Relationships > Financials In ETA

Member resources:

Frequent asked questions:

What is Searchfunder.com?

Searchfunder.com is an online community of searchers, investors, lenders, brokers and other professionals. Over 80% of those involved in searchfunds maintain a Searchfunder account to help them network, hire, and mentor others.

What are the benefits of membership?

In addition to accessing the most active online network of business buyers, Searchfunder licenses research that is simply not cost effective for individuals. Access over 15,000 industry reports and 50,000 transaction financials. You also get monthly credits for contact information for your company sourcing campaign with the option to purchase more at drastically discounted rates. Searchfunder has pre-purchased access from these data providers in order to empower individual buyers and to help searchers level the playing field versus private equity.

Do you have deals?

While we are primarily a buy-side network, we do have hundreds of brokers that regularly post deals to the community.

Can I find an internship on Searchfunder?

Absolutely! We have the industry's largest intern job board. If you are considering a search, the first step is to help another business buyer so you can hit the ground running.

What does it cost?

Searchfunder is a subscription service. We offer flexible monthly, annual and lifetime memberships.

Monthly

$79 / month

Annual

$19 / month

Lifetime

$432 / once

Those who maintain an account with us for over 4 continuous years are permanently added to the community without the need for a membership.

Do I need an MBA to join?

While a large number of our members come from dedicated programs at Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth, and other top programs, searching is no longer reserved for the elite. With the current abundance of dry powder in private equity, and an increasing number of business owners reaching retirement age, good deals rarely go unfunded.

Post a question, deal, job, etc...

Make a post...

Complete registration to post.

by a professional
in Tampa, FL, USA

2yrs ago

Relationships > Financials In ETA

When buying an SMB, relationships matter as much, if not more, than financials

Why?

Well, this isn’t just a transaction

For the seller that is

Chances are they've run the business for the last 5, 10, 15, 20 or even 30+ years

This business is often their identity

It's their life's work…

Not to sound too cliche, but literally, it's their baby

So with that in mind, how do you make sure they want to sell the business to you over someone else or even PE?

Open communication - no hidden agendas or legal jargon. Just honest conversations about hopes and goals
Shared values - a focus on people, community, and values, not just profits
Personal connection - meeting in their hometown dive over beers, not just paperwork in a boardroom. Getting to know their families and aspirations after selling

Make it known to the owner that this business will be your life for the foreseeable future

You care about the seller, their business, its employees, and its legacy

This foundation of trust and respect enables crafting a deal that works for both parties

You might even find that a seller will WANT to sell the business to you over faceless PE shops or strategics

Even at a lower price!

The myth is you must be ruthless in deals

The truth is lead with empathy, vision, and ethics - and relationships will thrive

3 Likes

152 Views

reply by a professional 2yrs ago
in Saskatoon, SK, Canada

I have a story to share that emphasizes this point.

One of our families most successful ventures started out by talking with an employee of a company that was cruel and cut-throat. This employee knew that they were a key person of the operation. He is a community leader, hard worker, and most importantly trusted by the clients. He left that business, got a little investment from our side, and started his own business. It has grown into a 50-person company! We are celebrating 10 years this weekend.

That business he left experienced a minimum 50% loss of revenue. We are looking into acquiring it in the next few years to lock in the region.

People make the company.

reply by a searcher 2yrs ago
in Montreal, QC, Canada

I kept hearing stories like that when I started searching and I was skeptical, but then it happened to me too.

Made an offer, which we learned afterwards happened to be 10% lower than the other option. Seller picked us because of the fit.

So it does happen. On another LOI, the seller was willing to increase the seller's note because he "trusted us" and remembered being in our shoes starting with little cash.

Be nice and honest out there, first because it's the right thing to do and second because it might just help you get the deal done.