Bought Tiny, Grew to $4m

March 7, 2024
Listen in Apple Podcasts appListen in SpotifyListen in Apple Podcasts appListen in SpotifyRSS address of the Acquiring Minds podcast feed
A

fter over a decade making SBA loans to acquisition entrepreneurs, Chad Fondriest decided he would buy a business himself.

What he ultimately bought suited him well, despite its size.

Darby Creek Trading, an ecommerce brand selling decorative wreaths, did only about $150k in annual revenue.

Talk about buying small.

But Chad's plan was to pursue this project on the side while keeping his day job as an SBA lender.

The risk seemed low, and the upside, interesting.

Well even in his fantasies, he didn't imagine the upside that he is enjoying today, 5 years later.

And by the way, Chad still has his day job.

Chad Fondriest in front of Darby Creek Trading shipments
Chad moonlighting to print labels during busy season

You've heard, “don’t buy too small” on this podcast countless times.

And that is a solid rule of thumb.

But today's story is a counter-example, one showing that even a tiny business can provide a meaningful head start that makes all the difference.

Not always. Indeed, not usually.

But sometimes.

So many exceptions, so much nuance in our world of buying businesses — which is part of what makes this fun.

Please enjoy this interview with Chad Fondriest, owner of Darby Creek Trading.

Read MoreStories

Bought Tiny, Grew to $4m

SBA lender Chad Fondriest got the itch to get in the game himself & bought a couple's hobby business doing just $150k.

Key Takeaways

Introduction

Listen to the introduction from the host

fter over a decade making SBA loans to acquisition entrepreneurs, Chad Fondriest decided he would buy a business himself.

What he ultimately bought suited him well, despite its size.

Darby Creek Trading, an ecommerce brand selling decorative wreaths, did only about $150k in annual revenue.

Talk about buying small.

But Chad's plan was to pursue this project on the side while keeping his day job as an SBA lender.

The risk seemed low, and the upside, interesting.

Well even in his fantasies, he didn't imagine the upside that he is enjoying today, 5 years later.

And by the way, Chad still has his day job.

Chad Fondriest in front of Darby Creek Trading shipments
Chad moonlighting to print labels during busy season

You've heard, “don’t buy too small” on this podcast countless times.

And that is a solid rule of thumb.

But today's story is a counter-example, one showing that even a tiny business can provide a meaningful head start that makes all the difference.

Not always. Indeed, not usually.

But sometimes.

So many exceptions, so much nuance in our world of buying businesses — which is part of what makes this fun.

Please enjoy this interview with Chad Fondriest, owner of Darby Creek Trading.

About

Chad Fondriest

Chad Fondriest
Olivia Rhye
Product Designer

Show Notes

Episode Transcript

Show Transcript
Hide Transcript

Listen instead of watch

Register for the live Q&A
Chad Fondriest
on
<date>
Subscribe to newsletter
Subscribe to receive the latest blog posts to your inbox every week.
By subscribing you agree to with our policies.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.