Summary from Webflow: The first business Colin King bought was tiny & unpleasant but also the crucial first step to buying more & better ones. Topics in Colin’s interview: Finding his first business (and business partner) on Craigslist Delivering auto parts in the middle of the night Buying a turnaround silk florals business When his clothing business doubled in revenue overnight Day-to-day logistics of running diverse businesses Acquiring remote businesses: bookkeeping and e-learning Im...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 37 min
Cody Agee thought food testing would be a good recession-resistant business to buy. 2 weeks later, one listed for sale. Topics in Cody interview: Bypassing business school Cashing out his 401(k) without using ROBS Buying a food safety and testing lab The moat of licensing requirements His advantage over much larger competitors Adjusting purchase price based on quality of earnings report Finding investors on Twitter Personally guaranteeing the seller note How he uses EBITDAR vs. EBITDA Putting in...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Jeff Homer bought a small local music school as a fun side hustle. It turned out to be the opportunity of a lifetime. Topics in Jeff interview: Switching from high finance to music schools Buying his first music school as a side project Raising growth equity after first 2 acquisitions Acquiring a music school every month Artists’ negative predisposition toward selling Comparing profitability of music vs. dance Importance of general managers in scaling Implementing apps to streamline operations O...
May 20, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Jarett Berke told his intermediary "no restaurants" but changed his tune when he saw what a great business Lou's was. Topics in Jarett’s interview: Finding a business through an accountant Why restaurants are a tough business Comparing military service to running a restaurant Buying a restaurant with exceptional margins Learning every job in the restaurant Pivoting to delivery during Covid Doing a stock deal instead of an asset purchase Reinvesting by adding tables and renovating 60% growth in 6...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 30 min
Scott Walton bought 2 barely-profitable blue collar companies, changed the culture, unlocked growth & hired a president. Topics in Scott’s interview: Acquiring with a partner Solving their recruitment problem Doubling revenue in 18 months His 3-step LOI strategy Incentivizing good customer service Improving their company culture Challenges after acquisition Financing without the SBA Creative deal structuring His thoughts on buying small References and how to contact Scott: LinkedIn scott.wal...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 36 min
4 acquisitions, 3 years after the first deal, and 2 dishonest sellers before Chandra Rao went full-time in his holdco. Topics in Chandra’s interview: Learning from due diligence mistakes Losing $300k in the first year Challenges with payment terms and working capital True value of a seller note One of his partners embezzled from the companyFppp Choosing a conventional loan over SBA The electrical contracting and fiber optic cabling businesses 6x growth in 4 years Juggling a roll-up and a W-2 A s...
May 09, 2024•1 hr 42 min
Zach Smith bought a 30-year-old membership business that connects patients with dentists to return it to former glory. Topics in Zach’s interview: His exit from Uber Difficulty of starting a marketplace business When spreadsheets meet reality Buying a shrinking business Going with a stock sale instead of asset sale Current problems with dental insurance plans How American Dental Care differs from insurance The view from the bottom of the J curve His plan to grow all sides of the marketplace Forg...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 29 min
Most first-timers shy away from buying across borders. Not Christi Loucks, whose Canadian acquisition did $550k of SDE. Topics in Christi’s interview: Buying a business for personal fulfillment Painful broken deals Challenges of buying a cross-border business in Canada The positive role emotions play in dealmaking Losing (and regaining) 55% of her clients after transition The line between cold outreach and spam Constant change in the tech industry Unexpected expenses after transition Planning fo...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 34 min
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Garth Fasano searched part time for 5 years before finding a target with very sticky revenue & great business-buyer fit. Topics in Garth’s interview: Searching for 5 years Benefiting from the SBA looking at calendar-year financials (not TTM) Top Dog’s unique business model Why this business should be bought, not built His relationship to a dog train...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 43 min
Robert Graham & Aaron Blick's first acquisition did $1.2m SDE. Four years later, their roll-up generates $15m in EBITDA. Topics in Robert & Aaron’s interview: Going from lifelong friends to business partners Impact of private equity on industry roll-ups Running their companies remotely A competing business poaching employees Financial shocks after taking ownership Why they believe in buying big Necessity of hiring presidents to operate their businesses Company presidents guaranteeing the...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 45 min
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS John Murphy pushed through divorce, $500k debt, and a bad broken deal to finally buy a 60-year-old business doing $8m. Topics in John’s interview: Losing a deal one week before closing Value of peer groups How real estate compares to business ownership Taking over a company before the deal closed Unforseen transition expenses Carl Allen’s business buyin...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 31 min
Reid Tileston bought a business that relied on $800k trucks, capex he came to love for the fat margins they produced. Topics in Reid’s interview: Working on the business instead of in it Writing a book about acquisition People are the worst and best part of business Power of feedback and relationships for business owners The company’s slow temp-to-hire process Getting his CDL to be hands-on Moving paper processes to the cloud Pros and cons of an Employee Stock Ownership Program Personally testin...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 44 min
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Rafael Quinn shares the story & principles behind buying 3 businesses in Panama then raising $28m to buy more in the US. Topics in Rafael's interview: Selling everything on Craigslist to move to Panama Buying his first business Panama from a billboard ad How to buy a business with an operator How he decided to build a holdco Self-identity as investo...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 59 min
The construction services business Christian Bateson bought will do $7.5m in 2024. It also rescued him from the depths. Topics in Christian’s interview: His front row seat to the 2008 financial crisis Qualities of a top salesperson Business acquisition as a way out of a miserable career Shopping around for an SBA loan Choosing to play to his strengths and outsource his weaknesses Difficulty in hiring for construction Bouncing back and growing after Covid losses Red flags he ignored when acquirin...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 53 min
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Patrick Norris bought a small trash business doing $625k. Five years later and 4.5x bigger, a strategic got interested. Topics in Patrick’s interview: Why acquiring a trash business is easier than starting one Intricacies of trash disposal pricing Niches within trash services Competition and cooperation in trash services The first question you should as...
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr 55 min
Only after Matt Jackson bought a roofing business in the hurricane state did he realize just how big the opportunity is. Topics in Matt’s interview: His experience with Acquira Keeping the seller as an employee Why he likes roofing despite drawbacks How he satisfied his licensing requirement Moats around spray foam roofing Standing out in the roofing industry His vision for organic growth How insurance companies drive demand for new roofs Using ROBS for financing Why he won’t buy the ROBS owners...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 31 min
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS At age 63, Maurice Thomas wasn't ready to retire, so he bought an electrical contractor with $1m in earnings instead. Topics in Maurice’s interview: Buying a business after age 60 Learning the right amount of diligence to do before submitting an LOI Importance of a target statement for searchers His values-first approach to business Importance for searc...
Apr 01, 2024•1 hr 21 min
How Andrew Stordeur bought a 25-year-old furniture manufacturer in Alberta without having to use any of his own capital. Topics in Andrew’s interview: Taking a startup to an IPO Competition in the wood furniture space Financing without the SBA Advice for Canadian searchers Getting a 35% seller note His 100% financed deal His plan to increase direct-to-consumer sales Being the sole breadwinner for a family of 6 Deciding not to buy with a partner How his company ships faster than Amazon References...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 37 min
Register here for the webinar , Working Capital 101 https://bit.ly/3IGEZWQ Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Stephen Olmon & Collin Trimble set out to roll up the alarm industry in Texas. Alarm Masters is their first acquisition. Topics in Stephen and Collin’s interview: All about the alarm, fire, & security industry Their roll-up strategy Moats in the form of risk and licensing...
Mar 25, 2024•1 hr 24 min
Register here for the webinar , Working Capital 101 https://bit.ly/3veZaYP Alan Lochridge left a career in consulting to buy a 20-year-old $5.5m hardscaping contractor with strong fundamentals. Topics in Alan’s interview: Years of searching before acquiring Understanding the ROBS financing strategy Reiterating company values weekly His day-to-day role as owner Restructuring to do more with fewer people Embracing digital marketing and CRM tools Why he’s so comfortable with project-based revenue A...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 20 min
Register here for the webinar , Working Capital 101 https://bit.ly/3IFObuB Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Despite an overwhelming transition, today Dan Tagliatela has 17x'd his initial investment and delegated the day-to-day. Topics in Dan’s interview: His background in investing What margins indicate about a business Return on assets as a quality metric Acquiring a pavement sealing ...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 52 min
John Wilson bought & grew a very small plumbing business 26x over the last 7 years, and today has plans to reach $100m. Topics in John’s interview: Growing up in his family’s home services business Taking over the business at 23 Acquiring a turnaround to grow his business His first time doing layoffs Using CertainPath’s model to grow Tripling his ad spend during Covid Why he believes in buying small His take on installing an operator His plan to get to $100M The taxonomy of blue collar busin...
Mar 14, 2024•2 hr 6 min
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 11th: https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS Danny Fields & Steve Reis bought a decades-old utility supplier seemingly ripe for growth. It was harder than it looked. Topics in Danny and Steve’s interview: Their shared background in the military Educating their investors about oil and gas Dramatically increasing their cold outreach response rate Buying a business with $1M+ in revenue per employ...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 52 min
SBA lender Chad Fondriest got the itch to get in the game himself & bought a couple's hobby business doing just $150k. Topics in Chad’s interview: Keeping his W-2 while running the business Quadrupling revenue in 2 years Getting listed on Wayfair Tradeoffs of selling on Amazon High importance of inventory management Explosive growth during Covid How he estimated market size Difficulty of competing in ecommerce Forecasting trends a year in advance Grief and joy of managing creatives Reference...
Mar 07, 2024•1 hr 39 min
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 in hiring unskilled labor How she solved her labor issue Being a single woman in a male industry Lear...
Mar 04, 2024•1 hr 45 min
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 rent and insurance costs Layoffs and belt tightening Renegotiating his SBA loan Consolidating location...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 37 min
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 Surviving the challenges of Covid Doubling the business and selling to private equity Calculating the risk o...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr 37 min
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 approach Commitment vs passion for the industry Serving a hybrid workforce The business model for trade pub...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 20 min
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 operational skills in a start-up Acquiring Joe Cole Plumbing His disappointing first day as owner Buyin...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 51 min
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 contracts after a large warehouse fire Layoff and salary cuts during Covid Building and strengthening t...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr 46 min
