Take Five #143: “How to Survive Buying into a Terrible Industry,” and more
Top five must-reads this week in the world of SMB acquisitions and operations
Subscribe to Take Five to get our top 5 quick weekly reads on the world of SMB, M&A, and EtA from the team at Kumo. Kumo aggregates hundreds of thousands of deals into one easy-to-use platform so that you can spend less time sourcing, and more time closing deals.
Take Five is created and sponsored by Kumo, a powerful deal aggregator to help supercharge your deal sourcing at withkumo.com.
What can you do with Kumo?
Browse 120,000+ deals from hundreds of brokers and every major marketplace, with 700+ unique deals added daily.
Save time and stop reviewing duplicate deals. Kumo matches identical deals across hundreds of sources so you can view unique business opportunities, even if they’re slightly different across different websites.
Get a daily email for deals that match your search criteria
Take Five #143: “How to Survive Buying into a Terrible Industry,” and more
1. Owner/self-funded searcher outlines ETA search model types with pros and cons, personal takes on each
Sure enough, I landed a CEO role in just four months—faster than most searchers even finish sourcing deals. But something was missing. Every decision I wanted to make—investing in infrastructure, rewarding my team, or pursuing long-term growth—needed approval from the PE owners. Despite the title, I didn’t feel like I was truly in charge. What I really wanted was ownership.
When I decided to try ETA again, I knew self-funding was the only path that fit my priorities. It gave me the autonomy I craved, even though it meant more financial risk and putting my own life savings on the line.
That decision wasn’t easy, and self-funding isn’t for everyone. But it taught me a key lesson: the search model you choose doesn’t just shape how you become a CEO—it shapes how you’ll lead and grow your business.
Read the rest of the article here.
2. Home services pay structure keeps it simple
3. Operators-turned-investors can bring more than just money to the table
4. Acquiring Minds Interview: “How to Survive Buying into a Terrible Industry”
Sales slide, fast.
He loses people, many of whom launch competing services in an already viciously competitive market.
And to his horror, he discovers that corruption is rife throughout his adopted industry.
And all of that is just in year 1.
But this saga doesn't end in collapse. Gradually, desperately, Ayo is able to pivot into a better market, build a business there, and exit to a strategic, doing right by his investors and walking away with a little money for himself.
In terms of takeaways, there are countless, and that's where we spend much of our time today. Ayo does a phenomenal job of crystalizing lessons — both strategic and spiritual — that other searchers might learn from.
You'll hear us talk about his 16 Commandments of Acquisition Entrepreneurship. We only had time for a handful of those, so make sure you click the link in the show notes to see the full list.
Find the Acquiring Minds podcast interview here.
5. Partial seller financing on a deal gives buyers a boost during the SBA loan approval process
Loved what you read? Subscribe to Take Five to get our top quick reads every week from the team at Kumo. Kumo aggregates thousands of sources into one easy-to-use platform so that you can spend less time sourcing, and more time closing deals.