Learn How to Buy a Small Business
Everything you need to know to start buying businesses. Learn how to source, evaluate, structure, finance and grow businesses.
Skip the hard part of entrepreneurship and go straight to the money making.
Starting companies is hard.
If you are here, you probably already know that.
Startups fail 90% of the time.
And if they survive they rarely reach $1 million in sales and even more rarely $100k+ in profit for the entrepreneur.
I know because I’ve been there.
Dozens of times.
Wandering in the wilderness with a new startup. Trying to find the elusive product-market fit.
You work really hard just to find a few customers. Way harder than anyone ever should.
And in the end, you rarely have anything to show for it.
What if you could skip the broke wandering in the wilderness phase?
And instead, make real money on day one.
This is what I am here to teach you. How to be an entrepreneur through acquisition.
Buying a small business may seem scary, but it doesn’t have to be.
I’ll share all I've learned during these last 10+ years buying and building businesses.
This comprehensive step-by-step course will teach you how to buy a small business and save you from some of that time and frustration.
I have an MBA from the University of Chicago, but realistically I figured most of this out by trial and error.
I wasn’t handed anything and you won’t need to be either.
This is the path that no one ever tells you about. Not your boss. Not your teachers. Not your parents.
It took many years of observing how others approach buying businesses, doing my own deals, making a thousand mistakes, and finally finding solutions that work.
Eventually, I got it down pat.
Although I’m constantly learning something new, I have discovered many things that work for me every single time.
I will walk you through my entire process. From the way I find businesses to buy, my thoughts on what to look for when evaluating a business, how to negotiate a price and creatively structure a deal, and finally how to close and ensure a successful transition.
I’ll share my templates for everything and walk you through sample deals. You will see my thinking each step of the way so you won’t have to guess what to do next.
This is not a course for entertainment.
I am here to help you buy a small business yourself. Not entertain you with high-level stories.
I want to change your life and make you an owner.
We will outsmart the startup hustle culture while still achieving the business owner’s lifestyle.
This isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes work.
But together we will put you on a path that all private equity people know to consistently generate wealth and freedom.
You can replay these videos and return to these templates as many times as you wish. No rush.
At the end of this course, you will have the confidence and tools to buy your own small business without fear.
A step-by-step course
- Sourcing Overview (5:32)
- Dealflow Sources - List of Marketplaces, Brokers, etc.
- Proprietary Sourcing: List Building & Emailing Guide
- Outbound Email Scripts
- Paying Finder's Fees
- Building Outbound Target List Example Live (17:12)
- Building Outbound Target List Notes
- Outbound Acquisition Targets Template
- How to Find a Local Business to Buy
- Live Sourcing Session + Q&A (41:51)
- Qualitative Diligence (3:01)
- Qualitative Deal Analysis Template
- Financial / Quantitative Diligence (4:06)
- Financial Terms to Know
- Financial Model Template (Quantitative Deal Analysis)
- Due Diligence Questions
- Legal Templates - NDA, LOI, APA, etc.
- Diligence Checklist (Asset Sale)
- Diligence Checklist (Equity Sale)
- Due Diligence Q&A (4:01)
- Good Reasons for Selling
- Green & Red Flags in a Deal (3:41)
- Live Deal Analysis & Growth Planning (39:14)
- Q&A: How Do I Protect Myself Against Fraud?
- Negotiation Walkthrough (7:57)
- Negotiation Flowchart
- Valuing a Business (6:07)
- How to Value a Software Business (11:42)
- Revenue vs Profit Multiples (5:06)
- Valuation by Company Size (3:35)
- Managing Seller Expectations (3:13)
- Negotiation & Deal Structure Q&A (5:39)
- Deal Breakdown: Blinksale (14:32)
- Deal Breakdown: Ottomatik (10:41)
- Deal Breakdown: Scout (18:21)
- Margin of Safety (2:14)
- SaaS at a Low Price (1:56)
- Q&A: Seller Wants a Crazy High Price. How to Talk Them Down?
- Q&A: Should I Renegotiate After Learning Something in Diligence?
- Q&A: How Do You Value a Business With No Revenue?
- Q&A: How Do You Factor Technical Debt Into Your Valuation?
- Q&A: How Do I Buy a Cash-Heavy Business?
- Q&A: Should I Make a Deposit for the LOI?
- Q&A: Should I Personally Guarantee a Seller Note?
- Structuring a Deal (4:29)
- Asset Purchase vs Equity Purchase (1:31)
- Setting Up a Legal Entity (US)
- Structuring a Deal with Outside Investors
- How to Find Investors
- Building a Track Record (2:56)
- Real Sample PE Deal Structures
- Transfer Worksheet Template Walkthrough (1:53)
- Asset & Login Transfer Template
- Closing Mechanics & Escrow
- General Transition Guide
- How to Get a SBA Loan (54:29)
- How to Get Non-Dilutive Acquisition Financing (Guest Lecture) (35:04)
- SBA Loan for SaaS (3:59)
- Planning to Exit (1:52)
- Financial Modeling for an Acquisition Deal (Guest Lecture)
- Hiring & Managing Developers / Product Team (18:20)
- Hiring SEO Writers
- SEO Writer Sample Job Description & Form
- Constellation Software - Largest SaaS HoldCo (3:21)
- Minimizing Taxes on Exit (2:26)
- Structuring a Holding Company (6:41)
- Finding Your Competitive Advantage (4:20)
- Q&A: Should All Companies Be Separate or Together?
- Q&A: Berkshire Inspired Private Equity Models
- Partner Deals & Discounts
- Supercharge Your Growth
Say goodbye to working on someone else's business
All the Templates & Resources to Complete an Acquisition
Letter of Intent Template
Show that you are serious about continuing towards a purchase.
Non-Disclosure Agreement Template
Enforce the confidentiality between the buyer and seller.
Purchase Agreement Template
Put the terms of your acquisition into writing with this contract.
Deal Structure Examples
Be inspired by how others are structuring deals with these real-life examples of low upfront investment.
Outbound Email Scripts
Use these templates to find new businesses to buy without competition.
List of Deal Sources
An ever-growing list of marketplaces, brokers, and other sources to find opportunities.
Diligence Checklist
(Asset & Equity Purchase)
Make sure you dot all the I's and cross all the T's before closing a deal with our checklist.
General Transition Guide
After you close an acquisition, make sure it is smooth transition and nothing is lost.
Financial Modeling Template
Model out your acquisition financials in this simple to understand sheet. No MBA required.
Building Own Dealflow Live
We walk through building out a list of prospects that fit your ideal business to buy and how to find their contact info.
Negotiation Walkthrough Live
Be ready with responses for all the different possible situations that come up in a negotiation.
Business Valuation Cheatsheet
Not sure what a business is worth? We walk you through what different types of businesses are worth so you get a great deal.