Register for the webinar: Working Capital for SMB Acquisitions - TODAY - https://bit.ly/4kQcGGj At a low point in life, Raj Kankaria was served papers. But he liked the business and bought a process-serving company. Topics in Raj’s interview: From investment banking to process server What he liked about process serving Buying the company from his boss Building industry relationships What TV gets wrong about process serving Technology in process serving Making changes on day one Communicating unp...
Jul 24, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Register for the webinars: The Math & Logic of Deal Making - July 22nd - https://bit.ly/459kJJn Working Capital for SMB Acquisitions - July 24th - https://bit.ly/4lBEhft Enrique Rodriguez bought a project-based construction business (gasp) with $1.4m in revenue. One year later it's at $4m. Topics in Enrique’s interview: 17 years in project-based construction Getting his MBA and electrician’s license Buying too small for an SBA loan Bringing a machine gun to a knife fight Injecting his own mo...
Jul 21, 2025•1 hr 34 min
Register for the webinar: Common Legal Diligence Issues (and How to Handle Them) - July 17th - https://bit.ly/4kwHlbw Yan Vinarskiy began as a self-funded searcher but shifted his model mid-search when he found a business too big for SBA. Topics in Yan’s interview: Using a buy-side broker to search and close Being inspired to take on a large deal Trade-offs of independent sponsor economics Board dynamics and governance Building a pitch deck Refining his investor pitch Expanding the business mode...
Jul 17, 2025•1 hr 44 min
Register for the webinar: Common Legal Diligence Issues (and How to Handle Them) - July 17th - https://bit.ly/4lo4Swu Accomplished CEO Marci LaRouech sought to build a business without investor pressure. A sub $1m HR firm was the way. Topics in Marci’s interview: Leading Makai HR through growth and exit as CEO 2 reasons she likes project work Comparing HR consulting and PEO business models Acquiring Seay HR with 40% seller financing Leveraging associations and networks for client growth Building...
Jul 14, 2025•1 hr 40 min
By reconceiving the paint dealership he bought as a marketing & sales organization, Ryan Adams pushed it to new heights. Topics in Ryan’s interview: Transferring from military to business Focusing on selling one service Underestimating working capital needs The business tanked after acquisition Rescuing the company by fixing his sales process Properly incentivizing for the outcome he wants Learning digital marketing himself Cost per acquisition metric Where he finds good sales guys Expanding...
Jul 10, 2025•1 hr 32 min
Adam Rao took a chance on an exhibit production business that had generated zero revenue in 15 months. It's gone well. Topics in Adam’s interview: Discovering impact companies Acquiring with a business partner Buying a distressed business during Covid Getting 100% seller financing Inheriting an angry, dysfunctional staff A brutal first 9 months Acquiring an add-on with an SBA loan His role as the visionary Achieving stability by merging companies Reducing waste in a high-waste industry Reference...
Jul 07, 2025•1 hr 22 min
Phil Miller turned a tiny pet shop doing $100k in sales into a regional pet boarding brand — and the ideal PE platform. Topics in Phil’s interview: Pivoting from real estate to the pet industry Slow renovation creating a financial mess Delegation is the key to growth The real cost of a cheap turnaround Building a pet resort brand Accelerating growth with Store Capital Why franchising is a poor option in his industry Dealing with tire-kicking searchers Partnering with private equity Emotional rol...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 50 min
Register for the webinar: How to Offshore in a Blue Collar Business - July 1st - https://bit.ly/406jR5k Matt Brunnig hired aspiring SMB owner Kevin Peer for special projects, strategy & more at his $3m manufacturing holdco. Topics in Matt & Kevin’s interview: Searching for a wife and a business Overcoming the fear of uncertainty Locally searching in St. Petersberg, FL Long term payoff of bringing donuts Quickly growing through marketing Using Pinterest to stoke demand for their product I...
Jun 30, 2025•1 hr 57 min
Register for the webinar: How to Offshore in a Blue Collar Business - July 1st - https://bit.ly/406jR5k A friend pressed Grania Michel to change her search as if she had to close in 4 months. She was under LOI 2 weeks later. Topics in Grania’s interview: Operating a business in Ecuador Emotional ups and downs during the search process Keeping her search private in the beginning Sending LOIs as quickly as possible Acquiring a commercial printing business in Miami Managing the deal process, debt c...
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 22 min
Register for the webinar: How to Offshore in a Blue Collar Business - July 1st - https://bit.ly/406jR5k Brian Hartman 3x'd revenue in 2 years at the tree business he bought, then partnered with an investor to grow even more. Topics in Brian’s interview: Picking up the phone is crucial Growing so fast the wheels nearly came off Hiring top-tier managers and ops staff early Managing cash flow and receivables through growth Expanding via acquisition, starting in Dallas Ensuring safety for employees ...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 28 min
Register for the webinar: How to Offshore in a Blue Collar Business - July 1st - https://bit.ly/406jR5k With no PE background, Nick Huber had to learn quickly as he raised money to acquire a fast-growing offshoring agency. Topics in Nick’s interview: Origin of the Sweaty Startup guy Nick’s role in Support Shepherd’s growth Backstory of the Support Shepherd deal How Nick structured incentives to make it worthwhile What turned off investors Inbound leads collapsing in year 1 Is building a Twitter ...
Jun 19, 2025•1 hr 45 min
Register for the webinars: DO’s and DON'Ts of the LOI - Jun 17th - https://bit.ly/441EocM How to Offshore in a Blue Collar Business - July 1st - https://acquiringminds.co/hiring Kevin Ramsier bought a "guy in a truck" business for radon mitigation. 10 years later it was a multi-state franchise. Topics in Kevin’s interview: Finding ways to earn money as a kid Bouncing back from early career setbacks The Wall Street Journal ad that changed everything Turning around a bankrupt concrete business Bui...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Register for the webinar: SBA Loans 101 + Program Updates - Jun 12th - https://bit.ly/3FGQIqB Sarah Chiles & Matthew Ferguson left careers in VC to buy the only auto repair shop for 35 miles in their native Aspen. Topics in Sarah & Matthew’s interview: Backgrounds in engineering and VC Preserving local fabric by buying businesses The “tackle shop” nature of businesses in small towns Seasonality in a small resort town Gaining the respect of employees Vision of a hometown holdco Crisis man...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 42 min
Register for the webinar: SBA Loans 101 + Program Updates - Jun 12th - https://bit.ly/4jG0FSV After Evan Stewart found his footing in his printing business, he pushed it from $1.8m to $3.2m EBITDA in under 2 years. Topics in Evan’s interview: Experience in the Acquisition Lab 6 months of imposter syndrome Earning the right to be heard Changes in direct mail printing technology Standing out amongst fierce competition His wife joining the business Moving his family to be closer to the business Acc...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Register for the webinar: How to Outsource Your Search: Understanding Buy-Side Advisory - Jun 5th - https://bit.ly/43PpR4R Christine Traylor is bringing entrepreneurial ambition to a business often dismissed as a side gig for retirees Topics in Christine’s interview: Pivoting from international development to business owner Acquiring a historic B&B in Dupont Circle A seller who refused to negotiate on price Living on site with her family at the B&B Calculating the value of the real estat...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 29 min
Register for the webinar: How to Outsource Your Search: Understanding Buy-Side Advisory - Jun 5th - https://bit.ly/44XWwX3 JD Hasley bought an upscale frame shop doing $600k. One year later, he's returned all his equity & grown it to $900k. Topics in JD’s interview: Finding his business on broker’s own website Buying a retail frame shop Why DFW is a great location for a frame shop Learning to do the framing himself Standing out by answering email quickly Getting customers to pay in full up f...
Jun 02, 2025•1 hr 22 min
Register for the webinar: How to Outsource Your Search: Understanding Buy-Side Advisory - Jun 6th - https://bit.ly/43q0JQR Kin Sio first tried real estate as he explored a path out of tech, but buying a business was his ultimate destination. Topics in Kin’s interview: Immigrating from China Pivoting from tech to entrepreneurship Wanting more flexibility to care for family Deciding against using ROBS Running his Hawaiian business from Seattle Plans to expand to the mainland Building and maintaini...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 48 min
Register for the webinar: Buy a Business, Not a Fantasy: Addressing This Month’s 7 Most Common Buyer Concerns - Wed May 28th - https://bit.ly/43u7oto When Julia Hensel decided to pursue entrepreneurship, husband Grant helped her find a remote business with a great team. Topics in Grant & Julia’s interview: Julia’s background at BCG Grant’s many zero-to-one businesses Key lessons learned from failed LOIs Why they avoided SBA loans The acquisition of Lexigate and what made it the right fit Sta...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 28 min
Register for the webinar: Use an SBA Loan to Start a Roll-Up - TODAY May 22nd - https://bit.ly/4jgfQSY Covid forced Scott Alexander to pivot & rebuild the marketing agency he'd acquired just one year earlier. It worked. Topics in Scott’s interview: Buying a digital marketing agency Disappointment with the seller Understanding customer churn Post-transition surprises with bookkeeping Turning around a bad company culture Wartime CEO vs Peacetime CEO Revenue devastated during Covid Rebranding a...
May 22, 2025•1 hr 44 min
Register for the webinar: Use an SBA Loan to Start a Roll-Up - Thu May 22nd - https://bit.ly/4kj566X Devin Fitzgerald bought two businesses after one sentence changed his life: It's easier to buy revenue than create it. Topics in Devin’s interview: Business is just solving problems It’s easier to buy revenue than create it Losing 8 months to a dead deal Buying 2 declining businesses Turning around a bad work culture Herding sellers to the finish line How the new SBA rules affected his second acq...
May 19, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Register for the webinar: Use an SBA Loan to Start a Roll-Up - May 22nd - https://bit.ly/4mays9p Michael Davidov bought a home care agency with an SBA loan. 6 years later, he's grown & acquired to $140m in revenue. Topics in Michael’s interview: His “other side of the table” moment in private equity Partnering to buy a home health agency Digitizing a pen and paper business Seeing his employees as customers Narrowly avoiding a payroll disaster Going slow to go fast Rapid growth through additi...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 30 min
Register for the webinar: How to Use a Buy-Side Advisor to Buy a Business - Thu June 5th - https://bit.ly/3H4mduT The original plan was for Lindsay Buckheit to buy a business. As husband Kevin Black got involved, that plan evolved. Topics in Lindsay and Kevin’s interview: Their desire to leave corporate life Joining Codie Sanchez’s Contrarian Community No deals after 8 months of part-time searching Enlisting AcquiMatch to help them find a business Closing on 2 businesses Offering a higher sale p...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 25 min
Register for the webinar: Deal Structuring Under the New SBA Rules - TODAY May 8th - https://bit.ly/4jFLpX2 Jason Jackson thought he bought a $1.5m SDE dental practice. In fact, the business was losing money & engaging in fraud. Topics in Jason’s interview: Value of pattern recognition in business Missing fraud despite $400k of due diligence Turning around a business with negative EBITDA When to fire a top performer Fixing a broken work culture Why he decided not to sue the seller Hands-on l...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 25 min
Register for the webinar: Deal Structuring Under the New SBA Rules - Thu May 8 - https://bit.ly/4m7VH47 Marvin Karlow & his partner bought a powder-coating business with $500k in equity. 8 years later, they exited. Topics in Marvin’s interview: Going from corporate to blue collar business Buying a business with his best friend Picking a lane and staying in it Biggest customer slashing prices right after transition Putting personal money into the business Losing a major customer The customer ...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Register for the webinar: Anatomy of a Franchise Holdco - Thu May 1 - https://bit.ly/4jreo0U Dan Angel knew he wanted to buy this B2B travel company with $3m top line. But the sale would shock the key number-two. Topics in Dan Angel’s interview: Leaving his dream career at a hedge fund Coming in a little too hot as the new owner Adding 3 offshore employees Growth isn’t free Running a fully remote team Trying to change the world by 9:00 am Topics in Jayme Moylan’s interview: Her 15 years working ...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 58 min
Register for the webinar: Anatomy of a Franchise Holdco - Thu May 1 - https://bit.ly/4k8HKBd Jan Roll bought a $6m residential contractor, a harrowing experience he calls one giant ambiguous ball of figure-it-out. Topics in Jan's interview: Contracting means learning 25-30 trades Margin of safety in a residential construction business Value of paying vendors immediately Engendering trust in a low-trust industry Revenues dropping 25% in first year of ownership Using ROBS to buy the business Pitfa...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 24 min
Register for the webinar: Anatomy of a Franchise Holdco - Thu May 1st - https://bit.ly/3RWj0Qh In 2019, Matt Kopp bought a supplier to elementary schools with $350k SDE. 6 years later, he has a portfolio of them. Topics in Matt’s interview: Business buying market in Australia Eliminating interruptions at work Tracking email open rates to improve his outreach Buying a science class supplier Challenge of selling to schools without a relationship Overcoming people problems during transition Weather...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 45 min
Register for the webinar: Should You Buy a Business? A Live Panel with Lab Members - Wed Apr 23rd - https://bit.ly/3EBvXvN Joe Ziolkowski found the deal of a lifetime — a $10m manufacturing business — by expanding his filters on BizBuySell. Topics in Joe’s interview: Investing with a friend in real estate Backing out of a Mr. Rooter deal Acquiring a restoration business Dealing with insurance in restoration Making a bad operations hire Selling the business at a profit after 6 months Acquiring a ...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 38 min
Register for the webinar: Licenses & Regulatory Issues in Acquisitions - Thu April 17th - https://bit.ly/4i7vsY5 With 300 employees across 5 companies, the holdco that Chris Fredericks is building has an uncommon feature at its core. Topics in Chris’s interview: What is an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)? Finding purpose and meaning at work Concept of dignity at work What ESOP employees do and don’t vote on Using an internal podcast to communicate about employee ownership Mitigating ...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 39 min
Register for the webinar: Licenses & Regulatory Issues in Acquisitions - Thu April 17th - https://bit.ly/3G9vf9F Adam Goldberg had to adapt his corporate approach after buying a nearly-closed manufacturer whose sales were down 80%. Topics in Adam’s interview: Building & exiting a wholesale costume jewelry business Deciding he was too young to retire Acquiring a small, distressed candle business Never go into business with friends Mistakes in over-hiring Trying to be an absentee owner Apo...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 26 min
