Buy and Build

This week, we speak with Cedric Sigoire, the owner of DEMAN Translations group, a full-service translation agency specialising in B2B translations. Cedric acquired DEMAN in 2015 and has since continued to add on acquisitions, as he builds his translation empire.  In this episode, we discuss why Cedric decided to pursue acquisition entrepreneurship, what makes the B2B translation industry so compel...

This week we speak with Ibrahim Abdel Rahim, Managing Partner of Moonbase Capital. Moonbase Capital invest in SMEs by backing ambitious Search Fund entrepreneurs. Ibrahim has grown up around SMEs, joining his father's business at a young age. He then completed an MBA at INSEAD before joining McKinsey. Ibrahim then re-joined the family business, growing it 10x and partnering with Doehler Group to c...

This week we speak with Phil Fraser, founder of WhichBingo - UK's largest online Bingo directory. From his kitchen table, Phil grew WhichBingo for 18 years, before selling it in 2018. Phil now advises other companies and founders through The Business Sounding Board. In this episode, we discuss Phil's Business journey- including the risks involved launching a gambling related online business in the...

This week we speak with Ayo Disu and Kunle Campbell of Octillion Capital Partners (OCP). OCP is an eCommerce acquisition company that acquires, operates, and builds culture-defining, socially conscious consumer brands. In this episode we discuss the OCP investment strategy, the unique ways that OCP sources deals, financing options available for eCommerce acquisitions, and the goals for OCP going f...

This week Paul dives deep into the UK small-business M&A ecosystem. The goal of the episode is to give searchers a resource to help them make smart decisions early-on, helping to optimise their business buying journey. Paul walks through valuation multiples, deal sourcing techniques, thoughts on buy-side advisors, and how to raise debt for your acquisition. If there is anything you wish to dive de...

This week we speak with Kison Patel, founder and CEO of M&A Science. Kison has spent ±20 years advising, executing, and optimising M&A transactions. In this episode, we run through the deal lifecycle and discuss best practices and common mistakes. Kison puts out a ton of valuable info around M&A and you can check it out here Follow buy and build here  

This week we speak with Dhaval Shah, the proud owner of two UK logistics companies that he acquired within the last year. Dhaval continues to focus on acquiring companies in the logistics sector, from technology, warehousing, distribution to road haulage companies. In this episode we dive into the logistics sector, we talk about why Dhaval decided to pursue the acquisition path, and how Dhaval has...

This week we speak with Claire Chandler, founder of TalentBoost, a company focused on helping acquisition entrepreneurs validate and integrate the employees of potential acquisition targets. We all know that small businesses are reliant on their people yet we tend to focus on the financial and legal details of any transaction. Hopefully this episode will help bring another perspective to the busin...

This week we speak with Sam Turner, founder of Advantos HVAC Group. Sam is an experienced corporate executive who has recently closed his first acquisition and aims to build a group of HVAC companies. In this episode we discuss Sam's acquisition strategy for the group, the creative ways he sourced outside investors and advisors, and his first few weeks post-close. Enjoy!

This week we speak with Carl Lundberg, partner at Gerald Edelman, a top 50 accounting firm with an affinity for assisting entrepreneurial SMEs. Carl's specialism is corporate finance, in particular transaction services including financial due diligence (FDD) and valuations. In this episode we cover the various levels of FDD from light-touch to full blown quality of earnings, valuation, and transac...

This week we speak with Dr Gautum Basu, co-founder of True North Search, an ETA accelerator. Gautam has +30 years experience executing M&A transactions and implementing operational improvements for PE portfolio companies, Fortune 500 firms, and SMEs. Gautum has also acquired, and is currently running, a business himself. In this episode, we discuss how True North partners with searchers and Gautum...

This week we speak with Koji Bratcher, a valuation and financial advisory expert. Koji has provided financial modelling and analytics services to hundreds of businesses, ranging from private, early-stage companies to publicly-traded Fortune 500 companies. In this episode we discuss some of the basic concepts that drive valuation, such as: how to understand industry average multiples, why EBITDA is...

