Business Buying Strategies From The Dealmaker's Academy

In this episode, Jonathan Jay continues his conversation with Nathan Winch, a seasoned entrepreneur, as they delve into the intricacies of consolidating deals and bringing businesses together to operate as a cohesive group. Nathan sheds light on the most crucial aspects that demand attention from new business owners. They discuss the minimum handover period required after acquiring a business to ensure a smooth transition and maximize success. Nathan shares his tips for exiting and selling a business, offering valuable advice on preparing for a successful exit strategy and maximizing the value of the business. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or embarking on your acquisition journey, this episode is for you! Key Highlights [01:38] The most important parts that require your attention as a new business owner [03:06] The minimum handover period for a business after the acquisition [05:30] How Nathan takes control of the finances [06:56] Finding the best finance director [11:22] What Nathan does after buyin

In this episode, Jonathan Jay meets Nathan Winch, a former biologist turned successful entrepreneur, to discuss his transition into the business world and his acquisition experience. Nathan shares some of the most interesting deals he has secured, as well as his criteria for searching for businesses to acquire. He also talks about the characteristics of sellers he looks out for and why he prefers not to use a broker in his acquisitions. Nathan shares his insights on why larger deals are easier than smaller ones and the challenges he encountered. He offers valuable tips to those undertaking their first acquisition and shares some of the acquisition tips he has gained along the way. Key Highlights [01:13] How Nathan transitioned from a biologist into an entrepreneur [06:03] Some of the most interesting deals accrued out [08:20] Nathan’s criteria when undertaking an acquisition [08:54] Characteristics of sellers that Nathan looks out for [10:32] Advantages of not using a broker in the first acquisitions [16:04]

In this episode, Jonathan Jay continues his conversation with Dan, whose first acquisition was a specialist plant hire company, in an amazing eight figure deal. Dan shares his story of transitioning his new team and transforming the business he purchased. Since Dan bought the business, he has faced numerous challenges but as you will hear he has managed to turn them into valuable opportunities. They discuss the impact of change on the business and how Dan leveraged his experience in the military and other organizations to make strategic decisions. He reveals the importance of having the right people in the business, and how he carefully built a high-performing team that has been instrumental in the business's turnaround. Key Highlights [01:23] Transitioning to a new team [04:16] What happened since Dan bought the business [06:22] The impact of change on the business [08:38] Turning the bad into value [10:19] Changes that Dan initiated in the maintenance team [11:00] Benefits of having the right people in the

In this episode, Jonathan is joined by Dan, who shares the remarkable story of his first acquisition – an £8m specialist plant hire business. We discover what led Dan to consider the business, how the negotiations went, the challenges he faced, and how the deal was eventually done. Dan also discusses the different options he considered before settling on this particular business, and why he chose to be lenient on the terms of the deal. Key Highlights [01:23] The type of business that Dan purchased [03:27] How Dan found his way into the industry [05:41] What drew Dan to this type of business [07:56] Different options that Dan considered and the challenges encountered [10:37] Number of letters that Dan sent out [12:30] Speaking with one business, he ended up buying another [14:28] Negotiations for the deal [17:39] Why Dan was lenient on the terms of the deal [19:51] Lessons learned from the acquisition Notable Quotes I've been involved in mergers and acquisitions not as someone doing the mergers and acquisitio

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Sam Turner, a successful entrepreneur who shares his insights and experience on the acquisition process, from the very first day to the consolidation of the businesses. He talks about the importance of being consistent with your time and being present in your business to create a strong culture that aligns with your vision. He also shares his experiences transitioning from a large corporate to an SME - and how getting the business culture right is critical to business success. He also introduces the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and explains how it can be applied to optimize business operations.  Key Highlights [01:40] What happened on day 1 of the acquisition [02:55] Being consistent with the time [04:38] The benefit of being present in your business [07:33] The culture shock of moving from a big company to a small company [09:09] Importance of cultural aspect in a business [12:30] Importance of CFO and how Sam incorporated that in his business plan

