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 academiaGrowth of their ETA class at HarvardUnexpected success of their bookSatisfaction of changing students’ livesThoughts on their sons...

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 entrepreneurshipHis background running a wineryBecoming a business brokerBuying his own listingBuying a tough-to-sell business Getting an SBA loan using the new partial buyout rulesCrawling under houses himself to learn the tradeSeller agreeing to teach him for 2 yearsThe 3 branches of pest controlHis plan to expand 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 collegeBackground in high-growth startupsForming her own acquisition mastermind groupFinding an unlisted business through a brokerBuying a porch construction companyPutting 5% down without outside investorsChoosing to forego a quality of earningsAdding technology for project managementMotivation to find work-life...

Register for the webinar:  How to Run a 2-Year Search in 2 Months - Nov 1 - https://bit.ly/48sjkh9Seattle-based Dan Drake & his wife wanted to raise their kids in Bend, Oregon. Buying a business allowed them to do it. Topics in Dan’s interview: His search in Bend, OregonUnderstanding negotiation tacticsBundling the real estate with the businessHis seller-financed dealRenegotiating after sales dipped 20%Pros and cons of having experienced staffExplaining balloon paymentsGiving back to...

Register for the webinar: How to Run a 2-Year Search in 2 Months - Friday, Nov 1 - https://bit.ly/3YEN9YEWhen, at age 29, Gat Caperton bought a furniture maker in his native West Virginia, he was also buying himself a career. Topics in Gat’s interview: Working for the legendary Sam ZellAcquiring a furniture manufacturer in 1996You’re better off with smart competitors than dumb competitorsCutting his lead time in half the first yearImplementing lean manufacturingOwning the business with his...

Register for the webinars: Cap Tables 101: How Capital Structure Works When Buying a Business - Thu Oct 24 - https://bit.ly/3UihUQG How to Run a 2-Year Search in 2 Months - Friday Nov 1 - https://bit.ly/3UfYJqz Nik Hulewsky bought a $3.2m medical billing company during peak Covid, anticipating a surge in demand. He was right. Topics in Nik’s interview: Tragedy that ignited his passion for hospiceLosing his job while his wife was in laborSearching for a business to fit his skillsetIndustry is...

Register for the webinars: Cap Tables 101: How Capital Structure Works When Buying a Business - Thu Oct 24 - https://bit.ly/4dR5CWq How to Run a 2-Year Search in 2 Months - Friday Nov 1 - https://bit.ly/4dQifkn Kristiana Laugen left tech to buy a 40-year-old pool business with $300k SDE. Fast growth from a small base is the plan. Topics in Kristiana’s interview: Her career working for start-upsHer desire to “eat what she kills”Finding a business sooner than expectedAcquiring a commercial pool...

Register for the webinar: Cap Tables 101: How Capital Structure Works When Buying a Business - Thu Oct 24 - https://bit.ly/3zTykbc Tech industry vet Eric Bauer wanted to build something for himself. Buying a hat brand across the country was the path. Topics in Eric’s interview: Skills he acquired during 10 years at AmazonMoving from Seattle to Alabama to buy a businessRed flags in business listingsComparing BizBuySell and Axial for business searchAcquiring a hat distributorSolving problems...

Register for the webinars: Due Diligence Office Hours - Wed Oct 16 - https://bit.ly/4h3R74o Cap Tables 101: How Capital Structure Works When Buying a Business - Thu Oct 24 - https://bit.ly/3zT8sMA Justin Willess liquidated his 401k to buy a $8.5m construction business. He lost the business and may lose his house. Topics in Justin’s interview: Frustration with his consulting careerBuying a construction companyConstruction landscape in Northern VirginiaDiscovering cooked books after...

Register for the webinars: Which Business Should You Buy? - Thu Oct 10 - https://bit.ly/3TYdVZ8 Due Diligence Office Hours - Wed Oct 16 - https://bit.ly/3BznZl0As a banker Greg Bruns dealt with business owners, wanting what they had. When a friend bought a business, he saw a way. Topics in Greg’s interview: Leaving his banking career to buy a businessBig risks of doing an asset saleHow ownership is different than expectedRisks and benefits to buying smallWhy erosion control matters to...

Register for the webinars: Which Business Should You Buy? - Thu Oct 10 - https://bit.ly/47TzaBc Marc Nzojibwami and 2 partners bought a business in Calgary, with a plan to keep buying (and without investor capital). Topics in Marc’s interview: Early attempts at launching companies in universityAcquiring with 2 partnersTheir plan to build a holdco togetherAcquiring a 40 year old sign shopFinancing their deal in CanadaNegotiating purchase price and seller noteOne change they made...

Register for the webinars: Which Business Should You Buy? - Thu Oct 10 - https://bit.ly/4gQqKP5Taylor Wallace & Tyler O'Connor return to discuss selling to private equity & the painful reality of managing people. Topics in Taylor’s interview: Evaluating the risk/reward of selling to private equitySelling to private equity but not exitingGood PE vs. bad PETransition to a corporate structureComparing outcomes with tech startupsReferences and how to contact Taylor: TwitterLinkedInTaylor...

George Tibil & Keith Fields bought a $1.1m janitorial business with falling revenues. 9 months later, sales are up 60%. Topics in George and Keith’s interview: Their dissatisfaction with the corporate ladderCalling on Acquiring Minds guests for search adviceAcquiring a ServiceMaster Clean franchise locationWhat changed their minds about franchisesFiring their first employee before taking ownershipCleaning all night when business was understaffedManaging an immigrant-heavy workforceTurning...

Register for the webinars: Legal Office Hours (Deal Structure & Its Tax Implications) - Thu Sept 26 - https://bit.ly/4dhSAAX How to Hire an Operator to Replace Yourself - Fri Sept 27 - https://bit.ly/3MU6hLuDustin Fusillo bought a struggling ATM parts & services business. Unhappily, the decline continued under his ownership. Topics in Dustin’s interview: Starting a private school in FloridaPersonal growth after divorceLosing money in 3 business venturesReaching out to successful...

Register for the webinars: Legal Office Hours (Deal Structure & Its Tax Implications) - Thu Sept 26 - https://bit.ly/4grubvD How to Hire an Operator to Replace Yourself - Fri Sept 27 - https://bit.ly/3zgUbJrCorey Robinson bought 4 locations in the legacy franchise Batteries Plus. He quickly bought 8 more, growing to $10m/yr. Topics in Corey interview: Leaving the security of his corporate jobWhat he likes about Batteries PlusBuying an expansion location for $100k cashChanging the culture...

Register for the webinars: Due Diligence Office Hours - Thu Sept 19 - https://bit.ly/3B2oF29 How Much to Budget for a Self-Funded Search - Fri Sept 20 - https://bit.ly/4e4FWpV Legal Office Hours (Deal Structure & Its Tax Implications) - Thu Sept 26 - https://bit.ly/4emLEn1 How to Hire an Operator to Replace Yourself - Fri Sept 27 - https://bit.ly/3ZrbCl1It was a revelation when Brittney Orellano heard about buying businesses. 6 months later, she'd done it herself. Topics in Brittney’s...

Register for the webinars: Due Diligence Office Hours - Thu Sept 19 - https://bit.ly/4d27MSA How Much to Budget for a Self-Funded Search - Fri Sept 20 - https://bit.ly/4gk4XPH Legal Office Hours (Deal Structure & Its Tax Implications) - Thu Sept 26 - https://bit.ly/3zl0H1w How to Hire an Operator to Replace Yourself - Fri Sept 27 - https://bit.ly/3TuzvEGRory Tyer bought the nursery where he'd been a loyal customer. Today it generates not just cash for him, but peace. Topics in Rory’s...

Register for the webinars: Thu Sept 12 - How Big a Business Should You Buy? - https://bit.ly/3XmtR8v Thu Sept 19 - Due Diligence Office Hours - https://bit.ly/4ghprZb Fri Sept 20 - How Much to Budget for a Self-Funded Search - https://bit.ly/4e1QjeqAcquiring a $2.5m pallet manufacturer was Michael Kelker's first step to building a legacy business for his family. Topics in Michael’s interview: Self-funded vs. traditional vs. independent sponsorshipCarrying on his family legacy in...

Register here for the webinar, How Big a Business Should You Buy? https://bit.ly/4cSC6is Topics in Jackson’s interview: Fulfilling his dream of living on the beachTransitioning from real estate to restaurantsBuying a nostalgic restaurant with his friendUnique aspects of owning a business in a tourist townCashflow advantage in restaurantsLack of competition for acquiring restaurantsFinding and installing an experienced operatorEvaluating a restaurant’s potentialAcquiring a second restaurant...

Register here for the webinar, How Big a Business Should You Buy? https://bit.ly/4dPunmC Without backgrounds in business, Julie & Janna Hottinger have grown the $2.1m trades business they bought last year 50%. Topics in Julie and Janna’s interview: Being warned away from the asphalt industrySisters who bought a construction businessHow the seller worked to ease the transitionAcquiring with no prior business experienceSlowly taking the all-paper business digitalCash flow challenges as a...

An engineer at heart, Mike Dey set his sights on buying a manufacturing business for the next stage of his career. Topics in Michael’s interview: Pivoting from aerospace engineering to business ownershipSelling his real estate investment to buy a businessBeware turning your passion into your incomeBuying a business in his 40’sHow risky is business ownership?The risk build-up model of valuing a businessSaying no to a friend’s investmentBuying a business bundled with real estateManaging a blue...

Register here for the webinar, Legal Office Hours: Common Legal Diligence Issues https://bit.ly/4dWmPxV After 5 years of owning a scale business, Matt Bauer & Chris Hartman were burning out. Fortunately they'd created value. Topics in Matt and Chris’s interview: Two military buddies bought a scale businessDemanding grind of the industryDownside of providing a mission-critical serviceBuilding a sales team to grow the businessChallenges in training techniciansAttempting to acquire a...

Register here for the webinar, Legal Office Hours: Common Legal Diligence Issues https://bit.ly/3ySUJ7RTopics in Meredith & Michael’s interview: Buying an employment screening companyThe seller staying on as an employeeStrict industry regulations serve as a moatUpgrading technology after acquisitionHow the seller eased clients through the transitionWhy they’re not worried about AIMeredith’s growth as a managerBuying a business as a young coupleWhy this may be a difficult industry to roll...

Register here for the webinar, Legal Office Hours: Common Legal Diligence Issues https://bit.ly/3YQP2lp Niklas James, Adam Borcz, and Tony Cappeart reflect on terms, risk & reward of the still-young self-funded search model. Topics in Search Investor Roundtable: White collar buyers of blue collar businessesDesirable traits for searchersBalancing investor returns and personal gains3 common modeling mistakesRole of put options in dealsHow searchers sabotage their own dealsRealistic...