As an acquisition entrepreneur, Jackie Kopcho is now CEO of Tortorella Swimming Pools, where she leads a team that engineers, builds, and services pools on Long Island, in southeastern New York State. When searching for a company to acquire, Jackie wasn’t looking for this particular industry or location. Rather, she was on the lookout for those qualities that lead to an enduringly profitable business, such as recurring revenue and low customer concentration. This company stood out from the rest as an ideal acquisition target. In this episode, Jackie discusses her overall process of discovery, the experience of coming into the role of CEO, managing challenges associated with a seasonal business, her deep focus on customer service, and more.

Ari Santos and Allan Newman, about to graduate from business school, reflect on the choice between buying their own business or working for someone else. Though there are parallels between their paths, including service in the US Army, these similarities make their differences all the more interesting. From considerations of leadership, risk, and career aspirations to thoughts on location, industry, and funding options, listeners gain insights into the decision of taking a job versus embarking on the journey to find and acquire a small business to run as CEO.

In this episode, Daniella Bertolotti and Steve Goulas discuss the more traditional startup route versus entrepreneurship through acquisition. Just weeks ahead of their graduation from business school, and thinking about what’s next, both are looking for control over their professional lives, want to be in a position where they make decisions that matter, and value rewards being closely tied to the work that they do.  We learn that those who lean more towards founding their own company often have a very specific passion for one industry and a commitment to one location, while people who decide to walk the path of an acquisition entrepreneur are often more focused on the nuts and bolts of managing a business. As you’ll hear, though entrepreneurship through acquisition isn’t for everyone, it is a path that every would-be entrepreneur should consider.

Ten years ago, Robin Kovitz became President & CEO of Baskits, now one of Canada’s leading gift services companies, by purchasing the company from its two retiring founders.  Baskits was an acquisition that had many of the qualities that lead to success for first-time CEOs, including recurring customers and a record showing years of profitable operations.  It was also, however, a seasonal business, which is a potential red flag for Rick and Royce.  In this episode, Robin shares insights on why she decided to become an acquisition entrepreneur, the impact of her “being passionate about the business” investment criteria on her geographically focused and self-funded search, her perceptions of risk, the effects of searching on family life, why she loves her role at Baskits, and more.

Geoff Duckworth’s story is that of a self-funded search that transformed him from being an employee at a larger firm, to CEO of an enduringly profitable small business, to seller of the company that he had run for years.  It was after reading Rick and Royce’s book, HBR Guide To Buying A Small Business, that he decided to pursue the path of entrepreneurship through acquisition. In this episode, Geoff shares reflections on his experiences as an acquisition entrepreneur, including why he decided to stop working for others and buy his own business; how he sourced companies that were for sale; the qualities he saw in the business he ultimately bought; how he financed the acquisition; and insights on his time spent at the company helm and beyond.  Geoff’s story is a classic example of a complete entrepreneurship through acquisition journey.

Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own startup seem too risky? There's another compelling path open to you: acquiring a small business and running it as CEO. Co-hosted by Harvard Business School professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, the show is an extension of their popular course, Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, and their highly regarded book, HBR Guide To Buying A Small Business.  Think Big, Buy Small helps listeners to determine if entrepreneurship through acquisition is for them and, if it is, provides insights and guidance on the different milestones along the journey to acquiring an enduringly profitable small business.