Join 4,778 acquisition entrepreneurs
Learn how to buy a business faster
#1 community of business buyers online
First access to stories, deals & events
Done! Watch your inbox for Acquiring Minds
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

5 Takeaways from Harvard's ETA Conference

December 13, 2021
Listen in Apple Podcasts appListen in SpotifyListen in Apple Podcasts appListen in SpotifyRSS address of the Acquiring Minds podcast feed

Key Points From the Interview

Come meet
(virtually)
Live Q&A on
Register
H

arvard's acquisition entrepreneurship conference took place last week. Organizer Michael Ledecky shares 5 takeaways, including:

  • Buy a good business in a great industry
  • 4+1 Model for searching
  • 3 industries for acquisition entrepreneurs to consider
  • Mental health in search
  • Women in search
  • Thai Lee, acquisition entrepreneur who became a billionaire
  • Diversifying paths of search
  • Predictions for search in 2022 & 2023

Tons of names & resources cited in this episode. Here they all are:

Read MoreStories
Southern Biological products screenshotHow to Build a Niche Holdco with $2m in Earnings
Woodland Face Veneer exteriorHiding in Plain Sight on BizBuySell: $800k SDE for 2x
Paramount Plastics teamHow to Build a $100m Holdco: The Power of ESOPs
Seracon pure maple syrup candleHow to Reinvent a $1m Candle Manufacturer
Málaga beachStars Align After 4 Broken Deals
Mr. Liquidator of Chilliwack exteriorWhen Buying a Retail Business Makes Sense
Professional Fence exampleFedEx & Fencing: A Pivot into Ownership
Jared Benoff's parentsWhy Buy a Travel Agency (Because They Can Crush It)
Kevin Moyer in front of Smash My Trash truckDeciding to Start, Not Buy, a Small Business
inside a steel plantHow to Buy a Multinational
Jed MorrisLessons from 24 Acquisition Nightmares
Shaugn Lindley in front of forklift at R&R LiftFrom Tech Sales to Forklift Repair
Peace Vans in SeattleBuilding a Beloved Brand from a Tiny, Dying Business
Nick Munsee with Hales Engineering teamThe Appeal (and Risk) of Buying a Consulting Firm
Sean Daly in front of Ice-C-Cool Mechanical truckWhy Treat an Acquisition Like a Startup
BUNKER document storage facility in Santo DomingoBuying in a Small Market, Building a Regional Powerhouse
CraneWorks logo on an I-beamHow to Build a Holdco Foundation: Patiently
downtown Brentwood, TennesseeBack from the Brink: When Everybody Quits Day 1
Lucas Philips and the Newark Auto teamHow to Buy & Transform a 120-Year-Old Manufacturer
Christine Nelson with babyBehind Every Great Searcher: A Wife's Journey with Search
flooded basementNetworking His Way to $800k SDE
Affordable Flooring Warehouse exteriorBuy, Grow, Exit for a 24x Return in 3.5 Years
commercial glassHow to Lead a Trades Business Without Knowing the Trade
Mike's Fencing technician building fenceHow to Move the Needle in a $600k SDE Trades Business
Positano at duskAwakening to Entrepreneurship to Buy a Not-Boring Business
portable sinks from Monsam EnterprisesHow a Couple Left Tech to Buy a Business Together
Ayo Phillips doing the workHow to Survive Buying into a Terrible Industry
pool servicerThe $50m Lifestyle Holdco
Stateline Products customer siteHow to 4x a Contracting Business in 3 Years
Triem Industries interiorHow to Buy a $13m Business with No PG, No Investors
Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning vanBullseye: Buying a $1m SDE Business in a Hot Industry
French Florist interiorTaking a Flower Shop from $600k to $9 Million
smart home exteriorThe Path to Becoming a Better Operator & Strategist
Nick Molina & the Kleinman Realty teamFirst-Timer Buys 8-Figure Business 4 Hours Away
Dunkin Donuts signageHow to Buy Franchise Businesses, Then Sell to PE
brick tongs from BT EngineeringFrom Frustrated Searcher to $3.5m Owner to Holdco Builder
torn partnershipPerils in Partnership: Plumbing Acquisition Gone Wrong
restaurant vent hoodAdjusting to Life in a Nocturnal Business (with $525k SDE)
electrical technicianHow (and Why) to Buy an Electrical Business
Jordan Dubin with the Right Way Garage Doors teamFirst Acquisition in March, $200m by Year End
tractor trailersBuying in a Huge but Overlooked Market
Michael Johnson & SpeedPro NW Raleigh TeamThe Thrill & Validation of Becoming an Owner
web hostingMicro-Acquiring to $300k SDE on 5 Hours Per Week
LiceDoctors logoHigh Margin & Big Upside in Lice Treatment
Veterinaria Integravet exteriorHow 2 Entrepreneurs are Rolling Up a New Market
fencing at a military base entranceHow to Become an Independent Sponsor
Rick Ruback & Royce Yudkoff - Acquiring Minds interviewThe 2 Professors Who Helped Start the ETA Movement
Top Termite fumigated houseBuying a Job to Build a Business
side porch by The Porch Company$6m Business, 3 Minutes From Childhood Home
Industrial Applied Electric yardBuying a Business to Build a Life
Gat Caperton in front of Gat Creek logoBuying & Building a $60m Manufacturer
medical bill2 Years to Buy, Double & Exit a Medical Billing Firm
empty indoor poolSmall SDE, Big Upside: Buying a Business with 5 Employees
Turner Hat Company warehouseLeaving Amazon to Buy a $3m Apparel Brand
confession of judgmentBusiness Collapse After Going All-In
Allied Hydromulch jobMargins in Mulch: Buying a $1m Erosion Control Business
ABL Imaging interiorThe Model for a 3-Way, Long-Term Holdco
Taylor Wallace & Tyler O’ConnorWhy Sell to Private Equity: Former Guest Has an Exit
George Tibil, Keith Fields, and ServiceMaster Clean BuffaloTurning Around a Blue Collar Business in Decline
ATM machine repairWhen the Business Can't Be Saved: Resilience
Batteries Plus exteriorThe Appeal of Franchise Buying: $1m EBITDA in 2 Years
Brittney Orellano & the Radio Controlled Garage Door & Gate teamOne Year Into a Garage Door Business with $350k SDE
South Pleasantburg NurseryBuying the Neighborhood Nursery (with $800k in Earnings)
2pSxP61bGkYControl & Family: Drivers of a Self-Funded Search
Cowgirl Kitchen outside tablesBuilding a Portfolio of Nostalgia Restaurants
Julie & Janna Hottinger in the shopWhite-Collar Sisters Buy a Blue-Collar Business
American Spray Technologies pumpsLeaving Corporate to Buy a $4m Manufacturer
Hydroscale scale faceExited but Tired: 5 Years in a Hard Business
Meredith & Michael SchlinkertYoung Couple Starts a Family Business By Buying One
Tony Cappaert, Adam Borcz, Niklas JamesInvestor Perspective on Self-Funded Search
terminal blocks from Elec-Tron5 Businesses Acquired with a Long-Term Hold Model
Lisa Forrest, Matt Dolsky, Brad HettichSBA Lender Roundtable: State of the Market
Gabe & Kristen PerezOne Couple, 4 Kids, and a Business 3 Hours Away
muffinsAfter 4 Years of Part-Time Searching, Success
Merry Maids logoBuy Fast: A Good Reason to Buy Small
Retro 51 pensTangible & Collectible: Buying a Consumer Product Company
Jordan Evans & the Language Network teamWhite Collar Roll-Up from $700k to $12m
Atlanta Furniture Taxi teamReflections on 2 Years in the Knife Fight
fastenersThe Scrappy Path of a One-Man Holdco
Baltimore Orioles bannerGetting Reps: Helping Others Look at Deals Led to a Holdco
technicians fixing a generatorBuilding a $10m EBITDA Leader in a Fragmented Space
Dominick Blue at Air ASAPBuying & Growing a Business While Keeping a Day Job
Globales empleadosBuy as Search Fund, Keep as Long-Term Owner
workers in a restoration businessIt Really Happened: 100% Financing for an $8m Business
Quad Industries factory floorTurning $500k into a $38m Holdco (No Investors)
Dan Verboski with teamCandid Reflections on 7 Years of SMB Ownership
Minds Capital logoAnnouncing: Minds Capital
MasterCraft Coatings customer propertyWhy Work IN the Business You Buy (Not Just On It)
JD Beck with the Mountain Valley Plumbing & HVAC team3x Revenue Despite Turnover, Hangovers & Threats
managed IT services1 Business vs. Many: Deciding to Roll Up
stick welder2 Welders and a Shop... to $3.8m in Sales
Dovo straight razorBuying a Bankrupt 117-Year-Old Manufacturer
Blue Wrench technician under the hoodRolling Up EBITDA and Rents with Auto Repair Shops
circular saw throwing sparks3 Years Later, Climbing Out of the J Curve
USA Brands labelFrom Midnight Deliveries to $28m Holdco (in 6 Years)
Sierra Dairy Laboratory logoFinding a Great Business in Cow Country
Ensemble Performing Arts classArt of the Roll-Up: 40 Businesses in 4 Years
Lou's Restaurant & Bakery facadeWhen a Restaurant Is a Great Business to Buy
commercial HVACBuilding a $10m Platform from 2 Low-SDE Businesses
Miller Utilities employee on a Vermeer D24x40Holdco Origin Story: The Bumpy Road to $3m EBITDA
Learn from entrepreneurs who buy businesses
Join a community of people who have acquired businesses to become entrepreneurs & owners.
PodcastWebinarsAboutContactPrivacy PolicyLogout
YouTube iconTwitter iconFacebook icon