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504 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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It Worked: Buying an Ecom Business to Gain Freedom
1 juni 2023 · 36 min
Alex Michael was seeking to acquire not just a business, but freedom. One year later, he reports back on how it's going. Lees meer
Topics in Alex’s interview:
Top line growth in the last year
How he diligenced Wallaroo Wallets
How he uses Amazon PPC ads
The limitations of an Amazon FBA business
An expensive lesson about traffic diversification
Launching new products
Having his family involved in his business
Living life on his own terms
His unconventional thoughts on productivity
The topics he writes on
Links and how to contact Alex:
LinkedIn
QuietLight
Alex’s Substack
Wallaroo Wallets
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Buy Big: How to Acquire a $3m EBITDA Roofing Business
30 mei 2023 · 49 min
How Austin Smoak raised money from investors to buy a very profitable roofing business that he found on BizBuySell. Lees meer
Topics in Austin's interview:
How Goldman Sachs prepared him for business ownership
Passively owning franchises
Why he recommends local brokers over proprietary search
Finding “business-buyer fit”
His plan to scale via roll-up
His philosophy on change management
Pros and cons of being funded by a family office
The scope of his residential roofing business
The roofing industry in Florida
How he uses digital marketing
Links and how to contact Austin:
LinkedIn
Grove Oaks Capital
Axial
Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?: How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire by Reginald Lewis and Blair S. Walker
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Home Care Business: How to Buy & 2x an Agency
25 mei 2023 · 1 uur 8 min
Jérôme Bouillon bought a home care agency doing $500k/yr in 2018. Today it exceeds $1m and he's added a second location. Lees meer
Topics in Jerome’s interview:
His cold calling strategy
Buying a Visiting Angels franchise
Seeing his employees as his customers
The changes he made immediately to employee benefits
Why he stopped penny-pinching in the business
Why it’s important to know how to work in the business
Margins in home care
Home care vs. home healthcare
How to scale up in this industry
The benefits of a franchise
Links and how to contact Jérôme:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Traction by Gino Wickman
Visiting Angels
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Overworked & Underpaid: Buying a Business to Escape
22 mei 2023 · 1 uur 29 min
Heather Shattuck-Heidorn was a tenure-tracked professor, but wanted out. Buying a business offered freedom & security. Lees meer
Topics in Heather’s interview:
What she loved about academia
Why she initially resisted franchises
How she found a custom closet franchise
Being her husband’s employer
Her thoughts on capitalism
How small business ownership differs from academia
What she likes about owning a franchise
How she grows her business organically
Learning to communicate with her employees
Her fetal position moment
Links and how to contact Heather:
heather.sh@tailoredcloset.com
HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business by Richard S. Ruback
The Power of Flexing by Susan Ashford
Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel
Home Franchise Concepts
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Learning to Lead: From Searcher to Boss of 140
18 mei 2023 · 54 min
Having only ever managed a few people when he bought his business, Alex Glasner shares how the trial by fire is going. Lees meer
Topics in Alex's interview:
The difference between searching and operating
The challenge of improving processes
How rapid growth affected the company
Running the business with a partner
How the economy impacts his industry
Having the British government as his sole customer
Idealism and disillusionment in helping professions
Why he hasn’t acquired a second business
Why the first 2 years are hard
How he has improved as a manager
Links and how to contact Alex:
Alex@workpays.co.uk
LinkedIn
Workpays
Alex’s first appearance on Acquiring Minds
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Uber Driver to 7-Figure Exit in 3 Years
15 mei 2023 · 1 uur 24 min
Ben Bortner couch-surfed, drove Uber, and racked up credit card debt while finding a pool business to buy. It went well. Lees meer
Topics in Ben’s interview:
Buying a pool service business, putting in only $100 of his own money for equity
Changes he made to employee compensation (and why)
Acquiring a second pool business
Why Ben became certified to do pool maintenance himself
How Ben improved company culture
Why he didn’t want to hire a GM
Selling his company to Pool Troopers
Launching a fund for self-funded searchers
The type of searcher he wants to fund
What a self-funded deal looks like
Links and how to contact Ben:
ben@slackwatercap.com
LinkedIn
Slack Water Capital
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Surviving the Nightmare: Sales Plunge 95%
11 mei 2023 · 1 uur 13 min
9 months after Jesse Safir bought a printing biz, Covid cratered it. 3 years later, sales are nearing pre-Covid levels. Lees meer
Topics in Jesse’s interview:
Finding ABG Printing by sending direct mail
The value of having a “forgettable” business
Renegotiating his deal before acquisition
The changes he made in the first 9 months
Cutting 80% of his staff during COVID
Managing cash flow after revenue plunged 95%
Staffing post-COVID
How their printing projects have diversified
The landscape of the printing industry
Jesse’s vision for a holdco
Links and how to contact Jesse:
LinkedIn
jesse@abgprint.com
abgprint
The Dip by Seth Godin
Jesse on Let’s Buy a Business
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to Raise Money from Investors to Buy a Business
8 mei 2023 · 49 min
2 searchers, Kaustubh Deo & Kevin Bibelhausen, share how they found investors to provide money to buy their businesses. Lees meer
Topics in Kevin and Kaustubh’s interview:
How Twitter helps searchers learn and network
How Kevin found investors after his funding fell through
How they selected investors
What a good pitch meeting looks like
How they communicate with investors post-acquisition
The power of superconnectors when raising funds
The size of their cap tables
How they organized their contacts while pitching investors
How to get the most equity in your business
The most gratifying and stressful parts of running their businesses
Links and how to contact Kevin and Kaustubh:
Kaustubh’s LinkedIn
Kevin’s LinkedIn
Kevin’s Twitter
Investor List
HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business
Sam Rosati
Tony Cappaert
Lisa Forrest
Mike Botkin
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to Buy a $5m Business & Hire an Operator to Run It
1 mei 2023 · 1 uur 33 min
It CAN be done: Matthew Saskin recently acquired a big towing business, hiring an operator to run it from day 1. Lees meer
Topics in Matthew Saskin’s interview:
Why he chose a towing company
Putting in an operator from day one
Improvements he made right away
Why he kept his day job (and how he manages it)
His COO’s compensation package
What is phantom equity (and how it’s different from true equity)
How real estate investment is different from SMB ownership
The landscape of the towing industry
Revenue streams for towing companies
How they recruit drivers
Links and how to contact Matthew:
Matt's business plan. We decided not to link to it directly. Email Matt to request a copy, and he'll share it with you directly 👇👇
msaskin@eastcoasttowing.com
LinkedIn
Twitter
East Coast Towing
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
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The Opportunity in Carve-Outs (and Uncle Sam)
27 april 2023 · 1 uur 10 min
Caroline Chapdelaine seized opportunity when a biomed company needed to sell a $2m unit that made special defense tech. Lees meer
Topics in Caroline’s interview:
About the defense contracting industry
Buying a business in the defense industry (and why it’s hard)
Buying a carve-out business
The unusual terms of a carve-out deal
Unforeseen costs after purchasing a carve-out
The benefits of having partners
Assessing the strategic value of your business to its customers
Running out of money months after purchase
Getting an SBA loan against her business assets
Remotely running a California business from Utah
Links and how to contact Caroline:
LinkedIn
Caroline.chapdelaine@northstarphotonics.com
Northstar Photonics
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Fetal Position to Foundry Holdco ($30m & Counting)
24 april 2023 · 1 uur 45 min
Despite dire warnings against it, Reg Zeller bought a foundry. He's since bought 6 more & sees a clear path to $100m/yr. Lees meer
Topics in Reg Zeller’s interview:
Why he bought a foundry (against everyone’s advice)
The famous fetal position story
The importance of a peer group
His journey from one acquisition to a holdco
Why searchers should spend 2 years operating the business they buy
Reg’s plan to get to $100 million
How to eliminate key man risk
How Reg found his rockstar COO
Opportunities in non-manufacturing spaces
The opportunities in onshoring
Links and how to contact Reg:
Twitter
CaneKast
The Twitter thread Reg mentioned
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
HoldCo Conference
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to 2x Sales in a Service Business You Buy
20 april 2023 · 1 uur 7 min
Adrian Pinto returns to reflect on his 1.5 years as owner of a landscaping business that he's grown from $3m to $6m/yr. Lees meer
Topics in Adrian’s interview:
Buying and growing Georgia Scapes
Growth through acquisition in landscaping
Doubling revenue in 18 months
His B2B sales process
Competition in landscaping
Commercial vs residential landscaping
Maintenance work vs project work
Due diligence for a landscaping company
Beyond EBITDA: evaluating size of business to buy
Risks in acquiring a landscaping business
Links and how to contact Adrian:
adrian@georgiascapes.com
Twitter
LinkedIn
Georgia Scapes
Adrian’s first appearance on Acquiring Minds
Mike Bodkin on Acquiring Minds
Logan and Bradley on Acquiring Minds
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to Build a Portfolio of 20 Franchise Locations
17 april 2023 · 1 uur 34 min
Michael Horowitz was looking to buy an independent business when a different path opened up. Today he owns 20 Wingstops. Lees meer
Topics in Michael’s interview:
Pros and cons of searching within franchises
Why Michael was attracted to QSR’s (quick service restaurants)
Buying 7 Wingstop locations in Ohio
Writing an operating agreement for 3 co-owners
Development agreements with franchises
Operating QSR’s during Covid
Opening and closing a ghost kitchen
Daily operations of owning 20 Wingstop locations
Motivating hourly restaurant employees
Michael’s advice for searchers considering QSR’s
Links and how to contact Michael:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Michael Horowitz on Franchise Empires
