Tell us three things: Tell me: 1. Search method (self-funded, traditional, sponsor, etc) 2. Your buy box (be specific so I can refer you stuff I see!) 3. Your biggest pain point in searching. What’s the one thing I (and this group) can help you fix I'll respond to every single one. And read each other's intros too because the person who's stuck on the same problem as you might already be in this thread. I'll go first. 🔹 I'm Jed; an independent sponsor at Sunset Coast Partners focused exclusively on government contracting firms. 🔹 My buy box includes companies with a minimum 35% government contracted revenue (federal or state & local), $2M - $10M EBITDA, and preferably in aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, or IT/cyber software. 🔹 My biggest pain point is raising capital in a GovCon environment where SBA affiliation rules prevent traditional capital. Simply put, the majority of acquisition money needs to come from me personally or a Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) fund. That's it. It's simple and gives you data on who's joining, what they're searching for, and keeps the feed clear for content that retains people past week one.

Hey everyone, my name is Daniel and I’m from Mexico. I’m currently working with an investment vehicle based in Florida that follows a search fund–like thesis, with the key difference being that we have committed capital from two family offices. Our focus is on acquiring lower middle-market businesses with strong recurring revenue characteristics. We are primarily targeting sectors such as business services, behavioral health, and rheumatology clinics. Looking forward to learning from the community!

Hello everyone! I'm the lead technical designer at a scenic fabrication shop based in the NYC/NJ area, with a second shop in Miami and work nationwide. We do sets, digital fabrication, experiential marketing, special events, branded environments, bajillion-dollar weddings, and more. Sometimes months of engineering and building for a ten-minute fashion show or a three-day pop-up. Started there knowing nothing about the trade and it grew from there. Two partners and I are now working through a deal to buy out the founders - two years of negotiating and counting. Buying a business from people you work with every day is a different kind of negotiation. Glad to be here. Looking to talk deal structure, and what comes after closing: org structure, management, how to grow the thing once it's yours. If anyone's done an inside buyout or taken over an owner-run business, I'd genuinely like to hear how it went. Happy to answer anything on fabrication, events or design in return!

Hi all I first learned about M&A through a friend who'd learned from Jeremy Harbour and gave me a ticket to a small event where he was teaching stuff like roll ups. His message for me was simple: instead of trying to close marketing consulting clients, instead find businesses that work but who dont get/do marketing, acquire them and just implement what you know works! He was great because he taught simply by going through all his failures and what he learned from buying and selling businesses, not theory and not just the highlight reel. I then read and watched a bunch of Carl Allen, Roland Frasier & Ryan Diess and attended their events, and was part of a mastermind by Ken Mack. So I've read about the theory of it, and was even part of a fairly big roll up that ended up not panning out involving a number of 6-8 figure online personal development companies, which is my active income bread & butter. I've considered Mike Warren's program, but to get the level of hand holding, due diligence, SBA guarantor and investor for downpayment, it's $125k for 45% equity. I'm very confident I can use my skillset to grow a business, but lacking the deal flow, ability to do proper due diligence/know what to look for, and ability to secure SBA funding or come up with a downpayment on my own. Once I get super clear on a buy box, I think I could do very well generating leads for sellers using my online marketing skills, but I don't feel competent negotiating or getting a deal over the line even despite a lot of knowledge I've acquired.

Hey everyone, Im Tyrus Burton a senior accounting student at MS State University. I’m graduating this December with my accounting degree and am currently mapping out my next steps. My short-term plan is to either transition straight into a full-time role in Audit then Transaction adivosyr/Financial Due Diligence or pursue a Master of Science in Finance (MSF) with a focus on breaking into investment banking. Both routes are mainly to gain hands on deal experience. Long-term, my ultimate ambition is in ETA and building a small holding company. I fully recognize that building a holding co isn't a quick or easy. This is a long term vision I have for my life. Something I want to have by mid 30s-40s, I'm 22. Right now, my main priority is structuring the early phase of my career around gaining knowledge, deal experience, and operational understanding needed to eventually execute that vision. As I finalize my decision between stepping straight into the market versus doing an MSF to position for IB, I’d love to hear from this community: 1. Career Positioning: For those who came through corporate finance/IB, how well did that deal exposure prepare you for your first acquisition? 2. Pathways: Would you recommend jumping straight into full-time finance/accounting roles now, or leveraging an MSF program to pivot directly into boutique IB to get deal experience? 3. Backgrounds: I’d love to hear your own stories what did your early career look like before you made your first acquisition or started thinking about doing so? I appreciate any feedback, advice, or shared experiences!