Self-Funded Search Cheat Sheet
April 20, 2024
by a searcher from Michigan State University in Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Hi All, I just closed on a. business after an 11-month full-time self funded search. Below is a cheat sheet of sorts of the things i found especially helpful/insightful. Hopefully this will save you a lot of time/money/energy. Best of luck on you search!
The case for self-funded search
https://acquiringminds.co/articles/jordan-carter-robert-graham-search-investment-group
Website Inspiration / best practices https://jimsteinsharpe.com/building-your-search-website/
a list of the top self-funded search investors - https://mainshares.com/learn/the-top-self-funded-search-fund-investors-in-2023
SearchFunder.com - (obviously you are already here) social media for searchers. they also have a business directory. the lists are very affordable, especially when you don't need email addresses.
Rocket Reach - once you narrow down your list, Rocket Reach is a fairly affordable way to get email addresses.
Gmass - this is a free app that you can install onto your gmail, and then tracks opens, clicks, and responses.
Non-disclosure agreement - I found this free NDA template. I like to use the "one way" NDA. https://nondisclosureagreement.com/business-sale.html
A list of every single business broker in America. this is insane, but maybe helpful. https://businessbrokersrated.com/list-of-all-business-brokers/
Acquiring Minds episode where they talk about the "big 3 rule" and walk through adequate deal flow math. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W59trn4A-c
2023 Self-Funded Search Study https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Aq1XHtCNtVD0_Jkx8CAYyDF20YpPCERh/view
in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
This can be overwhelming despite having the right platforms to source the information. This is where my team comes in place who does the heavy lifting for you and increase the outreach and make the search journey smoother.
If anyone needs help, I can be found at redacted
from Texas A&M University in Denver, CO, USA
I believe talking to successful searchers, brokers, and business owners (phone, zoom, in person) is the quickest way to get to the nuts & bolts of actually buying a business.