Thinking about buying a business? Most first-time buyers start on BizBuySell, but that's where the competition is highest.
In this episode of Jackquisitions, Jack Carr shares three proven strategies to find off-market business acquisition opportunities before they ever reach business brokers or online marketplaces. Learn how experienced buyers source small business acquisitions through networking, industry relationships, and direct outreach instead of competing over public listings.
If you want to buy a business at a better valuation, negotiate stronger deal terms, and find acquisition opportunities that other buyers never see, this episode breaks down the process that actually works.
The best business acquisitions aren't found on marketplaces—they're built through relationships.
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In this episode, Jack breaks down:
• Why business brokers and listing sites should be your last resort
• How distributors, vendors, CPAs, bankers, and attorneys become your best deal sources
• Why you should call business owners instead of sending automated emails
• How licensing databases can help you build acquisition lists
• The overlooked advantage of networking with divorce attorneys and financial planners
• Why the best buyers find businesses before they ever go to market
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Breaking $5M Workshop
Join John Wilson and Jack Carr in Akron, OH for a hands on workshop built for home service owners ready to scale past $5M. Get the proven playbook, tour Wilson's operation, and connect with other growth minded contractors. Register here: https://www.ownedandoperated.com/upcoming-events/oao-workshop-breaking-5-million
First Internet Bank
Looking to buy or grow a home service business? First Internet Bank offers SBA financing for acquisitions, partner buyouts, and commercial real estate. Mention Owned and Operated for a reduced good faith deposit, a free deal review, and buyside prequalification: https://alanfib.com/
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Everyone's buying businesses wrong. Stick around to the end of the video, and I'll give you the three best ways to actually buy a business from somebody who's bought businesses before. The first thing you want to avoid is going through business brokers and places like Biz Buy Now. These are choreographed and cumulated areas where the businesses are going to be more expensive than these alternatives. The first place that you're going to want to look to buy a business in
a specific industry is going to be that industry. That means that you're networking with distributors, you're calling up the supply warehouses, you're figuring out who the key people are in that industry and you're going and meeting with them. Number one, they don't meet with people like you often. So you stand out. So when somebody says, Hey, I'm thinking about selling, now that distributor who's talking to a hundred different businesses in that industry has you in mind as the person to sell to. This also includes bankers and CPAs and attorneys and insurance agents, vendors. These are the people in the beginning that you want to make connections with that are specific
to the industry you want to buy in. Don't ask, do you know anyone selling? You're going to ask who's the best operator in town, who's been doing this forever, who's your longest client, and that's who you're going to start focusing on. Because yes, they'll know if you're going to be the one to buy, but also you want to know who's selling and who might be interested. But you also want to know who's been the longest operator in the area because they're most likely to turn their business over in the next few years. Number two, you're going to look for a list of whatever owner in whatever industry you're going in HVAC and plumbing and electrical, all of these businesses they have licenses. And because they have licenses, they have online databases with the city or the state or the county that accumulates all of this data and you can get that from them either with a Freedom of Information Act, but usually it's just available, it's open, it's out there. And if you can get that information, this is the hard part that everybody messes up. They try to create some AI bot or they try to create some campaign to send them just anonymous drip campaigns. Don't do that. Call them. Go down the list and say, Hey, I'm a new buyer in the area. I'm really interested. Do you have time to meet? I'm very interested in what you built over the last few years. This is the way that I've seen many new operators actually break into industries. It's very, very effective, specifically if you have an outgoing personality type. Most operators you'll find won't actually do this work. And that's exactly why
it works. I get hundreds of emails every day asking, are you willing to sell your business? Are you interested in buy selling a business? But I only have gotten one or two phone calls from actual buyers and I've sat there and talked to them on the phone for hours. This way is the real way to get a hold of actual operators. Before I go on to number three, like, sub, share this video so we can get more content out there like that. And drop a comment below if you're trying to buy a business so that you can network with others. If you're buying a business, financing can make or break a deal, which is why I work with Alan Peterson from First Internet Bank. Not only is he a good friend, but he is the best in the business. He's closed over 90 million in SBA loans, specifically in the skilled trades and manufacturing industries in the last year alone. He's the kind of banker that works with how to get this done, not if it can get done. Hit the link in the description below to get a good faith deposit plus a free deal review. He also does pre-buyer qualifications as well. Click it. Alan Peterson, first internet bank. Number three, and this is the sneaky one. This is the one you've been waiting for, is you need to network with divorce lawyers and financial planners. Divorce lawyers and financial planners have the inside scoop on business owners in your area, especially if you're agnostic to what kind of business you want to own. They have the inside scoop to who is going to be selling in the next 12 months. Because most times that people actually exit a business, either they want to because they're ready to retire, or they have to. And financial planners have the want-to's, divorce lawyers have the have to's. I've seen many, many, many business owners pick up sneaky deals at great valuations and great prices through network with divorce lawyers and financial planners. So pull that list, do that direct outreach in the industry the same way you would to the business owners, and you'll find that you'll start to make those connections and be their go-to guy once they do have someone who's ready to sell their business. Now, the common thing with all three of these ways is we are not scrolling marketplaces. We are not reaching out to business brokers in the hopes that they will pick you when the time is right, especially if you're a new buyer, because you go to the bottom of their list, getting the bottom items, and you want the top, the good deals, the really good businesses, and they're saving those for their lists of good buyers. So you need to make sure that instead of being reactive to once something hits the market, you're being proactive and going to find something right before it hits
the market and be the first person at the top of their mind to buy. Guys, if you like what you heard, if there's some good information here, like, sub, share. Again, drop that comment below if you're thinking about buying a business. Till next time.
