Most people believe you need money to buy a business. You don’t. What you need is the ability to structure deals, raise capital, and execute. In The Dealmaker’s Playbook, Paul Seabridge shares the real lessons from completing over 100 transactions and raising more than $500 million in capital across multiple countries. This is not theory. This is what actually works. • How to buy businesses without using your own money • How to raise millions in funding — even as a first-time buyer • Why deal structure matters more than price • How to build, scale, and exit businesses for life-changing paydays • The mistakes that can cost you everything — and how to avoid them From sourcing deals to structuring them, raising capital to exiting for 7 and 8 figures, this book gives you a practical, no-nonsense roadmap to building wealth through acquisitions. If you want to stop thinking about deals and start doing them, this book will show you how. Paul Seabridge is the Group CEO of OPC Capital Partners and a specialist in leveraged buyouts, buy-and-build strategies, and structured finance. He has completed transactions across multiple countries and industries, helping investors and entrepreneurs acquire and scale profitable businesses.

New year, new intentions — and ideally, new acquisitions. Before things get busy again, I’d love everyone to take a moment to share what 2026 looks like for you from an M&A perspective. Comment, feel free to talk about things like: - Whether you’re looking to acquire this year (or just preparing to) - The sectors or types of businesses you’re most interested in - What part of the M&A process you want to get significantly better at in 2026 - If raising capital is part of your plan - And, at a high level, what you’re willing to commit in terms of time and/or capital to make it happen No pressure to be overly polished, this is about clarity, not perfection. The more openly you share, the more value you’ll get from the conversations, insights, and connections inside the community. Looking forward to reading everyone’s goals. Let’s make 2026 a year of serious progress and closed deals 🚀

Here’s the #1 mistake founders make when thinking about an exit: 👉 Waiting until they’re ready to sell before preparing. By then, it’s often too late to: - Clean up the financials - Reduce customer concentration - Position the business strategically - Build competitive tension - Maximise valuation The founders who win start 12–24 months ahead. That’s when we can: ✔ Reposition the business ✔ Build a buyer list ✔ Run a competitive outreach process ✔ And secure 5+ qualified offers If you want the 10-point checklist we use to assess readiness, comment Checklist below.

Most founders don’t lose money because they sell too early. They lose money because they start preparing too late. Here’s what we see across hundreds of conversations: ❌ Businesses go to market without positioning ❌ Owners speak to only 1–3 buyers ❌ No competitive tension → lower offers ❌ Brokers rely on inbound — not proactive outreach ❌ Valuations aren’t anchored strategically The result?Founders unknowingly leave 20%–40% on the table. When we run a structured sell-side process, the outcomes look different: ✔ Clear positioning ✔ Strategic buyer targeting ✔ Professional IM + data room ✔ Competitive environment ✔ Multiple qualified offers That’s how we’re able to guarantee: 👉 5 qualified offers within 12 months — or we work free. If you’re thinking of an exit in the next 12–24 months, starting now isn’t early — it’s smart. Comment “Checklist” and I’ll send you the 10-point Exit Readiness Checklist.

Wishing you all a calm, focused, and productive start to the week. I’ve been working on improving the online side of my business mainly tightening my product presentation, testing new layouts, and making the customer journey smoother. Little adjustments, but they’re already making a difference. If anyone else is building something online this week, I’d love to connect or learn what you’re focusing on too. Here’s to growth and steady wins 🚀