The Opportunity Podcast

The keyboard is mightier than the sword.  AI-powered writing tools are making it easier than ever to create quality content at scale. Yet, with the market flooded by a deluge of AI-backed software, finding the perfect tool for your needs can be tough. Plus, once you discover a tool that suits your needs, mastering how to use it effectively is often a roadblock to success. It was while he was learning the ins and outs of one of these tools that Matt Zimmerman was inspired to create an AI writer of his own. Matt is the founder of ZimmWriter, a unique, AI-powered tool that allows you to harness the power of AI in thousands of applications and websites, whether it be WordPress, LinkedIn, or Google Docs.  In this episode, Matt gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to create an AI writer from scratch. He discusses the difficulties he ran into with backend prompting, and what separates ZimmWriter from all of the other tools on the market. Matt has built a strong community around ZimmWriter, and this open line of communication has shaped the tool's evolution. Through the community, he receives invaluable feedback about what his audience likes and dislikes, bugs they’ve spotted in the software, and suggestions about new features that they would like to see added to the tool. Matt also discusses the pros and cons of using AI writers and explains the best way to use AI to enhance your content creation. According to Matt, “AI is like a hammer. It’s just another tool in your toolbox. It can help you do your job faster, and you can do a lot of fine craftsmanship with it. But, like any other tool, you have to learn how to use it properly. You need the right training before you can expect good results.”  In a world where the keyboard reigns supreme, learning how to effectively leverage AI in your content creation is crucial, so don’t miss out on a second of this episode! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Matt walks us through his background and the inspiration behind ZimmWriter (03:19) What sets ZimmWriter apart from other Ai writing tools (11:08)  How community feedback influenced the development of ZimmWriter (16:55) The difficulties of backend prompting for AI tools (19:58) How Matt is slowly growing his Zimmwriter team (28:34) Marketing ZimmWriter and growing a Facebook community (30:58) Matt’s plans for the future of ZimmWriter (34:07) The pros and cons of using AI writing tools (40:18) Matts's thoughts on AI replacing people’s jobs (48:29) The best way to incorporate ZimmWriter into your writing workflow (51:05) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account ZimmWriter Matt’s GetPrompted newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and peek behind the curtain to see what goes into creating an AI-powered writing tool!

As a rule of thumb, larger businesses tend to be more established, more stable, and come with better infrastructure than smaller businesses.  But they also cost more, creating a barrier to entry for entrepreneurs who are looking to make the most of the benefits of buying large businesses.  However, Roland Frasier discovered that the barrier can be overcome with some clever, creative financing.  Roland is a serial entrepreneur who is renowned for his unique approach to leveraged buyouts and no-money-down financing. In fact, he has created 226 creative financing strategies that buyers can use to purchase a business with little or no money down.  In this episode, Roland joins us to discuss the various levers buyers can pull to reduce the amount of cash they need to put into their acquisitions.  He starts off by breaking down the characteristics buyers should look for in a business, and the common mistakes that often trip buyers up. He then outlines a few of his no-money-down strategies, including seller financing, supplier financing, using the business’ credit card reserves, inventory consignment, asset-based lending, management financing, and many more.  He also explains the importance of setting up an SPV to protect your personal assets and credit when structuring these deals. Roland also reveals how to spot a good deal and the best way to approach negotiations. According to Roland, “The biggest thing people do wrong when negotiating is that they think of it as a win or lose. I like to think of it as a collaboration. We, the buyers, are collaborating to get you, the seller, the best price we can get you. Or at least as close to the price you want in a way that also works for me. So we're on the same team.” If you want to learn how to gain access to bigger business acquisitions without having to put more money down, then you’ve come to the right place! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Roland shares his background and entrepreneurial journey (02:34) How to identify a good business from a bad business (05:51) Remaining involved in a business that you’ve sold (11:43) The common mistakes people make when buying businesses (19:33) How representations and warranties are used in acquisitions ( 22:04) The strategies Roland uses for creative no-money-down deals (27:19) Why business owners shouldn’t be afraid to raise their prices (39:07) How Roland juggles all of the businesses he has acquired (41:32) Buying media business to gain more leads (43:35) Roland’s tips for being an effective negotiator (50:20) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account Business Lunch with Roland Frasier Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to get creative with no-money-down financing!

The early bird catches the worm.  This is particularly true when it comes to investing. Early adopters often reap the biggest rewards. But if spotting a good investment before the business really takes off was that easy, everyone would do it.  You need to find a business with a first-mover advantage. One that operates in a blue ocean. A business that has already established proof of concept in the short time they've been operational. A business like WebStreet.  In this week’s episode, we are joined by Kyle Kuderewski, the Operations Manager at WebStreet.Kyle joins us to discuss Webstreet’s exciting new investment opportunity - the chance to invest directly into WebStreet itself and become an early adopter of a business at the forefront of an investing revolution.  Kyle breaks down the need-to-know terms of the investment, the benefits that investors can expect to receive, and how this opportunity differs from WebStreet’s normal investment rounds. According to Kyle, “The big difference between this and investing in a normal round is it's a growth play versus an income play. With the normal rounds, you receive income through quarterly cash distributions. With this new investment, you actually own an equity stake in Web Street as a company and benefit from the growth of the business. If you think about it,  you're owning a piece of all those other businesses we’re investing in” Kyle goes on to explain how WebStreet plans to spend the growth capital raised (growing their audience and adding all the bells and whistles to their platform). He also announces the introduction of WebStreet’s WeFunder campaign, an investment opportunity that allows non-accredited investors to get in on the action. If you want to be an early adopter instead of a bystander, listen to this episode to learn how you can take advantage of this rare investment opportunity! Topics Discussed in This Episode: An update on WebStreet’s progress since separating from Empire Flippers (03:34) The exciting new investment opportunities available through WebStreet (07:39) How WebStreet plans to use the growth capital raised (10:38) The investment terms for WebStreet’s direct investment round (11:36) A closer look at how WebStreet’s funds are operated (17:54) What a liquidity event would look like for one of the investment funds (25:43) WebStreet's WeFunder campaign- a non-accredited investor crowdfunding option (30:42) The types of people who are investing in WebStreet and its funds (33:07) The ripple effects that fractional investments may have on the industry (38:43) Trends Kyle has spotted in different monetizations throughout the industry (44:45) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account WebStreet WebStreet investor application form Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how you can own a piece of the upcoming investing revolution!

Building an affiliate site is a great way to earn money online. But if you really want to maximize your profits, you need to scale your business beyond affiliate revenue. In this week’s episode, we interview someone who has done just that and has built a thriving business around teaching others how to replicate his success. Gael Breton, the co-founder of Authority Hacker, joins us to share how he turned a simple educational website into the giant that is Authority Hacker today.He shares valuable tips on how to grow your affiliate site by branching out into different monetizations, adding profit maximizers to your offering, and using the right tone in your sales messaging. He reveals why business owners should avoid becoming the face of their brand and how he is earning back his time by training AI to manage his schedule. He also explains how to adjust your pricing as your business grows. According to Gael, “In terms of pricing, charge more than you think you could. Think about what you would charge and add 30% or 40% to that. You will make less sales, but you will probably make more profit and that's all that matters in the end. Building a loyal audience is really the key. They'll be willing to pay whatever the price is for what you're selling as long as you provide value.” Finally, Geal discusses the pros and cons of building websites on expired domains, before he and Greg debate AI’s impact on the future of SEO. Gael is a fountain of knowledge, so whether you are new to the affiliate marketing space, or you’re searching for ways to grow your existing affiliate business, this episode is exactly what you’ve been looking for! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Gael shares the background story behind Authority Hackers (03:00) The obstacles Gael faced while building the Authority Hacker courses (08:38) Why business owners should avoid becoming the face of their business(10:51) Gael's new experiment: training an AI to be his new VA to gain his time back (15:44) How Authority Hacker structured their course pricing as their business grew (19:34) The effectiveness of profit maximizers and to add them to your business (25:03) Using the right tone in your sales messaging (30:04) The future of Authority Hacker (34:35)  The core elements beginners should focus on when building their first affiliate site (38:30) Gael’s experience building sites on fresh domains vs expired domains (45:02) Gael’s view on the future of SEO (54:15) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account Authority Hacker Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell BrandSnap.ai Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to expand your website beyond affiliate revenue!

Taylor Kimball, an SEO expert, discusses the untapped potential in foreign language SEO. He shares insights on audience behavior, reliable advertising partners, and the importance of a strong team. Taylor reveals that non-English SEO lags behind and explores content creation tools like Zimriter and Koala. He also emphasizes the process of building profitable content sites and funny experiences in niche businesses.

Private equity is a fast-paced game. You buy a business and often only have two to five years' worth of investor capital to improve the business before you need to sell it for a profit.  This doesn’t give you a lot of time to make meaningful improvements and often results in changes that destabilize the business long term. That’s why Brent Beshore decided to turn the concept of private equity on its head. Brent is the founder of Permanent Equity, a PE firm that invests in family-held businesses.  The twist? Brent has no intention of selling the businesses. Forget two to five years, he works with a 30-year time horizon. He also uses no debt in his acquisitions and takes zero fees or reimbursements. Instead, he splits the cash flow that the business earns, putting his firm, the investors, and the family that owns the business on equal footing.  This almost indefinite timeline, and the fact that he doesn't have a debt looming over his head, means Brent has the freedom to grow the businesses sustainably and with everyone’s best interests at heart.  In this episode, Brent joins us to share his unique take on private equity. He explains how he built his funds with longevity in mind, and why he steered away from the traditional private equity approach to debt. According to Brent, “Buying a business with debt means you have to sacrifice cash flow every month to repay that debt. That gives you less flexibility to reinvest back in the business. Less flexibility to grow. And when things get hard, which they will, it forces you to make decisions that are not in the long-term best interest of the company.” Brent also explains why he has chosen to be industry agnostic, focusing instead on “adolescent businesses” that offer lots of opportunities to make improvements. Finally, Brent shares advice on how entrepreneurs can replicate his success, explaining, “There's a lot of opportunity in the private equity space. But it's gonna be a lot of hard work and a lot of stress. You need to prepare yourself for that and give yourself enough lead time to be choosy. If you're starting from a dead stop, you should give yourself three years of runway full-time to find the right business, buy it, and start to operate it.” If you want to build a portfolio of business but are put off by the traditional private equity model, then Brent’s unconventional approach may be just what you are looking for! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Brent shares how he accidentally stumbled into business ownership (02:45) The obstacles Brent faced when acquiring his initial business (09:28) How buying that first business inspired Brent to grow his portfolio (12:13) The story behind Brent’s unique fund structure (15:22) The makeup of Brent’s business portfolio (20:10) How Brent calculates the value of a business (31:01) Brent’s due diligence process (33:51) Why Brent chooses to purchase businesses without debt (36:07) How Brent approaches growing a business after acquisition (39:59) How Brent structured his team to manage such a large portfolio of businesses (43:13) Brent’s advice on how entrepreneurs can replicate his success (48:31) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account Permanent Equity The Messy Marketplace Brent’s Twitter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to reap the benefits of private equity without the traditional constraints!  

Display advertising is a powerful monetization, but many website owners miss out on extra profits and growth by treating display ads as a “set and forget” addition to their site.Recognizing this untapped potential, Kean Graham created MonetizeMore, a platform that increases ad revenues by using auction technology to find the advertisers willing to pay the most for your ad placement. They also offer a suite of tools that helps publishers analyze their revenue stats and detect and block invalid traffic. In this episode, Kean joins us to shed light on the state of the display advertising industry in 2023. We discuss the challenges publishers are currently facing, including how market changes have impacted RPMS, and how AI will affect organic traffic. Kean also dives into some of the pitfalls that many publishers are unaware of. He reveals the dangers of bot traffic attacks and explains how invalid traffic can be a silent killer for your site.  Kean also explains how many black box companies gatekeep your ad inventory, and how owning that inventory is the key to unlocking exponential growth for your site. According to Kean, “Your ad inventory is a wealth of data that you can use to sell directly to advertisers, access premium RPMS, or create brand partnerships. So If you really want to grow your site to ambitious levels, it’s vital to partner with companies that believe in transparency and ad inventory ownership.” If you want to take control of your ad revenues and propel your site to new heights, then don’t miss a minute of this episode! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Kean’s background and info about MonetizeMore(02:33) How MonetizeMore uses AI tech to detect bots and invalid traffic (04:07)  How competitors use bots traffic attacks and how to protect yourself (08:44) The challenges that publishers are currently facing (17:25) Strategies publishers can use to grow their revenue (22:33) The data points you can gain access to by owning your ad inventory (30:50) How large publishers diversify their traffic sources (33:29) Kean’s take on the effect AI will have on Google Search (36:13) The stepping stones for growth in 2023 (41:05) How Kean keeps innovating after so long in the industry (46:00) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account MonetizeMore ChatGPT Kean’s LinkedIn Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to accelerate your site’s growth using your display advertising inventory.

Buying a business is a great way to skip the queue and jump straight into generating revenue. That said, purchasing a profitable business isn’t cheap.  But what if there was a way to buy a business by leveraging the business’s assets and cash flow to fund the acquisition?  This clever approach is how Jonathan Jay buys businesses with no money down. Jonathan is a serial business buyer and the founder of Dealmakers.co.uk where he teaches people to buy businesses without risking their own capital. In this episode, Jonathan joins us to explain his approach to no-money-down financing, diving into the types of businesses that are ideal for this strategy and how to structure the acquisition using the business’ cash flow. He reveals the common mistakes buyers make and explains which characteristics first-time buyers should look for in a business. According to Jonathan,  “I encourage everyone to make your first acquisition a multimillion revenue acquisition. Go for the bigger businesses because you'll make more money. They're easier to finance, they're easier to buy. They run themselves better. They don't need you because bigger businesses have management in place already.” Jonathan also shares behind-the-scenes details of his pandemic buying spree, where he purchased 48 nursery school businesses in 37 months. He shares the challenges that he encountered along the way as well as the important lessons he learned, including:  “Buying a business is not about the business that you will own, but the person that you become in the process. You become a far more confident person. You become a better business person. You become a better negotiator. You become a more creative thinker when you buy a business. So don't just think about the business, think about the person you’ll become in the process.” If you’d like to learn an alternative way of buying a profitable business that doesn't require millions of dollars, then look no further. This episode is packed full of useful no-money-down acquisition knowledge and tips from a seasoned business buyer! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Jonathan gives us a brief look into his entrepreneurial background (02:30) The mistakes Jonathan made buying 48 businesses during the pandemic (04:56) The characteristics Jonathan looks for in a business (07:13) The types of businesses that are ideal for no-money-down financing (09:55) Buying a business with a positive cash flow is key for no-money-down financing (12:48) How Jonathan structured his acquisitions using the business’ cash flow (17:23) Why Jonathan uses direct mail to source his acquisitions (26:54) The common mistakes business buyers make (30:42) The types of businesses that are difficult to finance (34:03) The best piece of professional advice Jonathan has ever been given or heard (36:41) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account Jonathan’s YouTube channel Jonathan’s podcast Jonathan’s workshop Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to buy a business without spending a large lump sum of money!

Success is not final. This is particularly true in business where failure is all too common.  It’s an entrepreneur's mindset and their ability to recognize failure as a necessary stepping stone to success that helps them overcome the challenges they may face. Ace Chapman experienced this first-hand. He bought his first business for $70K and successfully grew it to where he was receiving 7-figure purchase offers from interested buyers. Then the business collapsed as a result of the dot-com crash.  He was ready to brand himself a failure when a mentor reminded him that simply owning a business isn’t the endgame. Businesses are disposable assets that you can leverage to build wealth and your ideal lifestyle.  This revelation ignited Ace’s passion for buying businesses, and 20 years later he has been involved in more than 200 acquisitions.  In this episode, Ace sheds light on his entrepreneurial journey and explains why your business should always be for sale. According to Ace,  “There are two ways to approach a business. You can give your life to the business or the business can give you life.  Instead of thinking of your business as your legacy, think of it as a tool. Your business should always be for sale because it’s really just inventory. It’s a means to an end that you can use to create the life you want.” Ace goes on to explain how he pairs online and offline business acquisitions to leverage the unique strengths of each asset and how he tackles buying businesses in unfamiliar industries.  We also discuss why Ace chose to create his own fund, how he uses that fund as a form of no-money-down financing, as well as the pros and cons of no-money-down deals. Finally, Ace hints at the hidden benefits of joint ventures, a topic we’ll dive deeper into when Ace returns in a few weeks for a follow-up interview. If you want to learn how to grow your wealth through acquisitions, then don’t miss out on a minute of this episode! Topics Discussed in This Episode: Ace Chapman shares his zero-to-hero entrepreneurial journey (02:07) Why your business should always be for sale (10:23) Online business vs offline businesses and how to leverage them against each other (12:43) How Ace approaches growing businesses in industries he is not familiar with (25:17) The pros and cons of no-money-down deals (29:06) How Ace uses funds as a form of no-money-down financing (34:40) Why joint ventures are a  big untapped opportunity for entrepreneurs (44:25) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account Acechapman.com Ace Formula by Ace Chapman Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn the tricks of the trade from an expert business buyer!

Building a website off of an existing domain instead of starting from scratch gives you a valuable head start. By leveraging the domain’s existing authority and backlinks you can generate traffic and rank your site in a fraction of the time.  But how do you track down an existing domain that is topically relevant? And how do you separate the good domains from the bad? Alex Drew has provided aspiring website owners with the answers to these questions. Alex is the founder of Odys Global, a marketplace that offers a variety of thoroughly vetted, premium, aged domains.  In this episode, Alex joins us to dissect the benefits of buying a domain, and the best practices to follow to ensure success.  He breaks down the characteristics you should look for in a domain, the best ways to migrate and recreate content, and explains the dos and don’t when it comes to 301 redirects.  He also highlights the red flags you should steer clear of, including ensuring that the domain isn’t trademarked and checking the backlink profile for spammy links.  Building a site off of a quality aged domain isn’t the only way you can make money from domains. If you have an eye for spotting future trends, you can also invest in domain names that you think will increase in demand. According to Alex,  “Buying domains to resell later is a viable investment strategy. Domains that were worth $50-$100 15 years ago are now worth thousands of dollars. Good domain names go up in price over time. If you spot a great domain that you can see is undervalued, that’s a huge opportunity for you to become a domain investor.” Whether you’re looking to use a domain as a solid foundation for your new site, or invest and hold it as an asset, this episode is jam-packed with tips and tricks from Alex that will help you track down the ideal domain for your needs. Topics Discussed in This Episode: What the Odys marketplace offers to domain buyers  (02:45) The different types of domains buyers should be aware of (08:58) The best way to recreate content for an aged domain (10:55) The proper use of 301 redirects and how to use 301s in your growth strategy (14:14) How to migrate content over to a new domain (21:21) The characteristics buyers should look for in a good domain (23:12) The ROI you can make on buying a premium aged domain (32:46) The common mistakes people make after buying an aged domain (36:27) A look into the Odys tailored domain search service (40:36) Alex walks us through what the Odys domain sales process looks like (44:30) Mentions: Empire Flippers Podcast Empire Flippers Marketplace Schedule a call with our expert sales advisors  Create an Empire Flippers account Odys Global Alex Drew’s LinkedIn Ahrefs GoDaddy Auctions Dan.com Archive.org Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to fast-track your SEO success by buying an existing domain!