Session Resources

Written Summary Notes: link here

Podcasts

(1) How I Bought A Multi-Million Dollar Egg Carton Business For $0 - My First Million with Guest Sarah Moore

This podcast explores Sarah Moore's unique entrepreneurial journey of acquiring a multimillion-dollar business without prior experience or money. Highlights her grit, resourcefulness, and the unconventional methods that led to her successful self-funded search.

(2) How to Shorten Your Search: Big 3, Little 2 - Acquiring Minds with Guest Sam Rosati

Sam Rosati (Chandler's SMBootcamp co-founder) shares his insights on the importance of defining clear target criteria to streamline the search process. He introduces his unique framework, "Big 3, Little 2," designed to efficiently qualify potential business acquisitions and manage deal flow effectively. Sam emphasizes the role of a searcher as a "pipeline manager," a key concept in conducting successful business acquisitions.

(3) How Search Funds Win Competitive Deals - Max Artz of Peterson Search Partners

Max discusses key strategies for small business mergers and acquisitions for traditional search funds, emphasizing the significance of gauging an owner's readiness to sell, the evolution of bidding techniques, and the essential role of trust and chemistry in facilitating successful acquisitions.

Videos

Search & Analysis - Walker Deibel

In this short 14-minute video, Walker Deibel, author of the best-selling book "Buy Then Build video, covers basic considerations and concepts relating to the search process.

Investor Economics in Self-Funded Search Acquisitions - SMB Minute

Sam Rosati and Kevin Henderson break down the economics of self-funded search acquisitions, primarily from an investor's perspective. It delves into the distinction between the purchase price and the total project cost, methods for valuing equity in search deals, the concepts of step-up and preferred return, and the underlying reasons for the specific structuring of these investments.

Articles

(1) Search Funds: Best Practices for the Search Phase

Stanford GSB article that discusses best practices for a proprietary search. Provides helpful exhibits with templates for emails to brokers, sellers, and interns.

(2) Exploring Different Search Fund Models - Nicholas Rice & AJ Wasserstein

Yale Management article that covers the different search fund models available. Provides helpful graphics and comparisons.

Tweets

(1) Method for Veterans to find Veteran Owned Business off-market deals

Another shoutout to Mark Delaney for walking through the process of using the veteran-owned business website (link here) to find veteran-owned businesses. This thread details how to search for a business based on the following categories: location, industry via NAICS codes, military-owned franchises, and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB).