The SMB Deal Hunter Podcast How These 2 Partners Met on Craigslist & Ended Up Buying 15 Companies Together | Joe Van Deman and Colin King
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Dec 19, 2025 Colin King, a finance-focused acquisition entrepreneur with accounting and PE experience, and Joe Van Deman, a serial acquirer who scales small businesses, share their unlikely Craigslist meeting and how they bought 15 companies together. They recount buying an overnight auto-parts delivery route, surviving brutal hands-on nights, hiring operators at odd hours, flipping to PE, and their repeatable sourcing, diligence, and operator-first scaling playbook.
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Craigslist Sparked Their Partnership
- Joe and Colin met via Craigslist after Joe posted he wanted to buy a local business.
- They spent 12–18 months sharing deals before buying their first business together found on Craigslist.
First Deal: Night Shifts And No Drivers
- Their first acquisition was an overnight automotive parts delivery route bought with under $100k cash.
- On the first night two drivers no-showed, so Joe and Colin drove routes themselves for months.
Pay And Empower Strong Operators
- Hire experienced operators and give them autonomy rather than micromanaging.
- Pay appropriately and align bonuses to performance like uptime and minimal downtime.