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Life as an Operator: Leaving PE to Buy a $2m Tree Business
13 april 2023 · 1 uur 19 min
Kaustubh Deo reflects on his first year as the owner of a tree business versus his former life in NYC private equity. Lees meer
Topics in Kaustubh’s interview:
Buying a tree service business
Buyer’s vs seller’s discretionary earnings
Reflecting on 13 months as a business owner
Possibility for roll-ups
Being an outsider in the tree industry
Change management
His thoughts on holdcos
Measuring success for his business
Life as a business owner vs. life in private equity
His advice for searchers
Links and how to contact Kaustubh:
LinkedIn
kd@bloomatree.com
Kaustubh on Think Like an Owner
Blooma Tree Experts
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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From Determined Searcher to $75m Accidental Holdco
10 april 2023 · 1 uur 47 min
Adam Duggins had 650 meetings to find his first business in 2013, not expecting he'd buy 3 more over the next 10 years. Lees meer
Topics in Adam Duggins’s interview:
Meeting with 650 people (in person!) during his search
How Adam found his partner & structured their ownership
How Adam became a holdco without meaning to
How motivating blue collar workers versus white collar careerists is different
Why Adam prefers working with blue collar versus white collar
Buying businesses in overlooked geographies
A bit about each of Adam's 4 businesses: steel fabrication, commercial HVAC, Jet-Hot, boiler services
What to love about businesses in the construction industry
Stability vs. growth
Early mistakes as an owner
Links and how to contact Adam:
New Page Capital
W.C. Rouse
Engineered Steel
American Industrial Contractors
Jet-Hot
Adam’s email: adoug@newpagecapital.com
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Feast or Famine: How to Grow a Niche Manufacturing Biz
6 april 2023 · 44 min
Bruce Vann returns to update us on his manufacturing business, and a thesis around the roll-up of window blinds stores. Lees meer
Topics in Bruce Vann’s interview:
Buying a stage curtain/shades business
Profitability of the business
Their curtain and shades products
Acquiring a blinds company
Integrating his businesses
Bruce’s vision for expansion
The possibilities for search in window treatments
The feast or famine nature of the business
The long sales cycle
Investing in a ribbon weight machine
Bruce’s advice to searchers
Links and how to contact Bruce:
Bvann@luxout.com
LuXout Stage Curtains
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:
Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit AspenHR
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Navigating Failure: Buying a $5m+ Business that Collapses
3 april 2023 · 1 uur 28 min
John Ikalowych shares his traumatic journey of going all-in to buy a hail-repair business, then having to shut it down. Lees meer
Topics in John Ikalowych’s interview:
John’s background in commercial banking
Buying a car hail repair business
Losing half his staff just months after acquisition
The disaster that tanked their finances
Pivoting from B2C to B2B
Shutting down the business
How the business failure changed him
Closing a business with a personal guarantee
John’s advice to searchers
The importance of peer support
Links and how to contact John:
LinkedIn
303-704-2461
Entrepreneurs’ Organization
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Single Mom, 2 Kids, and a $4m Business
30 maart 2023 · 1 uur 24 min
Morli Desai left corporate to scratch her entrepreneurial itch, using an SBA loan to buy an ecommerce biz with $1m SDE. Lees meer
Topics in Morli Desai’s interview:
Leaving her corporate job at 40
Joining the Acquisition Lab
Purchasing an ecommerce business
How to approach brokers
Transitioning an ecommerce business
Purchasing an Australian entity
Marketing with PPC
Assessing risk in ecommerce
Proprietary vs brokered search
Inventory management in ecommerce
Links and how to contact Morli:
LinkedIn
4,000 weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Sam Harris’s app
Quiet Light
Market Watch by Centurica
Joe Mcaleer of Multifunding, LLC
Joel Ankney
Amaira Natural Skincare
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
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6 Months from Twitter Inspiration to $2m Business Owner
27 maart 2023 · 1 uur 27 min
Pawel Kosicki learned about buying small businesses in July. By January, he'd bought one himself with 7 figures of SDE. Lees meer
Topics in Pawel Kosicki’s interview:
Pawel’s background in engineering
Valuation of a home theater/automation company
Closing on his very first LOI
Financing a deal in Canada
His philosophy on risk in business
The seller staying on as an employee
Mitigating risk in a project-based business
His plans to grow the business
Projected growth in the home automation industry
Advice for Canadian searchers
References and how to contact Pawel:
LinkedIn
pawel@oakvillesightandsound.ca
Sieva Kozinski Twitter thread
Oakville Sight and Sound
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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Back to a W-2: When Business Ownership Isn't the Way
23 maart 2023 · 37 min
Damon Chlarson takes a job in tech sales, despite having improved the business he bought & surviving a tough year. Lees meer
Topics in Damon’s interview:
Damon bought Pacific Insulation Supply, an online wholesaler
Difficulties in scaling the insulation business.
Overview of sales in the first year
Getting a regular W-2 job again
New systems he put in place at the business
Training his sales team
The challenges of working from home
How he runs a business with bipolar disorder
Fluctuation in demand for home renovations
Managing a sales team in the Philippines
Damon's original appears on Acquiring Minds:
Nailing the Trifecta: B2B + Remote + Scalable - Acquiring Minds
Links and how to contact Damon:
Pacific Insulation Supply
Twitter
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to Buy and 2x a Subcontractor Business
20 maart 2023 · 1 uur 23 min
Brenden Van Buren is growing his fencing business, despite the industry's notorious cyclicality & project-based revenue. Lees meer
Topics in Brenden’s interview:
Brenden’s family history in the construction business
Co-founding Generational Transfer Entrepreneurs
The pros and cons of having a pipeline when starting search
Why the perfect relationship is better than the perfect business
The risks associated with construction companies
Acquiring Pro Max Fence Systems
How he doubled sales in 4.5 years
The top mistakes searchers make regarding time management and communications
The advantages of proprietary search
Self-funded vs. traditional search
References and how to contact Brenden:
Pacific Lake
Bringing Down the House
Generational Transfer Entrepreneurs
Pro Max Fence Systems
LinkedIn
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
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One Year Later: Holdco Grows to $75m in Total Revenue
16 maart 2023 · 53 min
Justin Turner returns with details on 2 new acquisitions by his holdco Traction, plus updates on the existing 4 portcos. Lees meer
Topics in Justin’s interview:
Justin helps run investment firm Traction Capital Partners
How Traction is different from Private Equity
The risks of buying into a franchise network
How he bought one of his vendors
Lessons learned from buying 6 businesses
Driving sales in a disaster restoration business
Doubling revenue in 5 years for a Fire Department supply business
Facing the post-Covid economic downturn
Rising competition for acquiring a business
Trends in the blue and white collar labor market
Justin's original appears on Acquiring Minds:
How to Build a Holdco (4 Acquisitions So Far)
Links and How to Contact Justin:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Traction CP
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to Build a Holdco Around Company Culture
13 maart 2023 · 1 uur 19 min
Michael Arrieta's holdco has made 3 acquisitions since 2020. Sales & culture, not tech, have proven to be the key levers. Lees meer
Topics in Michael’s interview:
How he built the holding company Garden City
Why he is drawn to service businesses
His experience with fast-growth startups in Silicon Valley
How he almost doubled EBITDA in less than a year
The mistakes he made with his first acquisition
The 3 ways he finds companies to buy
How he improves workplace culture in the service industry
How Garden City adds value to their companies
How to carefully add new technology after acquisition
Why he is recruiting searchers to run businesses
References and how to contact Michael:
Michael Arrieta's Twitter
Michael Arrieta's LinkedIn
Excellence Wins by Horst Schulze
Brent Beshore's Twitter
Garden City
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Honeymoon, Darkness, then Light
9 maart 2023 · 45 min
After a rollercoaster year in his appliance repair business, John Schooler returns with scars, wisdom, and optimism. Lees meer
Topics in John’s interview:
John bought an appliance repair business 14 months ago
How he runs a repair business without having repair skills
The disaster that took away 20% of revenue overnight
Why running a business is harder than a marathon
The pros and cons of working with home warranty companies
What he would do differently from day one
What he learned about retaining employees
His role in day-to-day operations
His system for training technicians
John's original appearance on Acquiring Minds:
Buying a Business & Having a Blast
Links and how to contact John:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Appliance Professional
Twitter thread mentioned
Reg Zeller
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
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Growing a Small 1st Acquisition into a Holdco Platform
6 maart 2023 · 1 uur 27 min
Andrew Hitchings bought a $250k SDE cooling biz. It has grown 3x and will now fund a 2nd acquisition, with more to come. Lees meer
Topics in Andrew’s Interview:
Andrew and his wife bought a home ventilation business in April 2020
How 7 months on a motorcycle prepared them for running a business together
His history in the Army, business school, and McKinsey & Company
How his business partner Max improved employee training
Why he looks at the P&L every day
Expanding their seasonal business to a year-round business
How they mitigated the risk of buying a business with a single employee
Three things a business owner should focus on
Why they hire for character, not experience
His strategy for building a holdco
References and how to contact Andrew:
LinkedIn
His partner: Marcela Fernandez
His other partner: Max Williams
Colorado Home Services
HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business
Greg Ambrosia
Chenmark
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to Buy a Neighborhood Institution
2 maart 2023 · 1 uur 1 min
Andrew Sieve saw his life implode after COVID. Buying a highly profitable 40-year-old restaurant turned things around. Lees meer
Topics in Andrew’s interview:
Andrew’s family history of owning and operating restaurants
Why he prefers smaller restaurants
The tragedies of 2020 that led to him exiting his family’s business
Moving from Minneapolis to Colorado to start over
How a chance meeting led to him buying a restaurant
How they achieved a smooth transition
What factors make restaurants difficult businesses
The risks in acquiring an institutional legacy restaurant
How he funded his acquisition through a community bank
His vision for the next 5 years
Links and how to contact Andrew:
LinkedIn
Bigger Pockets Real Estate
Bigger Pockets Money
Connect with A-players who can run your business remotely:
More Staffing
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
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How to Buy & Operate a Plane Ride Away
27 februari 2023 · 1 uur 37 min
Paul Quirk acquired a $800k EBITDA window & door business in the UK, continuing to live with his family in Switzerland. Lees meer
Topics in Paul's interview:
Paul’s experience with JP Morgan in Geneva
3 biggest differences between acquisition in the UK vs the US
The variety of ways Paul reached out to businesses during search
His decision to start the Buy and Build podcast
How he decided to buy a window/door installation business
The changes he made to the company’s processes
Why he redesigned the company’s finance team
Pros and cons of a “first day speech”
His weekly commute between Geneva and Norwich, UK
The future of his own podcast
References and how to reach Paul:
Paul Quirk's LinkedIn
Amber Home Improvements
Buy and Build podcast
- Brad Nathan episode
- Gerald Ratner episode
- Simon Webster episode
Owned and Operated podcast
Think Like an Owner podcast
The SMB OPS Show podcast
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Recent Guest Exits for 8 Figures
23 februari 2023 · 35 min
Shortly after his first interview in June, Jason Andrews sold his business to a strategic buyer for a life-changing sum. Lees meer
Topics in Jason's interview:
Jason's recent exit of the group purchasing organization (GPO) he acquired in 2016
How he had grown the business 50-60% without increasing staff
The downside of buying a super-niche business
The advantages of acquiring a bigger business
How his sales background influenced the way he restructured the company
Why he says “don’t pay down your debt too fast”
How he finds support in a local business leader group
The fun part of running his business
Why you may need to reconsider your growth model
What’s on his post-exit bucket list
Jason's original appearance on Acquiring Minds:
Buying a High 7 Figure Business with a Buy-Side Advisor
References and how to reach Jason:
Jason's Twitter
Jason's LinkedIn
Built to Sell by John Warrillow
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Reward for Being Systematic: $2m Dog Training Business
20 februari 2023 · 1 uur 9 min
Chirag Shah applied systems from his days as a product manager to find & acquire a dog-training business with $600k SDE. Lees meer
Topics from Chirag's interview:
Chirag’s background as a small business underwriter
His experience in the Acquisition Lab
How a virtual assistanct and a Notion database helped narrow his search
His decision to buy a Sit Means Sit franchise
Why 2021 was a banner year for dog training
How franchises compare in terms of flexibility
How much he pays in monthly franchise fees
The dog training method Sit Means Sit uses
Why Austin, Texas, is a prime location for dog training
How Profit First influences his practices
References and how to contact Chirag:
Sit Means Sit
Profit First
Twitter
LinkedIn
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
How to Roll Up Legacy Franchises (to $36m/yr)
16 februari 2023 · 1 uur 16 min
Brian Beers, owner of 30 Midas locations, teaches how to acquire an empire with seller financing for retiring owners. Lees meer
Topics from Brian's interview:
How Brian’s family got him into owning Midas franchises
What makes the auto repair industry unique
What kind of person would enjoy running a franchise
Questions to ask before buying a franchise
How seller financing is different with franchisees
Service franchises vs retail franchises
How to approach buying a franchise
How a franchise broker can help you
What makes a good operator
Why buying small isn’t always bad
References & how to contact Brian:
Brian Beers Twitter
Brian Beers LinkedIn
Business with Beers Podcast
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Using $100k to Buy a 7-Figure Dream Business
13 februari 2023 · 1 uur 3 min
Tyler O'Connor bought a 20-year-old golf school he found on BizBuySell doing mid-7 figures with 35% margins. Lees meer
Topics in Tyler's interview:
Why Tyler decided to buy a business
How he got his wife on board with buying a business
The two books he recommends to every searcher
Why he decided against buying a “boring” business
The one worry that kept him up at night
Why he had to decline an investor at the last minute
Why he bought his first LOI: Bird Golf Academy
His advice about who to invest with
Why he prefers older employees in his business
The perks of owning a golf business
Links & how to contact Tyler:
Bird Golf Academy
Bruce Marks
HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business
Pursuant Capital Bootcamp
tyler@birdgolf.com
LinkedIn
Twitter
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
One Year Later: 60% Growth + 2 More Acquisitions
9 februari 2023 · 37 min
Patrick Dichter returns to update us on a productive first year as CEO of a bookkeeping business he bought in late 2021. Lees meer
Topics in Patrick's interview:
How Patrick acquired a bookkeeping business without an accounting background
Three factors that led to 60% revenue increase in year one
Why there’s a shortage of accountants and how that affects his business
What makes tax prep difficult to offshore
Which kind of firms to “stay the f*** away” from
Why rollups don’t work in accounting
How he turns tax prep clients into year-round clients
Acquisition vs organic growth
The one thing he wishes he’d done differently
Why he advocates buying small
Links & how to reach Patrick:
First episode with Patrick: Shut Out by Industry Brokers, an Entrepreneur Finds a Way
First episode with Chris Williams: Stay Open to the Many Flavors of Search
Second episode with Chris Williams: 1 Year Later as Buyer of a $1m EBITDA Business
Appletree Business Services
Patrick's Twitter
Patrick's LinkedIn
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Key Moments from 3 Entrepreneurs Who Bought Businesses
6 februari 2023 · 52 min
Multiple perspectives today as Chelsea Wood of the Acquisition Lab moderates a panel with 3 women who bought businesses. Lees meer
Topics from the panel:
Cassie Niekamp bought the first company she looked at: a 40-year old fencing company
How she dealt with a $200k valuation gap
What went well with the transition and what didn’t go well
Anne Ristic left a 30-year career in law to buy a business
How her collaborative leadership style has served her
Why it’s okay if you don’t have all the skills you need
Morli Desai purchased an e-commerce skincare business
Her difficulty getting sellers to talk to her
How joining Acquisition Lab made all the difference in her search
Advice from all the guests about successful acquisition
References and how to contact the panelists:
Cassi Niekamp - LinkedIn
Cassi's business, Bowden Fence Company
