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Own Your Own


Brick building with ZWICKEY ARCHERY sign, astronaut graphic, and AVAILABLE commercial real estate sign above a green lawn.
Zwickey Archery, since 1938 and still in business at a new location.

What’s the best advice I have for small business owners? Invest in your business. In other words, use your business to buy a building. You won’t have to negotiate leases, succumb to landlord pressure, or deal with the logistics and expense of moving. You will benefit from cash flow, appreciation, depreciation, and the fact your business is paying down equity or reducing the balance of your loan.

 

Take this property we have listed for sale in North Saint Paul. It’s a 2,000 square foot, standalone, industrial building on a third of an acre and former home to Zwickey Archery. Such a property is hard to find these days, as those Mom-and-Pop shops have been bought up and folded into larger developments. The demand is still there, but the inventory is not. Small industrial businesses are having to move farther and farther from the metro center. This property is perfect for a trade or service business, artist studio, small manufacturer, or someone looking for a standalone, fully equipped industrial property. It would be a great purchase for a small business owner. 


Four empty office rooms in a before-and-after renovation collage, changing from blue and pink walls to white walls and updated floors.
Before and after photos showing the potential with interior surface improvements. (actual photos on the left, AI generated on the right)

 

It’s a gem. A coat of interior paint, new LED lighting, perhaps a shiny warehouse floor, and replaced flooring in the office are all simple improvements that could be made. But it ticks all the important boxes: overall low maintenance, excellent location and accessibility, and turnkey infrastructure. It’s clean, has a drive-in door, 3 phase power, an office with windows, off-street parking, and is well-insulated. You couldn’t build this today as it would be cost prohibitive. Looking past scuffed paint and worn carpeting is important when you are investing in what’s a good deal for your business. You can do updates and customization that suits your taste and brand needs, but you can’t move the location or easily change the infrastructure.

 

Maybe this isn’t the property for your business, but the idea is transferable. The right property is out there, and as a small business owner, it makes sense long term to OWN YOUR OWN building. 👨‍🚀



Smiling man in a blue suit and white shirt stands in a bright office hallway.

Jeff Salzbrun is the owner/broker of Commercial Equities Group (CEG). As a veteran-owned real estate brokerage, CEG has been involved in thousands of sale and lease transactions, ranging from single offices to 250,000+ square foot buildings. At CEG, we get your deal done. We know space, and we know the CRE business.

 

 

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