How to Get Referrals and Find Hidden Businesses

* **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.    

Just like there are levels to businesses and experience, there are levels to entrepreneurship and stability. Need that first foundation? Check out these guys. https://x.com/ShannonJean https://x.com/mhp_guy   Inzo Technologies: Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta

How to fail when you switch from employee to entrepreneur / business owner. 1. No one is coming to save "your calendar" 2. Forget time, focus on Results 3. Check Your Emotions at the Door - Tired? Who cares. No motivation? Who cares. 4. Create an accountability / reward system. 5 Q's to Ask 1. If today repeated for 30 days, would revenue go up? 2. What did I do today that directly created a lead, a call, or a checkout? 3. What's the one activity I did today that I can tie to dollars within 7–30 days? 4. If I had to make $5k this week, what would I do next? Did I do any of that? 5. What did I do that was avoidance dressed up as work? (branding tweaks, tools, busywork)   SMBs are the biggest target for cyber attacks. Protect your business with Inzo Technologies. Check out....www.inzotechnologies.com, I-N-Z-O, or email Nick directly at [email protected].

SBA changes for minority, non personally guaranteed owners! This could be massive.        SMBs are the biggest target for cyber attacks. Protect your business with Inzo Technologies. Check out....www.inzotechnologies.com, I-N-Z-O, or email Nick directly at [email protected].

Jaryd Krause shares how he went from being a plumber in Australia to buying online businesses (starting on Flippa in 2014) because he wanted a travel-friendly lifestyle. He then breaks down a recent deal where his clients bought a US-based business that helps Amazon sellers get product feedback and saw big upside from systems, team, and expansion opportunities. The acquisition used SBA financing plus a seller note, but the process got messy with legal slowdowns, tax/IRS hiccups, and classic "deal fatigue." Podcast Nuggies: Real SBA deal dive with real structures Why this was a fit for the buyers?? Respect - how to have the buyer/seller get along. SMBs are the biggest target for cyber attacks. Protect your business with Inzo Technologies. Check out....www.inzotechnologies.com, I-N-Z-O, or email Nick directly at [email protected]. ****** Join the last cohort for a while. **How to Buy a Business Live Cohort** - April 2026 https://www.letsbuyabusiness.com/ ****** Learn more about Jaryd here! https://buyingonlinebusiness.com/

Growth is Expensive. Why do businesses seem to hover in the $200k to $400k SDE range?   SMBs are the biggest target for cyber attacks. Protect your business with Inzo Technologies. Check out....www.inzotechnologies.com, I-N-Z-O, or email Nick directly at [email protected]. ****** Join the last cohort for awhile **How to Buy a Business Live Cohort** - April 2026 https://www.letsbuyabusiness.com/

Nick Akers started by founding a venture-capital-backed company, then moved into a more "traditional" track leading a manufacturing company before spending ~2.5–3 years doing an ETA-style search. He ultimately acquired an IT services business (STL Communications) and rebranded it to Inzo Technologies, where he focuses heavily on cybersecurity for small/legacy businesses. He sees buyers walking into messy, outdated environments (personal email accounts, weak licensing, no backups/firewalls, passwords shared everywhere) and argues IT + cybersecurity due diligence should be part of every deal. Podcast Nuggies: Legacy IT is usually a "mess" post-close Add IT/cyber due diligence before closing MFA + password manager are non-negotiable Phishing clicks can wreck you in minutes USE POSITIVE PAY to approve every expense SMBs are the biggest target for cyber attacks. Protect your business with Inzo Technologies. Check out....www.inzotechnologies.com, I-N-Z-O, or email Nick directly at [email protected]. ****** Join the last cohort for a while. **How to Buy a Business Live Cohort** - April 2026 https://www.letsbuyabusiness.com/