►EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1) ONE TRUCK BROKE DOWN — AND IT NEARLY KILLED THE WHOLE DEAL: Judd Lorson bought a grease trap service business. One vehicle went down, wiping out a third of revenue for three weeks. When your entire operation rides on three trucks and five employees, a single breakdown isn't an inconvenience — it's an extinction event. 2) THE SELLER'S DEFERRED MAINTENANCE BECAME THE BUYER'S FINANCIAL CRISIS: Those trucks and equipment "still working" afterredactedyears? The seller kicked the replacement can down the road and pocketed the savings. Judd inherited a ticking time bomb disguised as a functioning business. If the seller didn't replace it, that's your red flag, not your comfort. 3) FIRST-TIME BUYERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW — AND IT COSTS SIX FIGURES: Your confidence is charming, but you're not asking the right diligence questions. Someone doing 50 deals a year for a decade will catch what you won't. The five grand you save skipping professional diligence is the most expensive discount you'll ever take. 4) YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS NEED A CATASTROPHE BUDGET — OR YOU'RE GAMBLING WITH YOUR PERSONAL GUARANTEE: If you're one equipment failure away from missing debt payments while sitting under a million-dollar personal guarantee, you don't have a business plan — you have a prayer. Pre-pay mechanics, stack emergency cash, and buy yourself first-in-line service before day one.