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 learning in every role
• Changing their revenue model during Covid
• Focusing on cash, culture, and communication
• Why his investors were thrilled with a 2x return

References and how to contact Jason:

• LinkedIn
• Jason’s partner Olaide Lawal
• Futaleufu Partners
• The Manager’s Handbook by David Dodson

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

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

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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 sold it for $21m.

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 that turned it all around
• Buying 2 turnarounds
• Merging and exiting the businesses
• Tax savings through QSBS

References and how to contact Marvin:

• LinkedIn
• marvin.karlow@raincatcher.com
• Raincatcher
• Steve Mariani

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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 for Lodging Source
• Being blindsided by the acquisition
• Uncertainty over who to answer to while the seller was still there
• Figuring out how to interact with Dan

References and how to contact Dan and Jayme:

• Dan Angel LinkedIn
• Jayme Moylan LinkedIn
• Lodging Source
• Self-Funded Search vs Traditional Search Funds
• Sam Rosati on Acquiring Minds discussing Big 3, Little 2: How to Shorten Your Search to Buy a Business
• Chris Williams on Acquiring Minds: System Six: One Year Update

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention 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

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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
• Pitfalls in contractor licensing
• The harm in not having an employee agreement with a business partner
• How to diligence a business partner (or can you?)
• How SEO & digital marketing supercharged leads

References and how to contact Jan:

• LinkedIn
• Victoria Renovations

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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
• Weathering Covid lockdowns
• Forming an education holdco
• Beating out private equity for his last acquisition
• Selling to private equity after growing the business

References and how to contact Matt:

• LinkedIn
• Simon Plummer on Acquiring Minds: From Frustrated Searcher to $3.5m Owner to Holdco Builder
• Pete Seligman on Acquiring Minds: Making a Career of Buying Businesses
• Enduring Investment Partners
• Southern Biological
• Hands on Science
• Junior Rockers
• Primary Music Institute

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

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 3rd:

• https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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 wood veneer manufacturing company
• Getting a great deal on both businesses
• Seller’s daughter staying on as VP
• Why it’s impossible to start a wood veneer business

References and how to contact Joe:

• LinkedIn
• joe@woodlandface.com
• Woodland Face

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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 risks in ESOPs
• Employee reactions to being acquired
• Selling employees on the ESOP concept
• His role as investor, not operator
• Keeping a bad hire for too long

References and how to contact Chris:

• LinkedIn
• Empowered Ventures
• The Empowered Owners Podcast
• The Great Game of Business

Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 3rd:

• https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS

Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:

• From this page or contact mark@aspenhr.com

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron

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
• Apologizing to his team
• Why he prefers small business to corporate
• Expanding beyond candles
• Carving out their brand story

References and how to contact Adam:

• LinkedIn
• Seracon

Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 3rd:

• https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Pioneer Capital Advisory

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

Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron