E430: Dirty Tricks Amazon Aggregators Might Try When Buying Your Business

Elements Brands CEO Bill D’Alessandro returns to chat with Mike about his recent (and unfortunate) experience with an Amazon aggregator who bought his business.

 

For many entrepreneurs, selling a business can be an even bigger achievement than starting one. While some luck out with finding honest-to-goodness buyers of their business, others get caught up in less favorable situations.

 

Bill D’Alessandro, founder and CEO of Elements Brands, is no amateur when it comes to selling businesses with 10 years of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions. But even a man of experience like him isn’t exempt from the occasional rotten buyer.

 

In this episode, Bill shares in painstaking detail the dodgy deal he had to face with an Amazon aggregator who bought the business he was divesting. From how the deal started and ended to valuable takeaways of the event, Bill’s story is certainly one you want to listen to.

 

Timestamps: 

• How the deal with the shady Amazon aggregator started - 4:18
• The first red flag - 7:32
• Tips on how to protect yourself as a seller during a negotiation - 13:56
• Continuation of Bill’s story - 22:30
• Recap and some tips from Mike and Bill on how to navigate a fishy deal - 41:12

 

That’s it for this week’s EcomCrew Podcast. As always, it’s a pleasure to have Bill on the show. It’s not exactly the most inspiring story to tell, but it’s an equally important one nonetheless.

 

If you enjoyed this week’s episode, feel free to leave us a review over on iTunes. Happy selling and we’ll see you in the next one!