Great points here. I'll drill down on the credibility/buyer of choice component.

Something VC-related would often be a detriment to credibility on the eyes of SMB owners/sellers. They are looking for a younger version of themselves that's going to:

a. Pay them for their years of work

b. Do things they cannot or will not do to grow the company (digital marketing, etc.)

c. Take care of their team

d. Have the grit and fortitude to survive and thrive in an SMB

What can you do now to show business owners you have what it takes?

IMHO, starting a lawn care, car wash or property management company and scaling it up to a reasonable size would do a lot more for you than an accelerator program.

Time management is the most difficult part of a part-time search. There is always seems to be an issue at work or in your personal life that requires your full attention. The best method I have found is to have blocks of time set aside in your schedule to devote to your search. You can set aside time to read books/articles, research, collect data, or do a general search on a business broker's website.