Most people get stuck in acquisitions because they try to pick the perfect industry before they ever look at real businesses. Clarity does not come from thinking. It comes from reviewing actual deals, pressure testing the numbers, and seeing why something that looks good on paper falls apart up close. That is the skill. On Tuesday, March 10th at 8pm EST, I’m walking through exactly how I evaluate real acquisition deals and decide what is worth pursuing. Learn more here. If you are actively looking or even just thinking about it, this will sharpen how you see opportunities.

Most people think the hard part of buying a business is finding deals. It isn’t. Once you start talking to brokers or owners, you’ll usually get the information. The CIM, the financials, the pitch deck. That part happens faster than most people expect. What stops buyers is what comes next. They open the file and suddenly everything feels heavier. There are too many numbers. Too many assumptions. Too many things that might matter. And no clear way to tell what actually does. So people stall. They reread the financials. They send them to friends. They tell themselves they need to “learn more” before making a move. What’s really happening is they don’t have a filter yet. Experienced buyers aren’t looking for perfect deals. They’re looking for a small number of signals that tell them whether a deal is worth continued attention or not. Without that filter, every deal feels risky. With it, most deals get eliminated quickly and a few move forward. This is the part where momentum usually dies for first-time buyers. Not because the deal is bad, but because the decision process is unclear. That’s normal. It’s not a confidence problem. It’s a reps problem. Once you’ve seen enough deals, you start to recognize patterns. You know what to ignore. You know what questions actually matter. And decisions get lighter. This is where having a process, or other buyers to think alongside, helps a lot. I’ll unpack this more in upcoming posts, including how experienced buyers decide what’s worth digging into and what isn’t once the info shows up. Scott

Once you start looking at real deals, this comes up fast. Business brokers. If you’ve reached out to a few already and felt ignored, slow-walked, or brushed off, you’re not doing anything wrong. This is just how the system works. Business brokers are a lot like realtors. There are some very good ones, and there are plenty that are sloppy, slow to respond, or purely transactional. It’s a mixed bag. Here’s the part most buyers misunderstand: Brokers are not focused on building relationships with buyers. They’re focused on selling the business they represent. They get contacted all day, every day by people saying: “I’m interested.” “Looks cool.” “Can you send more info?” Most of those people are not serious buyers. Brokers don’t know who’s real and who isn’t, so they default to treating everyone transactionally. That’s normal. I’ve taken brokers out for coffee. I’ve tried to build relationships. Even while actively buying businesses, that hasn’t always translated into special treatment. If there’s a deal I really like, I’m persistent. I’ll call multiple times in a day to get someone on the phone. Not because I’m being aggressive, but because that’s what seriousness looks like in this market. Here’s what actually changes how brokers respond: You package yourself clearly You know what you’re looking for You follow up consistently You don’t take slow responses personally They’ll send the NDA. They’ll send the information. They’ll work with you. But you may need to push the process forward. If you’re expecting enthusiasm or hand-holding from brokers, you’ll get frustrated fast. If you expect a transactional process and show up professionally, things move. Persistence and professionalism go a lot further than trying to be liked. That’s just how the game works. If this has been confusing or discouraging for you so far, you’re not behind. You’re just early. I’ll break this down further in upcoming posts, including how experienced buyers signal seriousness early so brokers know who they’re dealing with.