New Podcast: Why This Startup Founder Bought an Electrical Contracting Business

Hello SMB Deal Hunters!

I’m excited to share a new interview with Fred McGill from Atlanta, Georgia–a former startup founder who made the leap into small business acquisition.

Exactly one year ago, Fred acquired Bray Electrical Services, an electrical contracting business. In just 12 months, he’s grown the top line by $650,000, while still running his real estate brokerage on the side.

If you’re thinking about buying a business in the trades or want a real look at what it takes to scale one, don’t miss this story.

Today's issue is sponsored by SMB Diligence, the platform I helped start for matching business buyers with vetted legal counsel and Quality of Earnings providers.

COMMUNITY WINS

Here’s what one SMB Deal Hunter Pro member shared this past week:

Want me and my team to work with you to find, finance, and acquire a million-dollar cash-flowing business in the next 6-12 months?

👉 Learn More and Book A Call

INTERVIEW

This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone looking to buy their first business in the trades. We dive into:

• Why Fred chose the trades, and electrical contracting specifically, as his target industry

• How he intentionally avoided becoming the technician and focused on leadership, growth, and systems

• How he grew revenue by $650K in his first year post-close

• His strategy for retaining legacy employees while introducing new systems

• The biggest operational bottlenecks he inherited — and how he fixed them

• How he’s approaching sales, marketing, and customer acquisition in a traditionally referral-based industry

• What he did in the first 90 days to build trust with the team and stabilize operations

• And more!

👉 Watch the full 57-minute interview with Fred McGill

PRESENTED BY SMB DILIGENCE

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Skip Due Diligence…

A friend of mine put a business under LOI and asked me for my advice.

I recommended he contract a 3rd party due diligence partner to rebuild the company's P&L from scratch.

Turns out their EBITDA was off by 2x 😳

Enter SMB Diligence.

SMB Diligence is the platform I helped start for matching business buyers with vetted diligence providers, from M&A lawyers to Quality of Earnings providers.

Their network of experts has worked on hundreds of small business transactions (including many from the SMB Deal Hunter community).

👉 Get introduced to due diligence experts today

COMMUNITY PERKS

• Ready to buy and operate a $1M+ business? Get expert help at every step.

• Want to invest passively in SMB acquisitions? Get access to investment opportunities.

• Get a personal introduction to my preferred SBA 7(a) lender, non-SBA lenders, Quality of Earnings providers, or legal counsel

• Raising capital for your deal? I’ll connect you with investors from the SMB Deal Hunter Community.

• Interested in selling your business? I’ll help you connect with buyers from the SMB Deal Hunter Community.

THAT’S A WRAP

Want me to interview you for my podcast? Hit reply.

See you tomorrow with some new deals!

-Helen Guo
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Disclaimer

This publication is a newsletter only and the information provided herein is the opinion of our editors and writers only. Any transaction or opportunity of any kind is provided for information only; SMB Deal Hunter does not verify nor confirm information. SMB Deal Hunter is not making any offer to readers to participate in any transaction or opportunity described herein.