Self Employment - Buying businesses

[PJSim]

I've got a self employed kleptomaniac sim and I've decided to have him buy out every business in town, I'm sure all the sims I've already ripped off will love that idea, mwuahaha!

Anyway, I was hoping some of you more experienced players could tell me just exactly how many businesses can be bought, since the option doesn't even show unless you have enough money it's hard to know. For example does the police department count as a business, can I buy the law? It is marked in red like other things I can buy. I could never quite understand the difference between the red and the blue places on the map.

Maybe this was an idea for your guide Carl, listing the businesses and the price for becoming King of the World.

[Metropolis Man]

From the Prima Guide:

Bistro: $12500/$25000
Bookstore: $7000/$20000
Corporate Tower: $18000/$40000
Day Spa: $15000/$35000
Diner: $6000/$18000
Supermarket: $7000/$20000
Warehouse: $15000/$35000
Hospital: $30000/$75000
Science Facility: $40000
Stadium: $35000/$80000
Theatre: $18000/$40000

I've had a challenge idea for the last 2 weeks based around acquiring ownership of all businesses. Plus, your sim absolutely has to have the most expensive items in the game. It could be fun.

[Carl]

Excellent question. Every red building, save the City Hall, University, Military Base and Police Department can be purchased. These are government buildings! That means the other 11 can be bought. The common function of the red places is that they are all places of employment, and the insides cannot be viewed. The blues are all sites to visit and have no action directly tied to them.

All investments pay off by 7 weeks for partnership. You can then go in full ownership by buying them out for even more money. It takes longer to pay off but once it does, the profits really roll in.

The most expensive partnership is the Science Facility for 40,000. Full ownership of the lab costs an additional 100,000. Ownership cost will always fall between 2 and 3x the initial investment. That should help you to know the ceiling for how much cash you'll need, as a temporary tip. I would say as a klepto to first focus on the cheapest buildings: the restaurants, bookstore and supermarket. Get those four to partnership then start getting all the others. It makes sense how they flow and you should gradually move upward: it's going to be a lot of money to partner in a hospital, but not so expensive to partner at the corner bistro.

I'll form some notes this afternoon and make a guide to it soon. It's one of those things on the table that needs to be done ...

Edit: That was easy, Motherlode and a trip to all the businesses got me the data for partnerships, now i'll just let a Sim week pass...

[PJSim]

Thanks both of you!
So far I've been doing like you say Carl, getting partnerships in the cheapest places as soon as I can afford it. Also I've found out that it doesn't matter if you get in on Tuesday or as late as early Monday morning, on Monday you still get the payoff even though you've only been partner for a few hours.
So I'm saving my cash and buying the most expensive thing I can afford late Sunday/early Monday.

I thought I might get some advantages as partner, like discounts at the book store but that doesn't seem to be the case. Disappointe-e-ed!

I'm also disappointed I can't buy the police, as a Klepto that might come in really handy. Or City Hall. Or the military!
I mean, why not. As a Dane it's weird enough to me that the hospital is a business, where I come from that's a government building too.

your sim absolutely has to have the most expensive items in the game.

Yeah I like that, I often do a sort of challenge like that when I play, that's what I'm doing right now. My sim is only allowed to buy the most expensive item(s) in each category (or the best - like the one with the highest score or the stove that teaches cooking faster), if he can't afford it he has to do without.
The cool thing about Sims 3 is that it is now possible to get by with nothing at all. You can eat, pee and shower at the gym, study at the library, even sleep in other peoples beds and when you get thrown out because they for some reason find that inappropriate you can nap in their back yard - or in my case, try to steal their bed.

Not having a bed gets old really fast though so that's the first thing I buy, then I spend the rest of my money building a house. It doesn't even have to be finished right away, my sim loves the outdoors so he's happy sleeping outside.

[Carl]

Thanks for asking this, it finally kicked me in the rear. Read my full guide to investing: http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/careers/buy-businesses.php

I'll add in info about renaming businesses once you own them later.

Cheers!

[PJSim]

Thanks, wow that was fast!

[Pam]

My Legacy family bought up all the businesses over the generations.  Once they owned everything, it was an easy steady source of income that continually added to their wealth.  One thing to be careful of, though.  Be sure you don't accidently move out the Sim who owns the titles without transferring them first because you can't get them back and have to buy the business all over again!  

PJSim,

You don't get discounts, but when you're a full owner, you can fire people!

[Carl]

Thanks, wow that was fast!

Well, I was planning on writing something this afternoon anyway. I'm always glad when my to-do list gets a little shorter

[PJSim]

I thought you might have done some work in advance, otherwise it would be a little scary. O_O

You don't get discounts, but when you're a full owner, you can fire people!

Hahaa! I'll remember that for when I want to play an evil sim. Evil and insane, firing people on a whim!
Actually maybe I can use that for my klepto sim, it's really hard to steal from people's houses when they're never home to invite you in. I've already stolen most of their cars and there doesn't seem to be very good insurance coverage in sim world, they don't buy new ones. Well, if I fire them they should be easier to catch at home right?

[Carl]

Yeah Mean Spirited Sims might be able to get a free moodlet from firing people at random, since they like to make enemies and all.

[Bogie74]

I thought I might get some advantages as partner, like discounts at the book store but that doesn't seem to be the case. Disappointe-e-ed!

I thought the same exact thing!! 

What's up with that?? 

[Carl]

Yeah. I'm with you, but forget the book store, I want a discount at the Day Spa!