Acquiring Minds

Register for the webinars:   Legal Preparation for Your Search - Thu Jan 30 - https://bit.ly/4hlhlic 5 Stages of the Business Buying Process - Thu Feb 6 - https://bit.ly/3Qautet When Shell Zhang recognized her own tolerance for risk she stepped off a linear path to buy a $600k SDE travel business. Topics in Shell’s interview: Buying a group tour business Overcoming key-person risk Going from a reg...

Register for the webinars:  Legal Preparation for Your Search - Thu Jan 30 - https://bit.ly/4heHi35 5 Stages of the Business Buying Process - Thu Feb 6 - https://bit.ly/4h7HOQj Ray & Dana Chery sensed a need for change in their careers. A 26-year-old portable sink manufacturer was the answer. Topics in Dana and Ray’s interview: Going all-in as a couple buying a business How they beat out 50 ot...

Register for the webinar:   • Legal Preparation for Your Search - Thu Jan 30 - https://bit.ly/3CbswuP Months into his ownership, Ayo Phillips realized his industry was fatally flawed. He survived and 5 years later, exited. Topics in Ayo’s interview: Acquiring with funding from a family office Buying a declining business in a competitive industry Unethical practices within his industry Being honest...

Register for the webinars:   • Is It a Fair Multiple? The Art of Making Your Offer - Wed Jan 22 - https://bit.ly/4asGoxw • Legal Preparation for Your Search - Thu Jan 30 - https://bit.ly/3CbswuP Abhi Ravishankar & 3 partners devised a novel holdco structure to prioritize flexibility, cash flow, and the long term. Topics in Abhi’s interview: Going from BCG partner to small business buyer Starti...

Mike Heath bought a garage door installer from owners who didn't use email. He grew sales fast, but profits came harder. Topics in Michael’s interview: Passing on a commercial cleaning business Acquiring a garage door business with silent partners Installing an operator on day one Messy, unkempt books from the seller Hitting a cashflow crisis Bringing in a consultant and keeping her on full-time P...

Sale-leaseback and asset-based lending enabled Carlo Santelli to acquire and own 100% of a $3.5m EBITDA manufacturer. Topics in Carlo’s interview: Applying 3x to Columbia before getting in Leaving a finance career to buy a business Why he only buys proprietary, not through brokers Maintaining deal momentum when a seller is very busy The power of asset-based lending The power of a successful sale l...

Pete Ciaverilla bought a $12m HVAC business, then grew earnings 50% in 3 years. His timing couldn't have been better. Topics in Peter’s interview: Combining households with his parents while searching Using a buy-side advisor Funding less than 5% of the deal himself Transitioning the seller’s family out of the business Buying a company with 65 employees, $12M in revenue Advantages of buying a bigg...

Michael Jacobson bought his uncle's barely-profitable 45-year-old flower shop in LA. In 4 years he's grown it 16x. Topics in Michael’s interview: Revamping his uncle’s flower shop Replacing the overpriced phone system Building custom software for the floral industry Why flower shops are hard to run How “wire services” like 1-800 Flowers work Switching to Google Ads for better ROI Doubling revenue...

Tim Lahey has doubled the $1.6m company he bought, and buying small has prepared him well for the next phase of growth. Topics in Tim’s interview: Being inspired by Doug Cook Looking for a “dusty, not rusty” business Partnering with an M&A firm to search Acquiring a home technology company Getting bitten on a cashflow crunch Handling customer complaints as the owner Culture of small businesses...

Nick Molina on how he found, acquired, & plans to manage a 275-employee business in Minneapolis from his home in Miami. Topics in Nick’s interview: Taking his first company public in 1998 His unwillingness to retire The tremendous cost of start-ups Which state he won’t do business in Buying a business he doesn’t have to operate Importance of listening in sales Living in Miami while owning a bu...

After buying then exiting a 12-unit franchise portfolio, Alicia Miller became expert on how to attract private equity. Topics in Alicia’s interview: Leaving her corporate career to buy a franchise Acquiring a portfolio of Sylvan Learning Centers Turning around unprofitable locations Her tips for negotiating an acquisition How private equity has impacted franchising Acquiring existing franchise loc...

Dismissed by brokers, Simon Plummer bought & grew a manufacturer 75% in 3 years. Today he's building a long-term holdco. Topics in Simon’s interview: Creating the “BizBuySell” of Australia Buying a manufacturing business Difficulty of acquisition in Australia Running the machines himself for 18 months Learning from his cashflow mistakes Launching their brand in the UK, US, and Canada How a bri...

Josh Key partnered with a master plumber from his church to acquire a plumbing business doing $1.25m. It ended badly. Topics in Josh’s interview: Buying a plumbing business with a partner Quitting his job to go all-in Inadequate due diligence on his partner His partner’s wife getting involved in the business Emotional outbursts and threats from his partner Employees and clients leaving due to the...

Tom & Dawson Matter bought a vent cleaning business operating out of a parking lot. The transition has been interesting. Topics in Tom and Dawson’s interview: Teaming up to acquire Pro Duct Cleaning The nocturnal, detailed, messy nature of the work Tom keeping his W-2 while Dawson runs operations Maintaining a 42% margin Learning to deal with angry customers Upgrading the equipment and facilit...

Register for the webinar: Where Searchers Go Wrong, Part 2 - Thu Dec 12 - https://bit.ly/3VtCvC1 Fred McGill liked the trades and zeroed in on electrical. The $3.2m business he bought is likely to grow 25% in year 1. Topics in Fred’s interview: Founding a real estate start-up Comparing rental income to small business Acquiring an electrical company Reassuring employees during transition Learning h...

Register for the webinar: Where Searchers Go Wrong, Part 2 - Thu Dec 12 - https://bit.ly/4igqBVQ Jordan Dubin and his partners are rolling up a home services industry. They blew by their 5-year goal in the first year. Topics in Jordan’s interview: Partnering with his 2 friends Hand writing 200 letters to potential sellers Building a platform of garage door businesses Maintaining local brands Why p...

Register for the webinar: Where Searchers Go Wrong, Part 2 - Thu Dec 12 - https://bit.ly/41ivxUl Fragmentation & an enormous TAM drew Jonathon Tupper to buy a 30-year-old business in the asset-based lending industry. Topics in Jonathon’s interview: Moving from politics to investment management Importance of liquidity Factoring: a form of asset-based lending What kinds of businesses benefit fro...

Register for the webinar:  • Where Searchers Go Wrong, Part 2 - Thu Dec 12 - https://bit.ly/4f0320C Michael Johnson started searching in April. Today he's having the time of his life as owner of a $1.2m printing business. Topics in Michael’s interview: Marine Corps experience in Iraq Acquiring a vending machine Frustration with his W-2 job Acquiring a SpeedPro location Ups and downs of negotiation...

Link Moser built a nearly-passive business portfolio by acquiring tiny web design & hosting shops on favorable terms. Topics in Link’s interview: Learning to build websites in the 90’s Starting a web design/hosting business Sending out letters to target businesses Acquiring other digital marketing agencies nearby Integrating the businesses he bought Customer attrition rates during transition G...

Derek Croft bought a $1m SDE business with a national footprint in an unusual niche. Just don't call him The Lice King. Topics in Derek’s interview: Leaving Bain to search for a business Acquiring LiceDoctors Why it’s good for a profitable business to be imperfect  Personal satisfaction from helping customers Payroll emergency on day 2 Competition in the lice removal industry High staff turnover d...

Register for the webinars:  • Understanding the Waterfall - Thu Nov 21 - https://bit.ly/3AMj6Fk Francisco Del Rio & Diego Silva are 5 acquisitions into a venture to consolidate veterinary practices in Chile & beyond. Topics in Francisco & Diego’s interview: Vetting each other before partnering Teaming up to roll up vet clinics in Chile Pitching themselves to clinic owners Searching dur...

Register for the webinars:  Where Searchers Go Wrong - Thu Nov 14 - https://bit.ly/3O0im2a Legal Office Hours: Understanding the Waterfall - Thu Nov 21 - https://bit.ly/3O3zqo2 Sam Rosati & partners built the Sunbelt's largest commercial fencing contractor in 3 years. But the origins were modest. Topics in Sam’s interview: His background in accounting and law Being inspired by Chenmark and Bre...

Register for the webinars: Where Searchers Go Wrong - Thu  Nov. 14 - https://bit.ly/40HZtZK Legal Office Hours: Understanding the Waterfall - Thu Nov 24 - https://bit.ly/4hEzVTh The story behind "Rick & Royce", who've probably done more to grow entrepreneurship through acquisition than anyone. Topics in Rick and Royce’s interview: How they met in academia Growth of their ETA class at Harvard U...

When he realized he was willing to do the work himself, Matthew Railla bought a $500k SDE termite inspection business. Topics in Matt’s interview: His family’s culture of entrepreneurship His background running a winery Becoming a business broker Buying his own listing Buying a tough-to-sell business  Getting an SBA loan using the new partial buyout rules Crawling under houses himself to learn the...

Iris Levine bought a 30-year-old construction firm just steps from the rough Nashville neighborhood where she grew up. Topics in Iris’s interview: Working 3 jobs to pay for college Background in high-growth startups Forming her own acquisition mastermind group Finding an unlisted business through a broker Buying a porch construction company Putting 5% down without outside investors Choosing to for...