Acquiring Minds

Entrepreneur Jeff Homer discusses transitioning from high finance to acquiring and scaling music schools. Topics include artist's aversion to selling, profitability of music vs. dance, importance of general managers, using apps for operations, and potential in other industries. He shares insights on acquiring a music school every month, raising growth equity, and the challenges and rewards of business consolidation and scaling.

Jarett Berke, an entrepreneur who initially avoided restaurants, shared insights on buying Lou's Restaurant: finding businesses through accountants, tough restaurant industry, military service parallels, exceptional margins, stock deal purchase, business growth strategies, and the appeal of the restaurant business.

Entrepreneur Scott Walton shares insights on acquiring low-SDE businesses, doubling revenue, and improving company culture. Topics include recruiting strategies, financing without the SBACreative, creative deal structuring, and challenges post-acquisition. Scott aims to build a $10m platform from blue-collar companies.

Experienced entrepreneur Chandra Rao discusses challenges with dishonest sellers, financial struggles, navigating payment terms, and partnering issues. He shares insights on due diligence mistakes, embezzlement, conventional loans vs. SBA, and exponential business growth in electrical contracting and fiber cabling. Rao reflects on juggling a roll-up, dealing with fraud, and the complexities of acquisitions and financing in the construction industry.

Entrepreneur Zach Smith discusses buying a 30-year-old dental membership business, exit from Uber, challenges of marketplace businesses, current issues with dental insurance plans, and his strategy to grow all sides of the marketplace.

Christi Loucks shares her experience buying a Canadian business, discussing personal fulfillment, challenges of cross-border acquisitions, losing clients post-transition, unexpected expenses, planning for maternity leave, and the constant changes in the tech industry.

Garth Fasano shares his 5-year journey to finding a business with unique revenue model and great fit. Topics include: SBA financials, Top Dog's model, impact of outcome-based pricing, hiring strategies, and expanding to new industries.

Robert Graham and Aaron Blick discuss their journey from a $1.2m SDE acquisition to a $15m EBITDA business. Topics include private equity impact on industry roll-ups, running businesses remotely, financial shocks post-acquisition, hiring presidents, blending SBA loans with roll-up model, and shifting power dynamics after purchase.

John Murphy shares his story of overcoming divorce and debt to purchase a 60-year-old business. Topics include the value of peer groups, real estate vs. business ownership, unexpected transition expenses, and restructuring the workforce for increased margins.

Entrepreneur Reid Tileston shares his journey after acquiring a business with expensive trucks. He discusses topics like working on the business, feedback, relationships, slow temp-to-hire process, transitioning paper processes to the cloud, risks of informing employees about a business sale, and personally testing tech for field service management.