General Advice for a New Guy

August 05, 2022
by an member from North Carolina State University in Destin, FL 32541, USA
Quick Background: I have an undergraduate Accounting degree from NC State University, and I am currently serving active duty in the U.S. Army as a Sr Communications Sergeant with 7th Special Forces Group. I will be transitioning out of the Army in the next year and I am planning on applying and enrolling in an MBA program. ETA and Search Funds are something I am very interested in and I was hoping I could get some good general advice and words of wisdom with respect to what I can be doing now to get ahead and position myself.
What are the best resources available (books, websites, online courses, etc) to potential searchers like myself? I have read HBR: Guide to Buying a Small Business and Buy then Build by Walker Deibel.
What are the best MBA programs for ETA and Search Funds? Any of the M7 are obviously great but what about schools like Duke, UVA, Texas, UNC, Michigan?
Any help or insight that could be provided would be greatly appreciated.
from Harvard University in Boston, MA, USA
I fully admit it could be the error of self reference, but seeing mixed opinions on doing the MBA vs. diving right into search has me wanting to throw my hat into the ring. Yes there's tremendous value in just getting after it, and I'll agree you don't "need" to go, but a top MBA program with a good ETA curriculum can pay tremendous dividends. It gives you (lots of) specific knowledge and skills directly relevant to search, helps you develop a peer group / cohort with other searchers, provides a low risk environment to confirm Search is right for you (e.g., summer internhip), and once you're fully committed to the path it opens a lot of doors in terms of fundraising, deal sourcing, etc. (both from the direct network you build over a couple years, as well as the extended network / credentialing effect). Especially if you've got GI Bill and/or VR&E benefits available, it's a no-regrets move.
You can shoot me an email too - redacted - happy to chat and help how I can.
from University of Southern California in North Palm Beach, FL, USA
Tactics matter.
How to Prepare Yourself and Find the Right Business to Buy
How to Buy the Right Business the Right Way—Dos, Don’ts & Profit Strategies
https://cutt.ly/vvV5PHs