidence of what impact seasonality or market trends have had on the business in the past, so you’ll be less likely to experience unpleasant surprises in the future.

You acquire a business with an established structure, processes and procedures, and experienced staff. Building a company from the ground up takes time, and mistakes in hiring or operational structure can be costly. Even if there’s room for improvement in the company as it exists today, it’s infinitely easier to edit than to create from the ground up. Your infusion of cash, energy, and other resources will have more impact more quickly than they would in a startup business.

Finding financing for an established business will be easier. You won’t have to spend months trying to sell a vision to a risk-averse lender; you can provide financial data that makes the case for your success. You’re no longer an unknown quantity, requiring a leap of faith; figuring out if the business can support its owner and the debt burden is simply an exercise in doing the math. Cash flow difficulties are the leading reason for business failure; studies show that as many as 82 percent of businesses close due to cash flow problems. Since past performance is the best predictor of future success, lenders will be more likely to lend more and provide more favorable terms.

Whatever your personal or financial goals, you’ll be closer to achieving them when you invest in an existing business.