Intro — Self-Funded Searcher | Oakland, CA | NorCal | Sub-$1M

Hi SearchFunder community! I'm Marion, a self-funded ETA searcher based in Oakland, CA — excited to finally be active on this platform and connect with others in the space. A little about me: I come from a background in project management and operations — I've spent my career building systems, managing teams, and making sure things actually get done. That experience is exactly what drew me to ETA. I'm not looking to reinvent a business — I want to acquire one that's already working and bring operational discipline to help it grow. I'm enrolled in the bETA program and have been actively searching for the past several months. My buy box: • Geography: East Bay, Solano County, and broader Northern California (Sacramento, North Bay, Central Valley) • Purchase price: under $1M • SDE / owner cash flow: $350K+ • SDE multiple: 2.5x–3.5x • Years in business: 20+ years established • Operating model: semi-absentee with a strong management team in place • Financing: SBA 7(a) pre-qualified I'm industry agnostic — what matters most to me is the business fundamentals: recurring or repeat revenue, low customer concentration, a team that doesn't depend entirely on the owner, and a seller who is genuinely motivated. If the financials pencil and the operation is manageable, I'm interested regardless of the industry. Targeting my first LOI in the next few weeks. Happy to connect with fellow searchers, brokers, lenders, attorneys, or anyone who has closed a deal in Northern California. Looking forward to being part of this community! Marion