JackQuisitions - Small Business Acquisitions in Home Service

You can build a $2 million business drilling holes in the dirt, and it has nothing to do with oil or water wells. In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack Carr breaks down the business of environmental and geotechnical drilling, where specialized crews use equipment like Geoprobes to collect soil, groundwater, and rock samples for environmental consultants, engineers, contractors, and government ag...

You can build a million-dollar-a-year business by putting cones on the road. In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack Carr breaks down the surprisingly lucrative business of traffic control and why contractors are willing to pay thousands of dollars per day to keep road projects moving safely. Jack covers how traffic control companies make money through flagging labor, trucks, lane closures, setup...

The SBA rules for buying a business are changing in 2026. Here’s what buyers and home service operators need to know. Jack Carr sits down with Alan Peterson from First Internet Bank to break down the latest SBA 7(a) changes, including how buyers can finance up to 90% of an acquisition, new equity requirements, seller financing, and changes affecting minority investors. They also cover how sellers...

What if you could build one piece of infrastructure and collect rent from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile for decades? In this episode of JackQuisitions , Jack Carr breaks down the business of developing cell towers and why he regrets not getting into it years ago. Jack covers the startup costs, revenue potential, 80%+ site-level margins, long-term carrier leases, and why a tower with three tenant...

What if an old roadside billboard could generate $30,000 to $40,000 a year, then be converted into an asset producing $150,000+? In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack Carr breaks down the billboard business, including how billboard owners make money, what makes certain locations so valuable, and why converting a static billboard to digital can dramatically increase its revenue potential. Jack co...

This $500,000 truck could generate $1 million in revenue per year. In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack Carr breaks down the business behind hydro excavation trucks, specialized equipment that uses high-pressure water and a powerful vacuum to safely expose underground utilities. Jack covers how hydro vac companies make money, why a single truck can generate $600K+ in annual revenue, the costs a...

Buying your first business? These 3 mistakes can ruin the deal before you even take over. In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack Carr breaks down the three biggest mistakes he sees first-time business buyers and acquisition entrepreneurs make when searching for a company to acquire. Jack explains why debt and project-based construction businesses can be a dangerous combination, why understanding...

What if the best business to start in 2026 isn't built around an idea; but a machine? In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack Carr breaks down five machines that can become the foundation of highly profitable service businesses. From stump grinders and parking lot striping machines to commercial mowers, freeze dryers, and air duct cleaning equipment, these are simple machines solving real pro...

How can you build a million-dollar business with nothing more than a striping machine and commercial contracts? In this episode of JackQuisitions , Jack Carr breaks down one of the most overlooked service businesses in America: parking lot striping . From startup costs and profit margins to customer acquisition and long-term scalability, Jack explains why this "boring" business can becom...

Most advice about starting an HVAC company focuses on the easy part: forming an LLC, buying a truck, and getting your first customers. In this episode of JackQuisitions , Jack Carr breaks down what actually determines whether a new HVAC business survives. From pricing, marketing, and hiring to cash flow, operations, and mindset, he shares the practical lessons every technician should understand be...

Why would someone choose plumbing over HVAC in Texas? In this episode of JackQuisitions , Jack Carr explains why he'd buy a plumbing business over any other home service company in Texas. The opportunity is driven by the unique combination of expansive soil, slab foundations, buried sewer lines, and the referral ecosystem that surrounds foundation repair. Jack breaks down how hydrostatic test...

Buying a home service business may be one of the fastest paths to building long-term wealth, but only if you're prepared for the risk. In this episode of JackQuisitions , Jack Carr explains how the SBA 7(a) loan program allows buyers to acquire HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses with relatively little capital down, then use growth and future acquisitions to compound value over time. He...

Not every home service business survives a recession the same way. In this episode of JackQuisitions , Jack Carr ranks the five most recession-resistant home service businesses to own based on one simple question: What do homeowners still pay for when money gets tight? From plumbing and HVAC to restoration and septic, Jack breaks down which businesses continue generating revenue during economic do...

Not every boring business is worth buying. In this episode of Jackquisitions , Jack Carr breaks down eight home service businesses he would never acquire, from pressure washing and window cleaning to handyman services, dryer vent cleaning, and even dog poop pickup. He explains why some businesses create great incomes for owner-operators but fail as scalable acquisitions, and the common characteris...

Starting a septic business isn't about picking a name or designing a logo. It's about getting the fundamentals right before you spend your first dollar. In this episode of Jackquisitions, Jack Carr breaks down exactly how he'd build a septic business from scratch in 2026. From licensing and permitting to startup capital, marketing, hiring, and buying your first truck, he walks throu...

Thinking about buying a small business? These are the best boring businesses to buy in 2026. In this episode of Jackquisitions , Jack Carr ranks eight of the best service businesses and small business acquisition opportunities, breaking down recurring revenue, valuation multiples, route density, and the operational advantages that make certain businesses better investments than others. From pest c...

The Best Boring Businesses to Build a $10M Company Not every "boring business" is built to scale. In this episode of Jackquisitions , Jack Carr ranks four home service businesses that can realistically grow into $10M+ companies and explains why so many others stall out long before they get there. From recurring revenue and route density to hiring, middle management, and acquisitions, Jac...

What does a septic business actually run on? In this special field episode of Jackquisitions, Jack Carr takes you inside one of the most important assets in any septic company: the pump truck. Instead of talking about acquisitions from a desk, Jack walks through a real septic truck and explains how it works, why every component matters, and what buyers should understand before purchasing a septic...

Thinking about buying a business? Most first-time buyers start on BizBuySell, but that's where the competition is highest. In this episode of Jackquisitions , Jack Carr shares three proven strategies to find off-market business acquisition opportunities before they ever reach business brokers or online marketplaces. Learn how experienced buyers source small business acquisitions through netwo...

Everyone talks about buying a business with no money down. But how many people have actually done it? In this episode of Jackquisitions, Jack Carr breaks down exactly how he acquired his first plumbing and electrical business with 0% down. From finding the deal through his network to structuring a creative seller-financed agreement, Jack shares the real story behind his first acquisition. Most buy...

Dumpster rental businesses look simple from the outside. Drop off a dumpster. Pick it up. Haul it away. Get paid. But the operators building profitable dumpster rental companies understand something most buyers miss: this is a route density and customer acquisition business. In this episode of Jackquisitions , Jack Carr breaks down the dumpster rental business model and explains why route efficien...

Porta potty businesses look simple from the outside. Drop off a unit. Service it. Pick it up. Get paid. But the operators making real money understand something most buyers miss: this is a route density business disguised as a sanitation company. In this episode of Jackquisitions , Jack Carr breaks down the acquisition framework behind portable restroom businesses and explains why operational effi...

Septic and grease trap businesses look identical on paper. Same truck. Totally different company. Jack Carr breaks down the acquisition framework. Residential septic and commercial grease trap operations share the same equipment — but they are fundamentally different businesses with different economics, different customers, and different risks. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ In this episode of Jackquisitions, Jac...

Garage door businesses are one of the most overlooked opportunities in home services. In this episode of Jackquisitions, Jack explains why garage door companies offer strong margins, high customer urgency, low operational complexity, and massive growth potential. He breaks down the numbers behind a one-truck operation, the power of local SEO, and the systems needed to scale a profitable garage doo...

Buying a pest control business sounds simple; until you start digging into the numbers. In this episode of Jackquisitions, Jack breaks down exactly how he would evaluate a pest control company before making an acquisition. From recurring revenue and customer churn to route density, technician productivity, and owner dependency, he walks through the key diligence items that separate a scalable busi...