Morli Desai - LinkedIn
Morli's business, Amaira Natural Skincare
Anne Ristic - LinkedIn
Anne's business, AES
Chelsea Wood - LinkedIn
Acquisition Lab
4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Former Searcher Opts to Franchise Instead
2 februari 2023 · 1 uur 31 min
Jacob Lee signed up for 10 locations in the Scenthound franchise after deciding it was a better opportunity than search. Lees meer
Topics in Jacob's interview:
Why starting franchise locations makes more sense than buying a business
Return on equity in franchising vs. search
Getting over pride when choosing to franchise
How Jacob selected Scenthound from 4,000 franchise options
Other franchises Jacob considered
How to analyze a franchise opportunity (especially a young one)
All about Scenthound - concept, numbers, fees
Franchising compounds
How to build 10 units over 4 years (plus the 2 key hires that make it possible)
Using SBA loans in franchising
References & how to reach Jacob:
Jacob's Twitter thread cited in the interview
Scenthound
Brent Beshore
Tommy's Express Car Wash
The Joint Chiropractic
LinkedIn
@jacoblee295
j lee AT scenthound dot com
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Manufacturing Opportunity: Look Where Others Aren't
31 januari 2023 · 1 uur 17 min
Jules Brenner searched for 2.5 years before buying a manufacturer with great tailwinds and a path to $100m in revenue. Lees meer
Topics in Jules' interview:
Jules's background in mechanical engineering & California startups
Starting out with Searchfunder.com
The difficulty of searching during COVID
The 4 tiers of manufacturing companies
What type of manufacturing business to buy
His deal with an architectural lighting manufacturer that fell through
Sam Rosati's role as an advisor
What Jules was doing wrong in his search
The real purpose of a broker
How sellers always gets what they want
Acquiring and growing American Sheet Metal
Resources and how to reach Jules:
LinkedIn
Email: jbrenner@industrialsuccession.com
Industrial Succession
American Sheet Metal
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
How to Buy a Salon as an Industry Outsider (and Survive)
26 januari 2023 · 55 min
Sarah Romer bought a large but tired hair salon in Austin for $80k. Her first year as owner was the hardest of her life. (This is a rebroadcast from November 2021.) Lees meer
Themes from Sarah's interview:
The formula for estimating the value of a salon or beauty business
What to do when sellers overestimate the worth of their company
Where to cut costs after you’ve made an acquisition
Underestimating the importance of company culture
The stress of owning and managing a retail business
The process of exiting a business you’ve acquired
Reach Sarah at:
Sarah dot Romer at gmail dot com
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Original episode page & show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:
How to Buy a Salon as an Industry Outsider (and Survive)
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Buying Franchises: A Primer for Searchers
24 januari 2023 · 1 uur 9 min
Twitter-famous Wolf of Franchises on why & how you should buy existing franchise businesses, including lots of examples. Lees meer
Themes from the conversation with Wolf:
Pros/cons of acquiring an existing franchise business
Why buy 1 franchise business (even if SDE is just $100k)
Opportunity & perils of rolling up franchises
If you can grow from 1 to 2 locations, magic
How to assess health of a franchise brand
Breaking into mature franchises as an acquisition entrepreneur
4 mature franchise brands Wolf likes (plus 1 he hates)
Why to avoid food franchises
How to gauge risk of new franchise brands
Avoid these 2 common mistakes made by franchisees
Links & how to reach the Wolf:
How a $40k Acquisition Led to a Franchise Empire - interview with James Temple, multi-unit Mathnasium owner
Michael Horowitz (Wingstop multi-unit owner)
Brian Beers (Midas multi-unit owner)
Lucas Mitchell (Five Guys multi-unit owner)
Wisconsin's franchise disclosure document (FDD) search
@franchisewolf
WolfOfFranchises.com
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Buying a $3m Course Business (Whose Founder is the Face)
19 januari 2023 · 37 min
Online course businesses have dazzling margins but a key weakness. Dom Wells explains how to acquire one & make it work. Lees meer
Topics from the interview with Dom:
Opportunity for acquisition entrepreneurs to buy a course business
What to look for when acquiring a course
The role a course founder's personal story plays
How to ease the founder's face out of the brand
Why faces of successful students of the course are actually more valuable
How courses can charge so much ($500 and more)
Buying underperforming Udemy courses
Importance of marketing funnels to a course business
Ongoing development costs of a course (vs. SaaS)
Links & how to contact Dom:
Proofread Anywhere
More backstory on Proofread Anywhere: How I Built A $200K/Month Business Selling Proofreading Courses
Udemy
@DomWellsOnfolio
LinkedIn
Onfolio
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
The Wine Business: 5x Growth in a Tough but Fun Industry
17 januari 2023 · 1 uur 12 min
David Page bought a Bay Area wine business in 2010, against the advice of colleagues. 12 years later, it's 5x larger. Lees meer
Topics in David's interview:
Don't avoid "buying a job"... because you ARE buying a job
Buying a business before "search" was well known
Buying a circus business (almost)
Humble, scrappy beginnings after acquiring
Buying in cash, no loan
Inevitable surprises you find post-acquisition
Brutal first 6 months
The niche of private wine grape growing
Growing 5x since acquisition
How to keep employees happy
References & how to reach David:
FarmersOnly.com
Post & Trellis
LinkedIn
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
1 Year Later as Buyer of a $1m EBITDA Business
12 januari 2023 · 33 min
Chris Williams was a guest in 2021, just after his acquisition. He returns to share how it's going now, 14 months later. Lees meer
Topics from Chris's interview:
System Six's growth in the first 14 months
What Chris wishes he had done differently during transition
Hiring challenges and how to hire from within
How he has learned sales
Why he likes to serve searcher-acquired businesses
The first step in being a great workplace
Traditional vs. self-funded search
Why revenue growth does not always equal EBITDA growth
Pricing challenges in the bookkeeping industry
Does more investors mean more help & guidance?
References & how to reach Chris:
His first episode on Acquiring Minds: Stay Open to the Many Flavors of Search
System Six
LinkedIn, Twitter, chris@systemsix.com
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
The Wealth Potential of Self-Funded Search
10 januari 2023 · 1 uur 15 min
Key findings from SIG's new study on self-funded search: financial outcomes, deal costs & terms, search lengths & more. Lees meer
Topics from the interview with SIG:
What is the self-funded search study & why it matters
Effect of self-funded search on entrepreneurs' net worths
Search performance: how many acquisitions saw EBITDA shrink, maintain, or grow
How much is too much to pay for legal fees & due diligence
The pros and cons of a seller note
Why you don’t need an MBA to acquire a business
Value of a good relationship with a seller
How long search takes, on average
Why acquisition will only get more competitive in the future
Drawback of a private equity background
What critics get wrong about self-funded search
Methodology & shortcomings of the study
Download the study:
2023 Self-Funded Search Study
Links, References, and Contacts:
Self-Funded vs. Traditional Search Fund debate between Robert Graham & Greg Geronemus
Robert Graham - LinkedIn and Twitter
Jordan Carter - LinkedIn and Twitter
Search Investment Group (SIG)
Stanford Search Fund Study 2022
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
(Part 2) 8-Figure Exit: How to Buy, Transform & Sell in 3.5 Years
5 januari 2023 · 1 uur 19 min
How Bradley Roofner & Logan Brown transformed a tough, project-based landscaping biz into a recurring revenue machine. (This is the second part of a 2-part interview.) Lees meer
Themes from the interview with Bradley & Logan:
Buying, growing, and selling a local service business for $20m+
Why landscaping still has lots of opportunity
How to transform a project-based business into a recurring-revenue business
How to build a sales function in a local service business
Why building a sales function is better for growth than acquiring tuck-ins
How to convert 25% of sales opportunities
Working capital as oxygen
White-glove service in a blue-collar industry
Why you should build a credit department
What it's like to sell to a publicly-traded corporation
Links & how to reach Bradley & Logan
LinkedIn: Bradley Roofner, Logan Brown
BrightView
Built To Sell, the book that informed their productization strategy
Brent Beshore
Article 1 referenced in valuation estimate: BrightView and the need for growth
Article 2 referenced in valuation estimate: LM150: 2020 rankings
Overhaul your website with ongoing support & unlimited edits, all for a flat monthly fee:
Eversite
Register for a live gathering of SMB, Micro-PE, and ETA owners, operators and investors:
SMBash
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
8-Figure Exit: How to Buy, Transform & Sell in 3.5 Years
3 januari 2023 · 1 uur 6 min
How Bradley Roofner & Logan Brown transformed a tough, project-based landscaping biz into a recurring revenue machine. Lees meer
Themes from the interview with Bradley & Logan:
Buying, growing, and selling a local service business for $20m+
Why landscaping still has lots of opportunity
How to transform a project-based business into a recurring-revenue business
How to build a sales function in a local service business
Why building a sales function is better for growth than acquiring tuck-ins
How to convert 25% of sales opportunities
Working capital as oxygen
White-glove service in a blue-collar industry
Why you should build a credit department
What it's like to sell to a publicly-traded corporation
Links & how to reach Bradley & Logan
LinkedIn: Bradley Roofner, Logan Brown
BrightView
Built To Sell, the book that informed their productization strategy
Brent Beshore
Article 1 referenced in valuation estimate: BrightView and the need for growth
Article 2 referenced in valuation estimate: LM150: 2020 rankings
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Buying a Therapy Practice & Selling for Millions
29 december 2022 · 58 min
A husband & wife bought a therapy practice for $120k, almost dumped it, then grew it for 8 years when PE came knocking. (This is a rebroadcast from November 2021.) Lees meer
Themes from Neil's interview:
Growing a mental health practice from $615k/year to $2M.
How working in your acquired business (not on it) can save you
Owning a business with your spouse
Equipment leasing as a solution to keeping overhead costs low
To sue or not to sue (the seller, post-acquisition)
Preferring businesses for sale rather than cold outreach to owners
When to sell a fast-growing business
Reach Neil at:
@neilsaidwhat
LinkedIn
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
A Cautionary Tale of Buying Too Small
27 december 2022 · 1 uur 10 min
JD Klein bought a print shop for $100k, thinking such a small acquisition carried little risk. The opposite was true. (This is a rebroadcast from December 2021.) Lees meer
Themes from JD's interview:
Running a strong-growth, low-margin business
Selling your house to make ends meet
Why very small businesses come with higher risk
Acquirers should hire a financial planner
Pivoting your strategy when uncontrollable roadblocks emerge
Pros & cons of the printing industry for acquirers
Personal victories vs. financial victories
Reach JD at:
@jdklein33
LinkedIn
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
State of the Pod, 2022
22 december 2022 · 5 min
Acquiring Minds will start publishing twice per week. Host Will Smith explains the rationale for this decision. Lees meer
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Dream Fulfilled: Buying a $2m, 50-Year-Old Business
20 december 2022 · 1 uur 28 min
When Fraser Voll first learned about buying businesses, he couldn't stop reading about it. That passion paid dividends. Lees meer
Topics in Fraser's interview:
What working for a boutique M&A advisory taught him about buying businesses
Anatomy of a self-funded search deal WITHOUT an SBA loan
How to get a good multiple (3x) on a $600-800k EBITDA business
What Fraser bought: revenue, margins, price, terms, etc.
Getting comfortable with high customer concentration
How to de-risk buying a business whose revenue doubled in prior 2 years
How to structure an earnout
Janitorial industry: how to achieve high margins, retain labor, and more
Search in Canada
Why small business became more attractive than software
Links & how to reach Fraser:
Fraser's LinkedIn
Portage M&A Advisory
Constellation Software
Mario Nigro, searcher connector in Canada
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Buying a Bitcoin Mining Facility
13 december 2022 · 1 uur 12 min
Chris Koerner acquired a bitcoin mining facility he found on BizBuySell for $750k and now employees 11 people. Lees meer
Topics in Chris's interview:
Bitcoin mining 101
Challenge of finding real estate to host bitcoin miners
Economics & ROI of bitcoin mining
Using BizBuySell to find bitcoin mining facilities
Price & deal terms to acquire a bitcoin mining facility in Texas
The business of hosting bitcoin miners
Why it's difficult to buy miners
The business of reselling bitcoin miners
How the crypto winter has affected profitability
Crazy story of partnering with the late John McAfee
Links & how to reach Chris:
Mining Syndicate (Chris's bitcoin mining facility)
Video tour of Mining Syndicate
Bizy
John McAfee's tweet of Chris's project No BS
John McAfee interview by the Australian film crew (filmed the day Chris visited)
LinkedIn
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
Birth of a Holdco (with 15 Acquisitions to Date)
6 december 2022 · 1 uur 7 min
Trevor Boehm shares how Saturn Five started as a venture studio but found buying small businesses a better model. Lees meer
Topics in Trevor's interview:
First rule of holdcos: Do No Harm
Benefits of buying businesses in a single geography
What makes for a good owner-operator?
How Saturn Five finds operators
Loneliness as owner-operator of a small business
Great hack for new owner-operators
Why "boring" businesses aren't boring
Advice to someone considering buying a small business
Advice to entrepreneurs wanting to build a holdco
Who is Saturn Five (and why you haven't heard of them)
Links & how to contact Trevor:
Saturn Five
Acquiring Minds episode with Andrew Harbin discussing loneliness as a new SMB owner [at 1:02:10]
Acquiring Minds episode with Cassi Neikamp discussing building an industry mastermind to combat loneliness & speed learning [at 58:19]
LinkedIn
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter
-
6 Months to Buy a Business with $1m+ in EBITDA
29 november 2022 · 1 uur 26 min
Shane Ehrsam went full-time in his search & used systematic broker outreach to buy a great business in his local market. Lees meer
Topics in Shane's interview:
Why he didn't acquire a franchise resale
Shane's experience in the Acquisition Lab, Walker Deibel's program to buy a business
Why talking to other searchers is so important before beginning your own search
Mechanics of his broker outreach
Importance of cold calling brokers
Buying a business in stock (vs. the more traditional asset purchase)
All about the dealership business
Full standby note — what is it?
Day 1 experience
How being an SMB owner feels different than life in corporate
Links & how to reach Shane:
Acquisition Lab
Episode with Jordan Carter about full-time vs. part-time searching: A Brutal Search Rewarded with Success After 3 Years
Episode with Jesse Sunquist on: Reflections After 1 Year of Searching Full Time
Episode with Doug Johns about building rapport with sellers & brokers: Opening Up to Franchises to Buy a Great Business
Surface area of luck
North Texas Trailers
LinkedIn
shane AT ntxtrailers DOT com
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
The Acquisition Lab
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Will on Twitter