Personal IPO Don’t Start a Side Hustle, Buy a Boring Business | Ben Kelly
6 snips
Dec 9, 2025 
Ben Kelly, an acquisition entrepreneur and founder of Acquisition Ace, shares his expertise in buying 'boring' small businesses with minimal upfront capital. He reveals how to leverage SBA loans and deals structured for profitability, making business acquisition accessible for many. Listeners learn about the 'Silver Tsunami' of retiring baby boomers relinquishing their businesses, and the importance of due diligence. With inspiring success stories and actionable insights, Ben illustrates why buying an established business can be more rewarding than starting a new venture.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Expect And Finance Diligence Costs
- Budget $7K–$20K for diligence: streamlined packages can reduce quality-of-earnings to ~$7K for SMB deals.
- Roll diligence costs into SBA financing when possible to preserve buyer capital.
Use Brokers To Enforce Document Flow
- Use the broker as the accountability driver to collect seller documents and meet LOI timelines.
- If the broker stalls, pressure them with closing dates or threaten to let the LOI expire to accelerate responses.
Use A Carrot: Offer To Help Sellers
- For off‑market deals, offer practical help like paying for a CPA to organize records to reduce seller friction.
- Use that assistance as a carrot to gain control of due-diligence pacing without being heavy-handed.