Tag archives for search launch
Searching as a Couple
Husband-and-wife teams searching for, purchasing and then running a business, is a special variation on selecting a partner for a search. Searching with a partner (See Blog Post: Searching with a Partner, or not!) is…
Early Years as Searcher/CEO
How do searcher/CEO's feel 2 years after closing their acquisition? You may be surprised to learn from over 2 dozen searchers surveyed that 2/3 of them reported feeling significantly worried about their business years from acquisition.…
Selecting your search name
Many searchers inadvertently turn-off potential sellers by choosing a name for their search firm that fails the test of being “seller friendly”. The code words that make your firm impressive to investors are often the…
Searching Mid-Career
When to start an EtA (Entrepreneurship through Acquisition) search in your career can be a vexing and very personal question. Should you do it now, or wait? And if you wait, will "life" get in…
Learning About Search
Learning about EtA (Entrepreneurship through Acquisition) is challenging, just like searching for a business to buy! It takes persistence, perseverance, hard work and chasing down a lot of dead ends. For entrepreneurial start-ups there is…
Bank Financing
The most substantial source of financing for an EtA (Entrepreneurship through Acquisition) business will be bank financing. A quick survey of two dozen searchers finds they have raised between 35% to 75% of their transaction…
Taking Over the Business
Stepping into the role of CEO of the business you acquire is the ultimate objective of your search. The skills that you will have developed and honed over the preceding 6-24 months as a searcher…
Seller After Closing
Successfully transitioning the seller from being the "Most Important Person" (MIP) to a "Previously Important Person" (PIP) can have far reaching consequences on the success of the business you acquire. Anticipating this transition during the…
Making Offers
Making offers quickly and often in your search is critical to buying a business. As in sports, taking frequent "shots on goal" is always better than waiting for the "perfect" opening. After all, the offer…
Why Search? Is it right for you?
Searching for a business to buy almost sounds too good to be true! You want to be an entrepreneur, but have no "great idea" to launch a start-up. Perhaps you have just completed an MBA…