Hard-won lessons about buying micro SaaS businesses from Andrew Pierno, who has acquired 3 and plans to buy many more.

Themes from Andrew's interview:

• Breakdown of the XO Capital portfolio
• How to source micro SaaS acquisitions
• Micro SaaS due diligence
• Paying for operators
• The appealing product roadmap of tiny software vs. large
• Bottlenecks of the tiny model
• Whether moving upmarket make sense
• Wins so far
• MicroAcquire & Flippa

Reach Andrew at:

• @AndrewPierno
• His blog at XO Capital

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• How to Build a Portfolio of Micro SaaS Businesses

Pete Seligman stepped off a comfortable corporate path to buy a small business in 2013. He's since acquired 4 more.

Themes from Pete's interview:

• Why Pete exited the corporate track to acquire a company
• How risky is acquiring a business?
• Role of passion when deciding which business to buy
• Role of industry experience when deciding which business to buy
• How long it takes to succeed in acquisition entrepreneurship
• The type of person who should buy a company

Reach Pete at:

• LinkedIn
• His website

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Making a Career of Buying Businesses

After years of struggling to launch products from scratch, Casey Allen pivoted to buy a $1.7m coffee supplies business.

Themes from Casey's interview:

• Struggling for years to launch products from scratch
• The benefits of acquiring a company instead
• Buying an e-commerce business as COVID sales take off
• Buying a 24-year-old content site with 12 million annual visitors
• Content vs. e-commerce
• Advice for acquirers who have $10k, $50k, or $250k in cash to buy a business

Reach Casey at:

• LinkedIn
• His first acquisition, Barista Warrior
• His second acquisition, Interactive Mathematics

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Buying a $1m Coffee Biz After Years of Starting from Scratch

Due diligence pro Ahmed Raza on the 3 key things to evaluate when buying a business in e-commerce, SaaS, or content.

Themes from Ahmed's interview: 

• 3 things to evaluate in an e-commerce business you might buy 
• 3 things to evaluate in a SaaS business you might buy 
• 3 things to evaluate in a content/affiliate business you might buy 

Reach Ahmed at:

• LinkedIn
• His firm, Rapid Diligence

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Top 3 Pitfalls When Buying an Online Business

Charles Barr just acquired DiMartino Plumbing. He considered HVAC & electrical as well but plumbing was the sweet spot.

Themes from Charles’ interview:

• Buying a small business as a path to wealth
• Why plumbing?
• Why he decided against HVAC & electrical
• Numbers on the business & his deal
• Why he’s getting his plumbing license

Reach Charles at: 

• LinkedIn
• His acquisition, DiMartino Plumbing
• @CapitalistChuck

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Why Plumbing Companies Make Awesome Acquisitions

Vivian Chen bought an abandoned online business for almost nothing, then grew it to $5k/mo — while keeping her day job.

Themes from Vivian’s episode:

• Years of false starts before deciding to acquire
• Advice to side hustlers
• Parallels between buying an online business & real estate investing
• When to go full time
• Knowing yourself is key to your journey as an acquisition entrepreneur
• It takes longer than you expect...
• …so get started

Reach Vivian at: 

• LinkedIn
• Modern Innkeeper

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Buying an Online Side Hustle (for Less than $5k)

Chris Edwards' first 6 months as new owner has been a “bloody knife fight.” But things are looking up, with the business projected to profit $750k this year.

Themes from Chris’s interview: 

• Chris’s advice for new owners (be a shock absorber) 
• What made Chris a competitive buyer 
• Solo buyer vs. having a partner 
• How to implement changes as a new owner (hint: slowly) 
• High stress, high stress, high stress…less stress 
• “The worst decision he’d ever made”? 

Reach Chris at:

• @toph_edwards
• His flooring company, Affordable Flooring Warehouse

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• How to Survive Acquiring a $3.5m Flooring Business

Brute Force thrived during COVID, but 2021 hit hard. Sales plunged 60% in one month. Mike Brown bought it to fix it.

Themes from Mike’s interview: 

• Why Mike was "acquisition curious" and what made him pull the trigger
• Betting on yourself 
• Unsexy local businesses vs. e-commerce 
• How the iOS privacy updates are affecting e-commerce 
• How Mike handled sales collapsing 60% from May to June 
• Adversity making you -- or your business -- stronger (h/t Jocko Willink)

Reach Mike at: 

• LinkedIn
• His e-commerce company, Brute Force

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Acquiring an $8m Distressed E-Commerce Biz

Cassi Niekamp didn't know anything about fencing when she acquired Bowden Fence. But she turned this to her advantage.

Themes from Cassi’s interview: 

• Bringing a student’s mind to your acquisition 
• Using vulnerability to earn trust 
• Doubling production in 60 days 
• Building rapport with the seller 
• Buying the first business you see 

Reach Cassi at: 

• LinkedIn
• Her company, Bowden Fence

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Buying a $1.2m Fencing Business & Earning Trust Quickly

Mike Gardon bought websites to be his own boss. His best acquisition does $100k/mo — and he bought it for 5 figures.

Themes from Mike’s interview:

• Why buying a website is better than building from scratch
• SEO & affiliate websites
• Opportunity for smaller buyers of affiliate sites
• Thinking about your websites like a financial portfolio
• The importance of a foundation business

Reach Mike at: 

• LinkedIn
• His personal website, michaelgardon.com
• CareerCloud
• Bonus: Quotebook, a project of Mike's he can pursue thanks to the freedom provided by his business

Official episode page & full show notes at AcquiringMinds.co:

• Making $100k/mo by Buying Websites