In this week's episode we discuss updates on Paul and David's search journey. You will hear more about why David decided to leave his job and search full time and we also go through some of the deals we are looking at, proposed deal structures, and opportunities in the pipeline. We hope you enjoy!

This week we speak with Daniel Gilbert, founder and CEO of Brainlabs. Daniel started Brainlabs in his parents attic back in 2012 with a mission of making marketing more scientific. Since then, Brianlabs has grown to 400+ staff across 8 cities around the globe, won numerous awards, and is growing faster then ever with the support of private equity. In this episode we discuss the importance of cultu...

After starting as an apprentice in the fire and security industry, Callum went on to launch his own security company. During the episode, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of being a young operator in the industry, the lack of quality talent given no clear path to recruit and train young talent, and other sector nuances that makes this a popular playground for acquisition roll ups. Enjoy...

This week we have on Alex Glasner. Alex recently acquired a company in the training sector after searching for just 10 months. In this excellent episode, Alex discusses some of his strategies for searching effectively, building relationships with investors, why he targeted companies in the training sector, and why this particular acquisition is so exciting. Enjoy Join the Buy and Build community

Philip Jepson has completed 2 acquisitions in the last 12 months as part of his plan to build a group of quality engineering companies. In the episode we discuss Phil's passion for UK industry, how he sources and structures deals, and his plans for the group going forward. Join the Buy and Build community to stay up to date with the latest resources and insights.

This week we speak with Peter Lidgitt. Peter has completed an impressive 20 acquisitions since the first lockdown, all while abroad in France. Peter is no stranger to acquiring companies out of administration and he uses his central back office staff to integrate new acquisitions quickly and leverages the cash flow of other companies within the group to support new acquisitions. But not all acquis...

This week we speak with Rob LeBlanc of Ambit Partners. This excellent conversation covers the characteristics of "maverick" searchers pioneering new markets, the investment thesis of Ambit's first fund, and what investors can expect from this very attractive, uncorrelated asset class.  Ambit Partners recently announced the $16m initial close of their inaugural fund, targeting $36m, and are are loo...

This week we have on Steve Ressler. Steve is a serial entrepreneur and PE SaaS executive in GovTech space with multiple exits to private equity firms including Vista Private Equity & strategic acquirers such as Motorola Solutions. Steve has also backed 30+ acquisition entrepreneurs around the globe. Steve is always happy to speak with searchers and share his insights, this conversation is a perfec...

This week we have on John Andrews, an experienced solicitor and partner at JMW Solicitors who specialize in business sales and acquisitions. In the episode we discuss John's proactive, problem solving approach to legal DD, as well as common red flags and risk mitigants that come up in small business acquisitions. If you would like to connect with John, you can reach out to him on LinkedIn. Join th...

This week we have on Charlie Sharman from Cantifix. Charlie and his brother started Cantifix over 30 years ago after they had some success installing kitchens for friends. Cantifix is now one of the most successful architectural glass companies in the UK having worked on some of the most iconic residential and commercial properties throughout the UK. Check out their work here Follow Buy and Build...

This week we have on Neil Dalyrmple, founder of Merlin Scott Associates (MSA). MSA specialises in producing Industry Analysis Reports covering 1000+ different sectors of UK industry, without replying on SIC codes. If you are looking to acquire within a specific sector or would like to compare yourself to competitors within your sector, these reports and the recently launched USP tool may be an opt...

This week we speak with Joe Steigman. Joe spent 6 years in the US Army working in various senior logistics roles before pursuing his MBA. It was here he learnt about Search Funds. Joe recounts the challenges he faced raising a search fund in the US and why he decided to end his fundraise early. Joe's leadership skills are evident in his ability to make the tough choices quickly. This allowed him t...

This week we speak with Sean Brophy, UK country manager at Caple. Caple, are lenders focused on SMEs and have recently begun offering a term loan option for management buy-ins. Sean goes into the details on what they look for in both the buyer and the company; and how they overlay qualitative judgement alongside the more quantitative metrics. Join the Buy and Build community