Feedback on setting up a proprietary search

searcher profile

March 27, 2025

by a searcher in Stamford, CT, USA

Hello all,

I'm starting my search and would appreciate feedback and insight on how to set up a proprietary search.
Ideally, a low cost one, using as much as possible low cost/free tools or sources.

Cheers

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commentor profile
Reply by a professional
in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Hi ^redacted‌ , setting up a proprietary search can definitely be done efficiently on a budget.

A few quick recommendations:

• Email outreach: Use tools like Apollo (free plan available) or Hunter.io to find emails.
• Outreach management: Free versions of CRMs like HubSpot can help manage outreach.
• Domain & Email: Buy inexpensive domains from Namecheap or GoDaddy, then set up Gmail accounts (Google Workspace) for outreach.
• Email warm-up: Tools like Smartlead.ai or Instantly offer affordable email warm-up options.

If you'd rather consider taking professional help to build out email list, do the technical setup for email campaign, etc, my team specializes in exactly this. Happy to chat—reach out anytime! I can be found at redacted
commentor profile
Reply by an intermediary
from New York University in Menlo Park, CA, USA
Before using any proprietary-search tools, first clarify why you’re reaching out. If you lack direct experience or true passion in a specific industry, you’ll often attract only those sellers who have limited options themselves. On the other hand, if you want to gain the attention of “passive” owners running thriving businesses, you need a compelling story about how you can add value. Without being able to show how you’ll improve their operation, you’ll end up fielding offers from sellers eager to offload struggling businesses—and ultimately inherit their problems.
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