Acquiring Minds

Register for the webinars: 

 •Is It a Fair Multiple? The Art of Making Your Offer - Wed Jan 22 - https://bit.ly/4asGoxw
•Legal Preparation for Your Search - Thu Jan 30 - https://bit.ly/3CbswuP

Abhi Ravishankar & 3 partners devised a novel holdco structure to prioritize flexibility, cash flow, and the long term.

Topics in Abhi’s interview:

• Going from BCG partner to small business buyer
• Starting a holdco with 3 friends
• Their primary and secondary partner model
• Setting up contingency plans in their operating agreement
• Goal of spending more time with family
• Not taking on investors
• Quickly learning about potential industries
• Closing on a pool business in 6 weeks
• 4 add-ons in 18 months
• Acquiring 2 ShelfGenie franchise locations

References and how to contact Abhi:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Marc Nzojibwami’s episode: The Model for a 3-way Longterm Holdco

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Mike Heath bought a garage door installer from owners who didn't use email. He grew sales fast, but profits came harder.

Topics in Michael’s interview:

• Passing on a commercial cleaning business
• Acquiring a garage door business with silent partners
• Installing an operator on day one
• Messy, unkempt books from the seller
• Hitting a cashflow crisis
• Bringing in a consultant and keeping her on full-time
• Paying off the SBA loan early
• Doubling their gross margin
• Splitting revenue across 3 partners
• Acquiring 2 pool businesses

References and how to contact Michael:

• LinkedIn
• Stateline Products of Missouri
• Florida Pool and Spa
• Pool King Recreation

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or email [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Sale-leaseback and asset-based lending enabled Carlo Santelli to acquire and own 100% of a $3.5m EBITDA manufacturer.

Topics in Carlo’s interview:

• Applying 3x to Columbia before getting in
• Leaving a finance career to buy a business
• Why he only buys proprietary, not through brokers
• Maintaining deal momentum when a seller is very busy
• The power of asset-based lending
• The power of a successful sale leaseback
• Being comfortable learning as you go
• How he thinks about risk
• Closing on 4 businesses this year
• His ambitious goal for next year

References and how to contact Carlo:

• LinkedIn
• [email protected]
• Cortina Capital Partners

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at [email protected], and tell him you’re a searcher

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact [email protected] or visit Aspen HR

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Pete Ciaverilla bought a $12m HVAC business, then grew earnings 50% in 3 years. His timing couldn't have been better.

Topics in Peter’s interview:

• Combining households with his parents while searching
• Using a buy-side advisor
• Funding less than 5% of the deal himself
• Transitioning the seller’s family out of the business
• Buying a company with 65 employees, $12M in revenue
• Advantages of buying a bigger company
• Balancing commercial and residential HVAC
• Impact of seasonality on revenue
• Why private equity likes HVAC
• Feeling comfortable with taking on a large loan

References and how to contact Peter:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact [email protected] or visit Aspen HR

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Michael Jacobson bought his uncle's barely-profitable 45-year-old flower shop in LA. In 4 years he's grown it 16x.

Topics in Michael’s interview:

• Revamping his uncle’s flower shop
• Replacing the overpriced phone system
• Building custom software for the floral industry
• Why flower shops are hard to run
• How “wire services” like 1-800 Flowers work
• Switching to Google Ads for better ROI
• Doubling revenue with a new website
• Operating as a digital-first brand with physical locations
• Becoming the French Florist franchise
• Why he’s not interested in private equity money

References and how to contact Michael:

• LinkedIn
• [email protected]
• French Florist

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at [email protected], and tell him you’re a searcher

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or email [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Tim Lahey has doubled the $1.6m company he bought, and buying small has prepared him well for the next phase of growth.

Topics in Tim’s interview:

• Being inspired by Doug Cook
• Looking for a “dusty, not rusty” business
• Partnering with an M&A firm to search
• Acquiring a home technology company
• Getting bitten on a cashflow crunch
• Handling customer complaints as the owner
• Culture of small businesses
• Changing too much too fast
• Listening for what customers want
• Challenges of buying small

References and how to contact Tim:

• LinkedIn
• [email protected]
• r:home
• The Trusted Advisor

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Nick Molina on how he found, acquired, & plans to manage a 275-employee business in Minneapolis from his home in Miami.

Topics in Nick’s interview:

• Taking his first company public in 1998
• His unwillingness to retire
• The tremendous cost of start-ups
• Which state he won’t do business in
• Buying a business he doesn’t have to operate
• Importance of listening in sales
• Living in Miami while owning a business in Minneapolis
• What makes a good property management business
• Using a loan broker 
• Appeal of keeping a business in his family

References and how to contact Nick:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• [email protected]
• Endangered Investments

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact [email protected] or visit Aspen HR

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or email [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at [email protected], and tell him you’re a searcher

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

After buying then exiting a 12-unit franchise portfolio, Alicia Miller became expert on how to attract private equity.

Topics in Alicia’s interview:

• Leaving her corporate career to buy a franchise
• Acquiring a portfolio of Sylvan Learning Centers
• Turning around unprofitable locations
• Her tips for negotiating an acquisition
• How private equity has impacted franchising
• Acquiring existing franchise locations vs. de novo development
• Which brands attract private equity and why
• New brands that are disrupting their industries
• Why Subway has value despite closing locations
• How emerging franchise brands change as they grow

References and how to contact Alicia:

• LinkedIn
• Big Money In Franchising by Alicia Miller

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or email [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact [email protected] or visit Aspen HR

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Dismissed by brokers, Simon Plummer bought & grew a manufacturer 75% in 3 years. Today he's building a long-term holdco.

Topics in Simon’s interview:

• Creating the “BizBuySell” of Australia
• Buying a manufacturing business
• Difficulty of acquisition in Australia
• Running the machines himself for 18 months
• Learning from his cashflow mistakes
• Launching their brand in the UK, US, and Canada
• How a bricklaying YouTuber skyrocketed sales
• Finding and hiring a CEO
• Anxiety of owning a small business
• Building a long-term holding company

References and how to contact Simon:

• LinkedIn
• Arbor Permanent Owners
• BT Engineering USA
• BT Engineering Australia
• Rowan Grant
• Jason Andrew

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at [email protected], and tell him you’re a searcher

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Josh Key partnered with a master plumber from his church to acquire a plumbing business doing $1.25m. It ended badly.

Topics in Josh’s interview:

• Buying a plumbing business with a partner
• Quitting his job to go all-in
• Inadequate due diligence on his partner
• His partner’s wife getting involved in the business
• Emotional outbursts and threats from his partner
• Employees and clients leaving due to the partner
• Closing the business and filing for bankruptcy
• What he learned about due diligence
• How his mindset is guided by his faith
• What he wants to do next

References and how to contact Josh:

• [email protected]
• LinkedIn

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter