Dr Glen Richards: The Business of Roll-Ups

This episode is all about roll-ups – and we’re not talking about the fruit snacks you had in your lunch box as a kid. 

No, we’re talking about rolling up SMBs. You know the playbook: Buy a bunch of small businesses, whack them together, take it public and make a tonne of money. 

I’ve been feeling the itch to do some rolling up myself. And this pod, I scratch that itch with the great Dr Glen Richards, Australia’s king of the roll-up. 

You know Glen. He’s the founder of Greencross Vets, a roll-up of vet clinics, and a chairman of Healthia, a health care roll-up. He’s also a director of a bunch of companies, which I’ll let him share with you. Glen’s also a Shark… yep, you might also recognise him from his time as a panelist and investor on Shark Tank.

Roll-ups might sound easy (and delicious) – but as Glen explains this episode, getting it right is actually harder than you think.

Alright, let’s get into it.

Links:

Keep up with Glen Richards on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to Stark Naked Numbers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your pods.  

Want the secrets the other accountants won’t give you? Follow Jason Andrew on LinkedIn.

To learn more about uncovering your financials, unlocking your cash and unleashing your cash, visit starknakednumbers.com.

Show Notes:

(00:52) - Glen’s business portfolio 

(02:14) - What does a successful roll-up look like?

(07:44) - Why most Aussie businesses don’t have long term vision

(13:20) - Creating value and de-risking through a roll-up 

(18:25) - Synergies: The cream on top of the ‘Roll-Up Cake’

(25:16) - Glen’s learnings from the Petbarn and Greencross merge

(33:34) - Roll-up succession plan 

(41:00) - Jason’s five key ingredients to a successful roll-up

(44:07) - The Pitch: Jason’s perfect roll-up business – and The Shark weighs in.

(50:30) - Glen’s dream roll-up businesses