Acquiring Minds

Johannes Hock, a private equity professional, shares his journey of acquiring an artificial turf installer business and growing it from $5m to on track to exceed $15m in 2023. He discusses the differences between private equity and search, sources of deal flow, valuing and financing a fast-growing business, tracking data, and unexpected costs of sales commissions. He also emphasizes the benefits of having a partner in search and the challenges of financing a rapidly growing business.

Corey Veverka shares his experience of buying the business where he worked without doing a search, and how he convinced his wife and partner to do the deal. He discusses the risk mitigation of buying the business where he worked, the growth they've achieved, and the takeaways for people in similar situations. They also talk about the challenges of negotiating a business deal and the importance of trust in a seller-buyer relationship.

Sandy Paige shares how he raised funds for his search fund and grew EBITDA by 7x. He discusses the challenges he overcame, renting space to animal research labs, and hiring the right team. The podcast also covers the risks of real estate dynamics, selling to competitor Charles River Laboratories, and the importance of amenitizing a life science building.

Shane Ehrsam and Brandon Adams discuss hiring a GM, buying business #2, rewarding aspects of SMB life, and managing envy. Topics include benefits for employees, growing revenue post-COVID, reality of bumpy revenue in retail, owning a business bought as a stock sale, improving hiring for blue-collar roles, professionalizing a business, and the process of acquiring another business.

Executive Eric Hayes left his high-paying job in DC with 5 kids to buy a small business in Wyoming. Topics include raising equity, the business of restoring native ecosystems, learning to communicate with foremen, life in a small town vs. big city, and the challenges of owning and operating a business.

Peter Wild, a seller who finally sold his business after being introduced to the searcher community, discusses the psychology of a seller, finding the right buyer, upgrading to Salesforce, and selling to a "searcher." They also discuss the history of the organic tree health industry and the owner's life as a proxy for whether to buy a business.

Former military officer Don Gourley shares his experience buying Boston Tree Preservation, emphasizing the importance of a clear vision, rigorous search strategies, and effective management of interns. They discuss the value of digital transformation, taking over from a founder-visionary, and the advantages of buying a business for veterans. They also explore techniques like having the seller pay for the Quality and Verification process and increasing the surface area of luck through effective communication with brokers.

AJ Wasserstein, Peter Mistretta & Mike Horowitz discuss the criteria for selecting a franchise brand, including evaluating the brand and franchisor, assessing demographics, and store-level economics. They explore the potential financial success of franchise ownership and the importance of defining goals and desired outcomes. The podcast also covers favorability in franchise selection, choosing the right franchiser partner, analyzing franchise system dynamics, and the importance of willing to build more locations in a brand for success.

From collapsing sales to acquiring a second business, Chris Jones shares his rocky transition as a new business owner. Topics include buying a foundation repair business, discrepancies in QuickBooks, restructuring roles, improving sales numbers, and optimism about the future.

Learn about the trade-offs of a part-time search, the importance of taking action, and the competition in the web-to-print industry. Explore the pros and cons of an SBA loan and the appeal of managing people. Discover the speaker's mistake of not accounting for working capital adjustments and the transition to ownership and fatherhood at the same time. Hear about the importance of knowing oneself and the value of a business school education.