Deal Sourcing from Within

July 24, 2025
by a searcher from King's College London, University of London in Minneapolis, MN, USA
While searching, I’m considering joining a small home services and/or construction company as an operations manager with the hope of one day acquiring it or a similar one via local connections and experience that I develop in the role. Has anyone here sourced a deal from within or via the company they worked, like when an owner is looking to step back or introduces you to an adjacent owner looking to sell?
Also, for those who've taken this route: do you think it’s better to target positions at a family-owned business or a PE-backed portco?
For context, I'm geographically constrained, so local relationships are more important, and deal flow is slower than it is for other searchers.
from Washington University in St. Louis in Ashburn, VA, USA
from United States Military Academy in Boston, MA, USA