This Week’s Breakdown (in 10 Seconds):
Evan spent the last two decades working around political campaigns, moving through five states before he turned 30.
And then between 3 different companies afterwards.
But he wanted roots and a business of his own, so he searched for years without quitting his job.
That search ended in a "dying" industry: a 30-year-old print business making $1.7M a year in profit.
He maxed his $5M SBA limit to buy it, and at the finish line the bank demanded more cash than he had.
Now, the business makes over $3M a year in profit, and is on track for $5M.
And for our audio-only listeners, jump in and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
But if you want to learn a bit more, let's dive into the story...
Hello SMB Deal Hunters!
How many of you think you need to quit your job before you can buy a business?
You've got a paycheck, a family, a mortgage. So the search keeps getting pushed to "someday."
Evan asked the same question while moving from political campaigns to direct mail agencies, all the way to a staffing agency.
So he kept his job, kept his paycheck, and took his time. For years he looked into everything: solar panels, spark plugs, even souvenirs.
Until a broker pointed out the obvious: he already had an edge.
Evan had spent years inside a direct mail agency.
And while a lot of people buy businesses outside their direct work experience, Evan decided to lean into his.
That's why a print business made sense, even while people outside the industry were calling it dead.
Because Evan found a 30-year-old print shop that was barely in the one vertical he knew cold: political mail.
He could bring those clients over and diversify the book from the start.
Three years later, his verdict: "Very happy with the decision. Absolutely not what I expected it to be."
Member Spotlight
For those who missed it, we also did an SMB Deal Hunter Pro alumni interview breaking down how Chelsea bought a $3M pet food business making $500K/yr.
Chelsea is a former Boeing and Amazon employee who spent 12 years in supplier management and finance.
She knew she wanted to buy a business. She also knew that finding the right one on her own could take years.
So she joined the Pro program, and our team brought her the business she would eventually own, completely off-market.
But she originally lost it because the seller's son decided he might want to own the business himself.
9 months later, she came back with a Hail Mary offer and won.
The result?
→ We helped structure the Hail Mary offer so she paid $400K less than the seller wanted up front
→ Just before her now-or-never offer, Chelsea was about to give up and take a full-time job to pay the bills
→ Her store managers run the day-to-day while she focuses on growing the business
She spent 12 years building someone else's company. Now she owns one that's actually hers.
And here's what she had to say:
"I go home crying happy tears, and I've never cried happy tears in my life."
So, if you want us to work with you to find, finance, and acquire a million-dollar cash-flowing business in the next 6-12 months, you might be interested in the Pro program.
👀 P.S. Q2 numbers are in…
Our members closed $50.3 million in deals and went under contract on another $117 million, the most momentum we’ve carried into Q3.
Most buyers check out over the summer. Meanwhile our off-market deal flow doubled last quarter. So there are more deals than usual and fewer people competing for them.
If you want to take advantage of this window…
👉 Book a free strategy call and we'll pressure test your buy box and map out a timeline to your first offer.
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 next week with some new deals!
-Helen Guo
Find Me On Twitter
Find Me On LinkedIn
How was today's newsletter?
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.