Have you ever wondered if you’d regret selling your company once the deal is done? Bobby Martin, who sold his company for 26 million dollars, shares with us his exit journey and what he wishes he’d have done differently. Today, he’s an angel investor at eight companies, a business owner, and an author. If you want a peek at what it’s like to be on the other side of an acquisition and merger, you won’t want to miss today’s episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

When Bobby decided to become an entrepreneur and how he jumped in with two feet.

How he grew his company, First Research, and some of the major milestones that he hit during its growth.

How Bobby created business value by figuring out his business model, going to market, and pricing his services.

The triggering event and inner dialogue that made Bobby want to sell his company.

How Bobby came up with the price that he wanted for the business and how he actually agreed to sell.

Information about Bobby’s experience about closing and what happened afterward and why he now wishes he’d read Bo Burlingham’s book, Finish Big.

What Bobby wishes he would have done differently and why it was harder than he thought it would be to sell his business.

How Bobby recalibrated himself and reset his mindset so he could move onto the next step in his business journey.

How knowing what you want out of your business is important.

Being an entrepreneur is a highly emotional process. Not only does it require an emotional investment when you first come up with your business concept, but you also need to maintain your passion to drive the value of the business. So what happens when you eventually sell? This podcast with Bobby Martin covers the question of ‘what happens next’ and what you can do to build a valuable business (to someone other than yourself).

First Find Your Market

Bobby worked as a calling officer for a bank and discovered very quickly just how inefficient their processes were. He recognized that if marketers and sales people, particularly, had access to better quality (and more targeted) information, they could do their jobs more effectively. However, this discovery and his offer to do the market research to provide this information were rejected by the bank.

While that wasn’t ideal, it also pushed him to start his own business. Entrepreneurs often start their businesses due to an unfulfilled need—if they can’t get it from the market, they build a business from which they can. So Bobby started a company called First Research which followed his passion for knowledge and satisfied the market niche he had uncovered.

Finding markets can mean creating your own. Bobby now had a business with which he could do research on other companies and industries and sell to those