From Startup Founder to Buying a Small Business

August 24, 2023
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oday's guest is a zero-to-one entrepreneur, building a VC-backed startup for 13 years.

In 2020 he pivoted, and by 2022 had decided that buying a small business would be his next adventure.

Tim Ericson bought a printer rental business a few months ago, and he is bringing to bear his hard-won lessons from a startup to his newly-acquired small business.

My favorite point that he makes here is how being funded by VC, gunning toward unicorn status, trained him to think big. To move fast. To be aggressive.

Now, a lot of that attitude is what many of us, and indeed the culture more broadly, has soured on when it comes to the culture of tech.

And yet... there is something to it.

Tim has big plans for his acquisition — namely, doubling it in 3 years.

Also listen for the theme of remote operations. This is old hat for Tim, whose startup had 35 locations at its peak.

He believes that running an equipment rental business remotely from his home in Puerto Rico is eminently doable.

And again, maybe we would all be similarly comfortable with that if we thought a little bigger.

Now I'm not saying run out and buy a business a plane ride away, but... Tim did it.

Chris Munn did it. (episode 73)

Paul Quirk did it. (episode 124)

Private equity funds do it almost by default.

Food for thought.

OK, please enjoy this conversation with startup-founder-turned-SMB-acquirer Tim Ericson.

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From Startup Founder to Buying a Small Business

Tim Ericson brings lessons from 13 years as a startup founder to the $4m printer rental company he recently bought.

Key Takeaways

Introduction

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oday's guest is a zero-to-one entrepreneur, building a VC-backed startup for 13 years.

In 2020 he pivoted, and by 2022 had decided that buying a small business would be his next adventure.

Tim Ericson bought a printer rental business a few months ago, and he is bringing to bear his hard-won lessons from a startup to his newly-acquired small business.

My favorite point that he makes here is how being funded by VC, gunning toward unicorn status, trained him to think big. To move fast. To be aggressive.

Now, a lot of that attitude is what many of us, and indeed the culture more broadly, has soured on when it comes to the culture of tech.

And yet... there is something to it.

Tim has big plans for his acquisition — namely, doubling it in 3 years.

Also listen for the theme of remote operations. This is old hat for Tim, whose startup had 35 locations at its peak.

He believes that running an equipment rental business remotely from his home in Puerto Rico is eminently doable.

And again, maybe we would all be similarly comfortable with that if we thought a little bigger.

Now I'm not saying run out and buy a business a plane ride away, but... Tim did it.

Chris Munn did it. (episode 73)

Paul Quirk did it. (episode 124)

Private equity funds do it almost by default.

Food for thought.

OK, please enjoy this conversation with startup-founder-turned-SMB-acquirer Tim Ericson.

About

Tim Ericson

Tim Ericson
Olivia Rhye
Product Designer

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