4 acquisitions, 3 years after the first deal, and 2 dishonest sellers before Chandra Rao went full-time in his holdco.

Topics in Chandra’s interview:

• Learning from due diligence mistakes
• Losing $300k in the first year
• Challenges with payment terms and working capital
• True value of a seller note
• One of his partners embezzled from the companyFppp
• Choosing a conventional loan over SBA
• The electrical contracting and fiber optic cabling businesses
• 6x growth in 4 years
• Juggling a roll-up and a W-2
• A seller who committed fraud

References and how to contact Guest:

• LinkedIn
• chandra@millermn.com
• Miller Utilities

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Zach Smith bought a 30-year-old membership business that connects patients with dentists to return it to former glory.

Topics in Zach’s interview:

• His exit from Uber
• Difficulty of starting a marketplace business
• When spreadsheets meet reality
• Buying a shrinking business
• Going with a stock sale instead of asset sale
• Current problems with dental insurance plans
• How American Dental Care differs from insurance
• The view from the bottom of the J curve
• His plan to grow all sides of the marketplace
• Forgoing an SBA/bank loan

References and how to contact Zach:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• American Dental Care

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Most first-timers shy away from buying across borders. Not Christi Loucks, whose Canadian acquisition did $550k of SDE.

Topics in Christi’s interview:

• Buying a business for personal fulfillment
• Painful broken deals
• Challenges of buying a cross-border business in Canada
• The positive role emotions play in dealmaking
• Losing (and regaining) 55% of her clients after transition
• The line between cold outreach and spam
• Constant change in the tech industry
• Unexpected expenses after transition
• Planning for her maternity leave
• Her husband’s return to a corporate job

References and how to contact Christi:

• LinkedIn
• Revenue Accelerator
• Neil Bearden

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter