Acquiring Minds

Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Tato Corcoran packed a lifetime of learning (and tears) into 18 months when she left tech & bought a tiny manufacturer. Topics in Tato’s interview: Connecting with sellers through direct mail Her “Say yes and figure it out later” approach Difficulty i...

14 months ago, Russ Hadlock bought an auto glass business with $2.3m in sales. Today he is struggling to keep it alive. Topics in Russ’s interview: Inventing the Peloton handlebar tray His life-changing exit from his company Looking for stability and safety through acquisition Fear of buying a company that was too big to operate Expenses skyrocketing after transition Impact of asset purchase on re...

Ben Rizzo bought an unprofitable, 4th-generation elevator business then stabilized, doubled, and sold it within 2 years.  Topics in Ben’s interview: His wife-funded search in Pittsburgh Sourcing deals through lawyers and accountants vs brokers Acquiring an elevator repair business in distress Quickly making changes after transition Pouring his own money into the company to stay operational Survivi...

Nathan Gregory left the music industry to buy Autobody News, a business that could benefit from his experience in media.  Topics in Nathan’s interview: Building and exiting a beer koozie brand Managing brand partnerships for pop stars Educating himself on business acquisition Pivoting away from home services Buying a media company with a partner Why print media isn’t dead  His audience-first appro...

Register here for the webinar , How to Raise Equity to Buy a Business https://bit.ly/3SUJhzQ Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Peter deBaptiste bought a 35-person plumbing business with 2 very technical, hands-on owners 1 hour away from his house. Topics in Peter’s interview: Building ope...

Register here for the webinar , How to Raise Equity to Buy a Business https://bit.ly/3uwHx6y Will Wright bought a big event rental business in December 2018. When Covid hit, he turned crisis into opportunity. Topics in Will’s interview: Benefits of a traditional search fund Feeling like a “wartime president” His brutal first year as owner Value of a strong company culture Scrambling to fulfill con...

Register here for the webinar , How to Raise Equity to Buy a Business https://bit.ly/3SAWZXd Adam Borcz bought & unlocked growth in a niche-y, 35-year-old blue collar business, almost tripling earnings in 4 years.  Topics in Adam’s interview: Adam’s experience working for a fundless sponsor Pros & cons of having the federal government as a customer Doubling his work force in a “tough labor...

Only after taking a second look at a small wedding catering & venue business did Nick Patrick recognize an opportunity.  Topics in Nick’s interview: Buying a business that checked only one box Getting past major key person risk Nick's fear of lacking operational experience Acquiring without an SBA loan or investors Learning to lead and handle conflict Operational intensity of a wedding caterin...

Doug Johns reflects on his balance sheet, lifestyle, and new identity as business owner after 9 quarters in the seat.  Topics in Doug’s interview: His wife's involvement in the business Working 60 hours a week  His experience with ROBS structure and buyout Slowdown in home services industry Why he loves owning & operating When & why to raise your prices Moving to a small town in a metro ar...

Register here for the webinar , The Anatomy of an LOI : https://bit.ly/4263xl0 It was only after Michael Young started an accounting practice that he found the much larger practice he would then buy. How his father’s failed business influenced him Being rejected by a search accelerator Starting an accounting firm while searching 18 months of dead deals before acquisition Role of luck in business s...

Register here for the webinar , The Anatomy of an LOI : https://bit.ly/3U52srP At his job, Morgan McCauley saw a ceiling on his impact & earning potential. Buying a home care business uncapped both. Topics in Morgan’s interview: His experience working in a family office Investing 2 months in a deal that died Trade-off between equity and salary in traditional search Geographical search in South...

Register here for the webinar , The Anatomy of an LOI : https://bit.ly/3SsxKrt Ryan Doyle was 2 long years into searching when he walked away from a deal, but he was rewarded for the self discipline.  Topics in Ryan’s interview: Lessons learned from a failed deal Value of a thorough quality of earnings investigation Why “stupid good margins” are a bad sign Buying a residential pool business in the...

Register here for the webinar , The Anatomy of an LOI : https://bit.ly/492E8eh Buying a property management business (which he's doubled) helped Brandon Laughridge balloon his real estate portfolio.  Topics in Brandon’s interview: Why he changed his mind about service businesses Modernizing and professionalizing a property management business Growing from 12 to 25 employees The pain of owning a bu...

Holdco entrepreneur Sam Turner shares his vision to build the leading platform for independent M&E businesses in the UK.  Topics in Sam’s interview: Importance of patience and flexible timelines Getting through fetal position moments Balancing diversification and integration Gurus in the business buying space Lessons from his first acquisition Change management in blue collar businesses Increa...

Luis Aguilar found a $1.5m SDE commercial laundry business on BizBuySell, then a second acquisition followed quickly.  Topics in Luis’s interview: Geographical search in Florida Working with SIG (Search Investment Group) to raise capital Pitching investors and overcoming rejection Negotiating a dead deal back to life Acquiring a linen rental business Second order effects of raising employee wages...

Watch the recording of our webinar on Financial Modeling a Self-Funded SBA Acquisition : https://acquiringminds.co/webinars/how-to-model-a-self-funded-sba-acquisition The cemetery services biz Philip Blackett bought in 2019 was finally squeezed to insolvency & shuttered 2 months ago. Topics in Philip's interview: Searching locally due to having twins Buying a cemetery management business The d...

Watch the recording of our webinar on Financial Modeling a Self-Funded SBA Acquisition : https://acquiringminds.co/webinars/how-to-model-a-self-funded-sba-acquisition In a world of tight labor supply, Tyrel Sulzer & Bob Boniface saw the benefits of buying a school that trains truckers. Topics in Tyrel and Bob’s interview: Choosing to do a partnered search Why they chose a traditional search fu...

When he bought an HVAC business in east Tennessee, John Mahony moved in next door & became a member of the community. Topics in John’s interview: Moving from Nashville to rural Appalachia His vision to build a holding company Buying an HVAC business in a small town Transferring skills he learned in the Marines Hiring veterans for their leadership capabilities Learning about HVAC through ride-a...

Pat Lazure explains why Flavor-Crisp, a food product business that uses co-packers, was such a great business to buy.  Topics in Pat’s interview: Doing a “spouse-funded” search Starting a shear-sharpening business while searching Growth, churn, & margins in his shear-sharpening business Why he wanted to buy  a breading and batter mix company so badly Similarities between food businesses &...

Sam Turner is 3 acquisitions into a 5-year plan to buy HVAC businesses across the UK that together cash flow £6m/yr. (Rebroadcast from August 2022.)  Topics in Sam's interview: How the businesses he buys are run and by whom Buying without the benefit of an SBA loan Why HVAC? Why buying small business is more appealing than real estate Harbour Club with Jeremy Harbour The value in acquiring busines...

How Doug Johns overcame his reservations about being a franchisee to acquire a dream business with $1.8m EBITDA. (Rebroadcast from September 2022.)  Topics in Doug's interview: Buying a franchise vs. independent business Opening your mind to a franchise The many (overlooked) benefits to being a franchisee Calling yourself "independent investor" instead of "searcher" Running a search like a B2B sal...

Jack McCarthy has acquired 27 pistachio & almond farms from retiring owners, with a plan to build & hold for decades.  Topics in Jack’s interview: Jack’s fascination with overlooked businesses Gold Leaf’s unique business model Appeal of farmland as a safe and attractive asset How farms are valued How specialty crops compare to row crops What makes a farm high quality Using technology to fa...

Ben Jasper made a change at age 40, acquiring a plastic bag manufacturer with 10 people & a daily start time of 4:30am.  Topics in Ben’s interview: Managing a portfolio of $500 million on Wall Street Leaving finance to prioritize family Buying a plastic bag manufacturer Starting his work day at 3:30 AM His intense 2-month initiation Creating a manual and financial model to manage the business...

Eddy Zakes has 2x'd revenue and 4x'd headcount at the snow removal brokerage he bought with a traditional search fund.  Notes from the conversation with Eddy: His highly-personal outreach approach Earth Development’s unusual business model Negotiating with an anxious seller Acquiring during Covid How being close to a target business changes rapport building Buying a highly seasonal business Operat...

Brian Lee Shields bought a barely-profitable property management business intending to improve, grow, & hold it forever.  Topics in Brian’s interview: Importance of energy vs talent  Brian's partner and their complementary roles Buying property management companies Improving their net promoter score (NPS) Building a culture of completion rate measurement Relocating positions and outsourcing Im...