What are the best tatics to shorten the search phase?

October 16, 2019

by a searcher from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management in Tampa, Flórida, EUA

I recently started my search and I have mainly realying on brokers to bring oportunities.

Distinctively from PE firms, as searchers, we lack time to built relationships and network for long runs. So what can we do to accelerate the process?

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Reply by a searcher
from Harvard University in MG9V+6H2, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Inbound deals shared by brokers are a good source, but not great - you won’t necessarily get the volume you need or get the best deals relative to what you can get on a proprietary basis. For search funds, I would argue you NEED to have proprietary deal sourcing of targets you find and reach out to. Again brokers are great, but a search relying solely on what is shared with you will have lower chances of being successful in a reasonable time period. I believe most SFs end up buying a proprietary deal.

i would echo the process that Deniz shared... its a relatively brute force method, but its what works

Reply by a searcher
from Monmouth University in New York, NY, USA

Don't rule out the power of door knocking. After you define the industries you're interested, if they are mom and pops or ground floor retail types of businesses, build out a target list in a 20 mile radius and get on the road. People are much more receptive to speaking in person vs responding to a cold email. Depending on your geographic location, you may not be the only one trying to get in contact with that business owner.

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