Bought Tiny, Grew to $4m

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.

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.