How to Get Referrals and Find Hidden Businesses

ALL SBA UPDATES! AI-Native Application Process with Ray $3M+ requiring QofE's ETA / Investor-backed deals are changing distributions! NAICS Matching is loosened!   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta   Ray's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SBA_Ray Webinar recording. https://events.lendesca.com/ Email: [email protected]  

Most people think they're working really hard, but they're outsourcing to AI the most important question. Use AI as a tool, but don't let it replace your thinking. Most searchers are getting left behind and spinning their wheels and will never close a deal because AI is doing the thinking for them.     Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.  

Brad is a world-class entrepreneur and business broker and does an incredible amount of deals. We dive into how to separate yourself from other searchers who will never end up buying a business.   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta. Guest Name Brad Wayland   Guest Email [email protected]   Additional guest information bradwayland.com https://www.acquisitiongame.com/

Alright, a question I get often. What is the difference between EBITDA vs SDE? We dive into a few high-level differences to watch out for when evaluating businesses. EBITDA is typically used for larger businesses ($2-3M+ Profit). SDE is typically used for smaller businesses. BUT neither of those is cash flow. A few podcast nuggies: - SDE is not Cash Flow - Loan payments don't show up on the P&L many times - If you take a business with no debt, stack on 80%+ debt, you are fundamentally changing the entire business structure. You are ADDING risk here. You can get into trouble if you only take their costs vs WHAT YOUR costs will be.   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.

Can you negatively add back an owner's salary because you're going to put an operator in? Yes, but don't expect the owner to pay for that in the valuation. Or to take you seriously if you propose that. Why hire just 1 person? Why not hire 50 people and go into super growth mode while losing $3M/year?   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.  

Oran Rose shares how he moved from door-to-door pest control sales into life insurance, driven partly by losing his father young and seeing firsthand the impact of inadequate coverage. He later shifted into health insurance, where he helps entrepreneurs and self-employed families understand options beyond expensive COBRA or full-price marketplace plans. The big theme is that business owners often overpay because they do not know how income, subsidies, private plans, short-term plans, and marketplace coverage can be combined. Oran's advice: talk to a qualified agent before assuming health insurance has to be a massive monthly burden. * Oran's background in door-to-door sales gave him the persistence needed to succeed in insurance. * How to get health insurance for entrepreneurs * Examples of families saving $1,500–$2,600+ per month by restructuring coverage. * Health insurance is confusing, but the right agent can help business owners avoid overpaying.

* **The summit is not the end.** Even at the top of Everest, Hillary and Norgay was already seeing the next mountain. * **The journey is what changes you.** The growth comes in the uphill and downhill, not sitting at the summit. * **Chase the next mountain from gratitude, not emptiness.** Measure the gain, not the gap.   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.

5 Ways to find subtle businesses for sale. 1. Generous Referral Fees - $25k+ 2. Regional Conferences 3. Build Relationships with Failed Searchers 4. Start with a Smaller Acquisition 5. Micro Reputation Bonus - Create Hyper Local Presence   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.    

Paul Lajoie started as a CPA, spent years in corporate finance, then left the W-2 world after buying his first flooring business with his brother. That first acquisition replaced both his and his wife's income, but he learned hard lessons around working capital, cash flow timing, and not overanalyzing every deal. Across 15 acquisitions, his biggest lessons were to remove emotion and ego, avoid buying what you don't fully understand, live frugally to fund the next deal, and seek help from people who have done it before. Podcast Nuggies: * Bought first business with $45K down * Working capital nearly crushed them * Don't buy based on HOPE * Buy existing before starting from scratch * Cast a wide acquisition net - WHY?   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.   The Exit Plan Book - https://amzn.to/4d74WPw Free Audio Book - The Exit Plan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYgD_1pks_8 BizBuyPro Website :BizBuyPro.com LInkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-lajoie-51513711/

I generally keep this podcast and my brokering separate, but there's some crossover here. I dive into a local Utah cleaning business that does residential and commercial cleanings and can be run entirely remotely. It has about $5k a month in recurring revenue and about $150k in revenue the last 12 months. It did about $20k in profit, with some clear paths to growth in terms of marketing and focus. Link to listing: https://quietlight.com/listings/18828377/     Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.