In this episode, Jonathan Jay is joined by Sam Turner, a successful entrepreneur who has made waves in the business world by purchasing three companies with a combined turnover of £17m within the last 15 months. Sam shares his story of how he got started in the business world and what led him to acquire businesses. He also shares his thoughts on rebranding and why he's not overly focused on integration. Sam offers invaluable insights into the art of reaching out to companies and the deals he needs to undertake to reach his revenue goal.  Key Highlights [01:29] What led Sam to the world of business [07:09] Why Sam is not focused on integration [08:36] Why Sam decided to buy a business [11:08] How the decision on the sector to venture into came about [15:21] Rebranding, how Sam handles it [17:11] Where there is value from a branding perspective [19:01] Sam’s thoughts on integrating back office [21:21] The annual group revenue and how it has grown [25:44] How to reach out to companies [28:26] Possibility of havi

This week we meet Alison, who has bought a hardware retail outlet, and Jo, who has purchased five accountancy practices. They talk about finding the best deal, the negotiations and lessons learned since joining the mastermind group. Key Highlights Alison [02:06] What triggered Alison to buy a business [03:47] The process of choosing the best business that works for you [05:19] Alison's approach to finding the first deal [08:18] The second mistake made by Alison [11:22] Lessons learned in the process of finding the first deal [13:40] Staying from our comfort zone [17:55] Managing the business completely hands off [19:02] Top things that Allison has learned from the mastermind group Jo [20:23] All about Jo’s first acquisition [22:23] What motivated the seller to agree to a 20-year differed payment [24:54] Why you should go first on the price when making a deal [26:57] Why every sale and purchase agreement needs a mediation clause [28:23] Jo’s non-negotiables when buying a business [32:05] The goals for 2023 Not

Each week I interview people from the world of mergers and acquisitions, specifically people who have been on my mastermind program and who have gone out and bought one or more businesses. This week we meet John Hood, who was a recent guest at my Dealmakers Live event in January. (We have another one coming up in July, by the way, with two days of exceptional deal makers in a room with a hundred people or more answering your questions about business buying). When he stood up to speak, John told us all about his six acquired businesses with a combined annual revenue of £6 million. As you’ll hear, John says that if he hadn't read my book, listened to this podcast and watched my YouTube videos then he would never have considered buying a business. Key Highlights [02-27] A summary of John’s six businesses [05-18] The first acquisition [07-55] Making acquisitions tax efficient for the seller [11-15] Getting to heads of terms [16-45] Negotiating deferred consideration [21-12] Paying yourself [24-40] Future goals an

Every week I interview people from the world of business acquisition and find out exactly what makes them successful. This week I'd like you to meet John Graves, who was one of my guest presenters at Dealmakers Live earlier this year.  John’s expertise is in buying distressed businesses - and I should emphasise that this is not for the beginner. If you've never bought a business before, it can be very risky to buy a distressed business for a pound and turn it into a success story. You may not pay for the business itself, but you'll pay for it in terms of time, stress, energy, and you might even have to put money into the business further down the line. However, John is an experienced deal maker and he has made buying distressed businesses his speciality.  Key Highlights [02-05] John introduces himself [03-32] John’s first - and unsuccessful - acquisition [06-34] The risks associated with an insolvency acquisition [10-27] Joining forces on an acquisition  with another dealmaker [12-42] Negotiating with unpaid

Each week I interview people from the world of business acquisition and find out exactly what makes them success. This week we continue our conversation with communications expert Andy Harrington.  This time our topic is how to deal with adversity in business. Whether you are new in business or you've been in business for 30 years, everyone has challenging situations. Andy has heard every story imaginable about the adverse situations they've been in. It's inevitable that nothing is ever plain sailing all the time. It's your ability as an entrepreneur to remain resilient and to keep on solving problems that is key to your ongoing and everlasting success.  There are ups and downs, but it's how you deal with them is what counts.  Key Highlights [01:57] Strategies for tackling adversity [04:30] Factual statement or self belief? [06:05] What creates the emotions that you feel? [08:27] Avoiding ‘why’ questions [11:37] Process for learning from adversity [13:46] Choosing the people and peer groups you mix with [18:1

The role of communication  This week, something a little bit different. We are going to talk about the language to use, and the tools and techniques to adopt when negotiating. Andy Harrington is an expert on communication, influence and selling - so we explore with him the best strategies for influencing someone, how to build rapport, the language to use and the questions to ask. Key Highlights [01:40] Best strategies for influencing someone and building rapport [04:08] Getting the seller to reveal themselves [08:55] Dealing with defensiveness [12:03] Pain related questions [15:20] Doesn’t want to sell? Or doesn’t want to sell to you? [18:51] Asking open questions [24:20] Creating the space for them to move towards you Notable Quotes The big mistake everyone makes with selling is to open their mouth and speak too much. The seller might have some idea what their problem is, but they haven't really fully explored, investigated, or even spoken to anybody about it. You wanna start with their story, right? That's

  Getting Optimal Value when Selling Your Business Ft/ Alexis Kingsbury  This week we listen to the second part of my interview with Alexis Kingsbury, where we uncover the secrets to getting optimal value when selling a business. Alexis shares insights on how to document processes and create a streamlined onboarding system for new team members and clients. We explore how strong processes can increase a client's confidence in buying a business and the risks faced when business owners exit. Alexis also emphasizes the importance of documenting your business growth and the benefits of having an operations manual. Tune in to discover practical advice and tips that will help you maximize the value of your business and ensure a successful transition. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the essential steps every business owner should take to secure their legacy and create long-term success. Key Highlights [01:51] The secret to getting optimal value when selling a business [02:37] How to increase a client's con

How Introducing Processes Can Boost Your Business ... This week I talk with Alexis Kingsbury about the importance of introducing processes into business acquisitions. Alexis shares the benefits of having a process operations manual. We'll explore how processes can create efficiencies, reduce headcount and ultimately make your business more profitable. From documenting and delegating processes to laying a process for better employee recruitment, we'll discuss how putting processes in place can help you attain results and work on your business rather than in it. We'll also explore the failures of business leaders and how having a solid set of processes can help mitigate risks and increase success. Tune in to learn how to develop your business processes and take your business to the next level! Key Highlights [01:32] Why it is essential to have processes in a business that you buy [03:34] Alexi’s background in business [04:58] Benefits of having a process operations manual [08:05] How to develop your business pr

 This week we listen to the second part of my interview Darren Jacobs, who since joining my business buying courses has bought a total of 25 businesses in just eight months. He’s already sold four of them and has an ambitious target to do 100 deals.  This week we are going to learn about the pains of integration and consolidation. Darren talks about the challenges of integrating the businesses, the lessons he learned along the way, the mistakes he made and what he would do differently now. Darren also shares his words of wisdom for new business buyers, providing valuable advice for those looking to enter the world of acquisitions.  Business Buying Strategies is the leading podcast for people who want to buy a business. Each week I interview deal makers who've been on my business acquisition Mastermind program and find out about their deals and behind the scenes of their acquisitions. If you want to know how to get started in mergers and acquisitions, then take my free online course. You can find it at www.de

 This week we meet Darren Jacobs, who since joining my business buying courses has bought a total of 25 businesses in just eight months. He’s already sold four of them and has an ambitious target to do 100 deals.  Darren bought his first salon for his daughter, a qualified hair stylist, in May 2020. But when he started sending enquiry letters out, he quickly built a pipeline of potential acquisitions.  This is a two part episode, and in this part we will hear about the deals, and next week we are going to learn about the pains of integration and consolidation.  Business Buying Strategies is the leading podcast for people who want to buy a business. Each week I interview deal makers who've been on my business acquisition Mastermind program and find out about their deals and behind the scenes of their acquisitions. If you want to know how to get started in mergers and acquisitions, then take my free online course. You can find it at www.dealmakerspodcast.co.uk Notable Quotes In comparison to buying an IT busin

5 business acquisitions in 15 months In this episode, Jonathan Jay talks with Andrew Norton, who has successfully bought five businesses in the last 15 months. Andrew shares his experiences and the strategies he used to make the five acquisitions, and talks about why he prefers large deals to small ones. He also explains the advantages of buying a business rather than starting one from scratch, as well as the challenges of financing a business that doesn't have fixed physical assets. And he offers valuable advice for anyone considering making their first acquisition. Key Highlights [03:37] A brief background of how Andrew met Jonathan [08:07] How Andrew's training program aimed at benefiting employees ended up benefiting third parties [10:37] Selling a business at a low point in its growth [12:32] How the Covid-19 pandemic gave Andrew time to readjust [13:14] What triggered Andrew to acquire a business rather than a startup [14:29] Reasons one should buy a business instead of starting one [15:45] Sequence of

Hello and welcome to our first episode of 2023 - a very happy new year to you all.  This week, Jonathan talks with Mastermind member John, an experienced dealmaker who sold his own business a couple of years ago, and has since acquired six different businesses in his chosen sector - osteopathic and physiotherapy practices.  In less than two years John’s new group has gone from zero to two and a half million in annual revenue - he has another acquisition lined up, ready to go - as well as ambitions acquisition plans for the coming year.  Quotes One of the big lessons I've learned is that if you start off on a hostile footing with a business seller, you might as well walk away straight away.  We've left money on the table by not managing fee increases quickly enough. At the beginning I made a point of talking to all the senior fee earners and saying, this is what the vision is, and making it clear that I wanted them to be part of it. It’s not just the speed of doing a deal that’s important, but also the speed o

Welcome to the last Business Buying Strategies episode of 2022.  This week we've picked out twelve highlights from the year - one for each month.   So in January, I talked with Richard Bundock, one of my dealmaking clients. Richard had started a successful business, but wasn’t able to grow it organically as quickly as wanted to, so he turned to acquisitions instead.  In February, I met Sam Turner, who gave up a lucrative and successful corporate career to become a dealmaker in the heating and ventilation sector.  In March, I caught up with Nick Manuel, who graduated from my programme with the right attitude, determination and most importantly the right strategy to make successful acquisitions.  In April, we met Peter Lidgitt, who bought nine UK businesses in 2020, totalling £20m in revenue – all whilst being locked down for most of the year at his home in France.  In May, I talked with legendary jewellery entrepreneur Gerald Ratner who grew his global business almost entirely through acquisition.  In June, we

This week Jonathan talks with Adam Wills, who had tried a number of start ups, none of which really took off. After listening to the podcast, and then meeting Jonathan in person, he concluded that acquisitions represented a much better opportunity for him.  If you would like to take the next step to learn the best ways of buying a business, without risking your own cash, you can access my free training at www.dealmakersvideo.co.uk and you can also request a free copy of my book athttps://www.thedealmakersacademy.com/free-book-giveaway/ If you want to jump straight to my live Zoom FastTrack course please go tohttps://www.thedealmakersacademy.com/fast  Resources If you are looking for a lawyer in the UK to help you get the deal over the line, then use my guy John Andrews. You can phone his office at +03452412494 or email him at johnandrews.deallawyer@jmw.co.uk To join the Fasttrack Program, you can connect with Jonathan Jay at Website:https://www.thedealmakersacademy.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j

This week we hear the second part of Jonathan's discussion with Andy Doyle, who joined Jonathan’s first business acquisition mastermind program nearly five years ago, back in 2018. We heard him on the podcast in 2021, when he spoke at one of Jonathan’s live events.  This time, however, Jonathan invited him in to the studio for an in-depth discussion about the acquisitions he has made over five years, and his ambitious plans for the next few years. Andy Doyle talks about the the people and company culture challenges he faced when he merged two seemingly similar businesses.  If you would like to take the next step to learn the best ways of buying a business, without risking your own cash, you can access my free training at www.dealmakersvideo.co.uk and you can also request a free copy of my book at https://www.thedealmakersacademy.com/free-book-giveaway/ If you want to jump straight to my live Zoom FastTrack course please go to https://www.thedealmakersacademy.com/fast  Resources If you are looking for a lawyer