Acquiring Minds

Ujwal Velagapudi acquired a multimillion dollar vending empire with thousands of machines & 7 figures of cash flow. Themes from Ujwal's interview:Big vending businesses vs. smallBuilding a big vending business by acquiring small routesEconomics of vendingLogistics of vendingTiny acquisitions to build confidence & experienceDifferentiating yourself as a buyer on MicroAcquireUsing phantom equity to hire general managerBenefiting from OnlyFans growthWorking with a dishonest sellerBuying an online businessBuying an FBA businessBuying a small gymBuying a historic neighborhood sports barBuying downmarket commercial real estateUsing Craigslist for acquisition of businesses & real estateReach Ujwal at:@UjwalVelagapudiLinkedInGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:The Acquisition LabConnect with Acquiring Minds:Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterLinks & mentions:Byron

Ryan Doyle, a searcher with a finance background, and Heather Anderson, co-director of Sponsor Finance for Search Fund Lending, delve into critical pitfalls for business buyers. They highlight eight major warning signs of a bad investment, including overvaluation and unsustainable margins. Ryan shares his list of time killers that can derail searches, while Heather discusses the challenges of financing smaller firms. Together, they emphasize the importance of due diligence and understanding market dynamics to avoid costly mistakes.

Alex Michael bought a wallet brand doing $650k on Amazon. Alex delves into how FBA works & what the growth levers are. Themes from Alex's interview:Why ecommerce?Difficulty competing to buy an ecommerce businessProcess of a ecommerce acquisition with a Quiet Light listingAnatomy of the first call with a sellerHow to be a good buyerWhat to say to a seller in a competitive environmentDiligencing an ecommerce businessCost breakdown of an FBA businessSupply chain risk in ecommercePromoting an FBA business on AmazonAmazon's PPC flywheelACoS and TACoSDaily ad spend, net margins, revenue, SDEPlatform risk with FBA businessesAdding a Shopify store to diversify distributionReach Alex at:LinkedIn**** Register here for the live session with Chelsea Wood of the Acquisition Lab:What size of business should you buy?Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamConnect with Acquiring Minds:Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterLinks & mentions:Wallaroo WalletsCenturicaQuiet LightStephen Speer and eCommerce Lending

Multiples for ecom businesses jumped 50% since 2018, but Quiet Light's Joe Valley says that trend is about to reverse. Themes from Joe's interview:The ecommerce buying mania of 20212 pieces of advice for acquisition entrepreneurs looking at ecommerceHow ecommerce multiples will changeHow ecommerce deal terms will changeSeller financing in ecommerceFuture of the ecommerce aggregatorsHistory of the ecommerce aggregatorsReach Joe at:LinkedInjoe at quiet light dot com**** Register here for the live session with Chelsea Wood of the Acquisition Lab:What size of business should you buy?Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamConnect with Acquiring Minds:Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterLinks & mentions:Download Joe's book The Exitpreneur's PlaybookSubscribe to Quiet Light listingsSubscribe to new listing alerts from CenturicaThrasioCarlos Cashman of ThrasioProfound CommerceSyed BalkhiRamon Van MeerWalker Deibel

How James Maxwell & his partner found a 22-year-old janitorial biz & successfully installed a GM in a city of 100,000. Themes from James' interview:Searching in a small marketChoosing NOT to outsource due diligenceJanitorial business pros & consPartnered searchWhat deal flow looks like in a 100k cityHiring a general managerDoes an MBA help with buying a business?Why self-funded over traditional?Reach James at:LinkedInTwitterjmaxwell 814 @ gmail dot comGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamRegister here for the live session with Chelsea Wood of the Acquisition Lab:What size of business should you buy?Connect with Acquiring Minds:Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on Twitter

Clint Fiore, President and founder of Texas Business Buyers, shares invaluable insights for aspiring business buyers. He explains key strategies to build strong relationships with brokers, emphasizing the need to differentiate serious buyers from tire kickers. Clint delves into seller psychology, particularly among baby boomers, and the importance of understanding market dynamics. He also highlights effective outreach strategies and introduces a subscription-based newsletter that offers exclusive deal access. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone looking to buy a business!

Alex Mears draws on years of experience at Carlyle & Blackstone to support and invest in searchers (70 & counting). Themes from Alex's interview:The most valuable businesses of allAttractiveness (or not) of home service businessesSeller integrityWhen to require speaking with key employeesThesis-driven searchSearch acceleratorsNew accelerator The Brydon GroupAlex's pivot to entrepreneurship: why now?Reach Alex at:alexander dot mears @ brydon dot comLinkedInTwitterThe Brydon GroupApply to the first cohort here (deadline: June 15th)Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamRegister here for the live session with Chelsea Wood of the Acquisition Lab:What size of business should you buy?Connect with Acquiring Minds:Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterLinks & mentions:Steve ResslerGeorge DutileAlex's session on Searchfunder: Tutorial: Live Modeling an Example Self-Funded Deal & Key Factors InvolvedAlex's session on Searchfunder: Modeling for Traditional Search Deals - Intro to Building Financial Models

Jason Andrews paid $250k to a buy-side advisor to help find & acquire his first business — and would 100% do it again. Themes from Jason's interview:Paying a premium for a good businessWorking with a buy-side advisor: price, value, what they doSpeaking to 30 sellersBuying a business in your 40sTaking a big swingWhere he invested his time during due diligenceWhether he was "buying a job"The consulting agreement he structured with the previous ownersBuying big or buying smallGoing from corporate to small businessPros & cons of group purchasing organizations (GPOs)Reach Jason at:@Jandrews707LinkedInGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamRegister here for the live session with Chelsea Wood of the Acquisition Lab:What size of business should you buy?Connect with Acquiring Minds:Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterLinks & mentions:The DVS Group

Chelsea Wood, Managing Director of the Acquisition Lab, draws from her experience with over 250 business buyers to reveal common pitfalls faced during acquisitions. She discusses the dangers of striving for expertise in every aspect and the paralyzing need for excessive information. Chelsea highlights issues like imposter syndrome, the importance of branding, and the challenges of a rigid or desperate mindset. She emphasizes the critical role of community support and flexibility in navigating the acquisition landscape, particularly for women entrepreneurs.

How Chris Munn runs his first acquisition, a $800k cleaning business in Tampa, while being based in LA. Themes from Chris’s interview:Real estate vs. small business acquisitionThe importance of getting reps — modeling deals as practice for the real thingRunning an acquired business remotelyBuying a business that’s too smallBeing an African-American man and dealing with “pattern matching” from banksHow Chris gained 30k followers in six monthsReach Chris at:On LinkedIn: Chris MunnOn Twitter: Chris MunnConnect with Acquiring Minds:Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterLinks & mentions:Buy Then BuildHBR Guide to Buying a Small Business