Should You Build a Business from Scratch or Buy One that’s Already Working?

In this episode, Bill sits down with Matt Raad, founder of the eBusiness Institute and veteran business buyer, to explore the world of digital acquisition, business turnarounds, and intentional exits. From a humble start in zoology and manufacturing to flipping multi-million dollar websites, Matt’s journey highlights how you can build wealth through strategic business acquisitions.

Topics explored in this episode:

(07:00) Buying a Bankrupt Business

*Working with a shady accountant, buying a bankrupt business, and the accidental M&A lesson.

*Early inspiration from Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and “What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School.”

(10:30) Turnarounds that Worked and One That Didn’t

*Why Matt’s retail experiment failed.

*The power of simply raising prices and boosting sales.

*Preparing a business for exit with minor tweaks, not reinvention

(20:20) Discovering the Digital Goldmine

*Moving from bricks and mortar to passive digital income.

*Why Matt avoided eCommerce and leaned into affiliate websites.

*How his first $20k website changed everything.

(26:00) Built to Sell: Why Your Exit Strategy Starts Now

*Sell on the way up, not at the peak.

*Most founders wait too long and lose their best valuation.

(31:50) Equity, Earnouts, and Strategic Sales

*PE vs. strategic buyers: which gets you the better multiple?

*Stories of regret from entrepreneurs who sold equity too early.

*How smart PE groups structure incentives for better exits.

(41:55) Shared Ownership Isn’t Always a Bad Thing

*Why giving shares to store managers and salespeople drives better performance.

*A proven incentive structure from one of Matt’s mentors.

Thanks to Matt Raad for being on the show!

Learn more about Matt: https://www.ebusinessinstitute.com.au/

Listen to Matt’s podcast: https://www.digitalinvestors.com/podcast/

Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.

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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/