In this episode of the Business Sales & Acquisitions Podcast, we sit down with Tim Long, a former Private Equity professional who transitioned from institutional investing to buy a small business, apply a disciplined operational framework, and successfully sell the business four years later.
Rather than approaching ownership casually, he brought a private equity mindset to Main Street. By conducting a focused acquisition search, underwriting the opportunity with an exit in mind, and treating the company as an asset to be improved and eventually sold.
We break down how he evaluated the business before buying, and the specific optimizations he implemented after closing.
We then discuss how those changes directly impacted enterprise value, buyer confidence, and his ability to sell a small business successfully within four years.
If you’re actively buying a business, evaluating a small business acquisition, or preparing to sell your business, this episode walks through the full ownership lifecycle: disciplined search, structured acquisition, operational improvement, and a clean exit strategy.
Topics we cover:
-Applying a Private Equity framework to small business ownership
-How to evaluate a business before you buy
-Operational improvements that increase valuation
-Building a business that’s transferable and sellable
-What makes a small business attractive at exit
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⏰ Timecodes ⏰
0:00 - Intro
1:10 – Tim’s Background in Banking & Private Equity
3:19 – The Acquisition Search Process
5:01 – Finding the Right Business (Elmark Signs & Graphics)
8:45 – Evaluating the Opportunity & Underwriting Risk
10:01 – Deal Structure: Financing, Debt, and Capital Stack
14:50 – Transitioning from Investor to Operator
18:20 – Early Operational Realities of Ownership
20:00 – Restructuring the Sales Organization
23:40 – Redesigning Commissions & Centralizing Accountability
25:03 – Managing Fixed Costs & Margin Discipline
27:30 – Personally Driving Revenue During Transition
30:03 – Strategic Equipment Investments (Bucket Truck & Growth)
32:45 – Scaling Revenue While Controlling Overhead
35:01 – Marketing, Positioning, and Finding the Right Customers
38:20 – Implementing Systems (Cyrious) to Standardize Operations
40:02 – Technology Infrastructure & Process Visibility
42:30 – Pricing Discipline Amid Cost Fluctuations
45:02 – Profitability, Transferability, and Exit Preparation
47:30 – The Sale Process & What Made the Business Attractive
50:10 – Lessons from Buying, Optimizing, and Selling in 4 Years
53:00 – Advice for Buyers & Sellers
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❇️ What We Do ❇️
We help business owners understand, prepare for, and execute a successful exit from their business. Whether that means selling now, selling later, or simply understanding what their business is worth and how to improve its value.
Our role is to bring clarity to a process that is often confusing, emotional, and poorly explained.
❇️ Who We Work With ❇️
We primarily work with two types of owners:
1️⃣ Business owners considering an exit in the next 6–36 months and want to understand their options.
2️⃣ Owners who are burned out, distracted, or ready for a change, but don’t yet know if selling makes sense.
Common backgrounds of owners I work with:
-Home & Commercial Service Business Owners
-Food/Restaurant Owners
-Multi-unit or Multi-location Operators
-Franchise Owners
-Owner-operators nearing a transition point
#business #entrepreneur #businessbroker
