Ross Tomkins is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and business acquirer who has raised over $10 million and acquired nearly 20 businesses across two continents. Originally trained as a physiotherapist in the UK, Ross transitioned from hands-on healthcare to building and scaling companies. He recently launched a holding company in the UAE with the goal of generating half a billion dollars in annual revenue within five years. Ross’s journey is a masterclass in creative deal-making, strategic growth, and the mindset required to succeed in business acquisition.

On this episode we talk about:

How Ross made the leap from employee to entrepreneur by starting a mobile physiotherapy business

The critical role of spousal and partner support in entrepreneurial risk-taking

Lessons learned from losing a major contract and pivoting to acquisitions

Creative deal structures, including 100% seller financing and government-backed loans

The importance of operating experience before buying businesses-and why small business acquisition is riskier than it looks

How to source acquisition deals through networking, brokers, and outreach

The pros and cons of buying small vs. larger businesses

Why healthcare remains a resilient and attractive sector for acquisitions

Top 3 Takeaways

Start with what you know and build credibility. Ross’s journey shows that operating your own business first gives you the credibility and skills needed to succeed in acquisitions2.

Creative financing makes acquisitions accessible. Seller financing and government-backed loans can help you buy businesses even if you don’t have large amounts of cash on hand2.

Operating skills are essential. Acquiring a business is not a shortcut to passive income-understanding sales, marketing, HR, and operations is critical to avoid running a good business into the ground2.

Notable Quotes

“My first dollar was me carrying a bed with me to someone’s house and charging them for physiotherapy.”2

“The best conversation we had at the beginning was, ‘Do you want to do it or do you need to do it?’ I needed to do it for myself and my family.”2

“The success rate of small business acquisition is terrible… If you don’t have the necessary mindset and skill set to manage the money, you could take over a beautiful cash-flowing business and run it into the ground.”2

Connect with Ross Tomkins:

Website: https://rosstomkins.co.uk/

Check out FranBridge Consulting for premier non-food franchise opportunities: travischappell.com/franbridge

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices