Three Bend locals have founded and recently launched Resort Business Opportunities (RBO). Their website, go-rbo.com, is the first online listing venue of businesses for sale in resort and vacation areas around the country. The business partners are Brian Lantzy, Sibila Lantzy and Reid Simonton.
“Every year tens of thousands of businesses in resort and vacation areas are bought and sold,” says co-founder Lantzy. “The goal of RBO is to connect the lifestyle business buyer to the right opportunity—whether it’s in a ski town, on a lake, or at the beach.”
The site provides all of the information needed to buy, sell and run a business in paradise.
The site already boasts over 200 listings in 38 states. They only list businesses and commercial properties that are located in great outdoor recreation-based areas. Listings are searchable by categories that are unique to the resort business marketplace:
• Resort-Specific Business Types (restaurants, retail, lodging, guide/outfitter)
• Geographical Characteristics (Beach, Mountain, Lake, River, Desert, Coastal )
• Outdoor Activities (skiing, fishing, mountain biking, golfing, surfing, sailing)
• Regional Locations (Rocky Mountain West, Pacific Northwest, Desert Southwest)
A very large portion of resort business buyers are “relocaters,” according to Lantzy. “The primary audience is the retiring baby boomer. We are appealing to those people who have decided to get out of the rat race and live their dream.”
The number one challenge facing business sellers in resort towns is a small local audience with limited exposure; RBO provides an avenue to reach a targeted nationwide audience for the first time. “The response, especially from brokers has been fantastic,” he says. “They recognize the value and that there is nothing out there like it.”
Each of the partners has lived most of their lives in resort areas and so they realize the unique challenges that these desirable—but sometimes isolated and quirky—locations pose to a would-be business owner. That’s why go-rbo.com is not just an advertising venue, it is a resort business community site as well. Through the newsletter and blog they provide specific, relevant insight regarding the nuances of relocating to, living in and running a business in resort areas.
RBO has recently partnered with veteran writer Michael Molinski (“Small Business in Paradise: Work for yourself in a place you love.”) to assist with the ‘business community’ side of the site. “We are excited to collaborate with Mike,” says Lantzy, “He will be the primary author of content and I believe he is one of the most qualified people we could to be working with; he will bring a lot of experience and expertise to the project.”
The website was also recently reviewed by the Killerstartups.com and was voted by users as the best new startup in the month of June (over 450 businesses were reviewed.)
Brian Lantzy can be reached at 541-706-1610 or brian@go-rbo.com
