Industry Playbooks

Acquiring an IT Services & Consulting Firm

A complete guide to acquiring IT services companies including MSPs, consulting firms, systems integrators, and cybersecurity firms - recurring revenue, due diligence priorities, and growth strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Vertical SaaS Business

How to evaluate and acquire vertical SaaS companies - industry-specific software with deep moats, high retention, and embedded payments growth potential.

12 min read

Acquiring an Amazon FBA Business

A practical guide to buying Amazon FBA businesses - due diligence on Seller Central, valuation multiples, platform dependency risks, and post-acquisition diversification strategies.

11 min read

Acquiring a Property Management Company

A guide to acquiring property management companies - door count analysis, contract terms, owner retention rates, and buy-and-build consolidation strategies.

10 min read

Acquiring a Logistics & Transportation Company

A guide to acquiring logistics and transportation businesses - trucking, freight brokerage, 3PL, and last-mile delivery. Fleet due diligence, driver workforce, and route optimization strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Construction Company

How to acquire a construction company - general contractors, specialty trades, and construction services. Backlog analysis, bonding capacity, and post-acquisition growth strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Waste Management & Recycling Business

A complete guide to acquiring waste management businesses - collection routes, transfer stations, recycling operations. Route density economics, fleet management, and consolidation strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Distribution & Wholesale Business

How to acquire distribution and wholesale businesses - industrial, building materials, medical, and specialty products. Inventory management, supplier relationships, and e-commerce growth strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Restaurant or Food Service Business

A guide to acquiring restaurants and food service businesses - multi-unit concepts, catering, food service management. Unit economics, lease analysis, and operational scalability.

12 min read

Acquiring a Franchise Business (Multi-Unit)

How to acquire multi-unit franchise operations - franchise agreement analysis, franchisor approval, unit-level economics, development rights, and growth through new units and tuck-in acquisitions.

12 min read

Acquiring a Retail Business

How to acquire retail businesses - specialty stores, service-attached retail, multi-location chains, and omnichannel models. Same-store sales, lease analysis, and e-commerce growth strategies.

11 min read

Acquiring a Laundromat or Laundry Services Business

A guide to acquiring laundromats and laundry services - self-service, wash-and-fold, and commercial laundry. Machine inventory, lease terms, revenue verification, and technology modernization.

11 min read

Acquiring a Hotel or Hospitality Business

How to acquire hotel and hospitality businesses - select-service, extended-stay, boutique, and vacation rental management. RevPAR analysis, PIP requirements, and revenue management strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Storage or Self-Storage Facility

How to acquire self-storage facilities - traditional, climate-controlled, and vehicle storage. Occupancy analysis, revenue management, supply pipeline, and technology-driven growth strategies.

12 min read

Recurring Revenue Businesses: The Most Attractive Verticals

A thorough guide to the best recurring revenue business models for acquisition - SaaS, managed services, waste management, insurance, and more. Revenue quality tiers, retention benchmarks, and valuation impact.

13 min read

Asset-Light vs. Asset-Heavy Businesses: Acquisition Tradeoffs

A guide to choosing between asset-light and asset-heavy acquisitions - comparing margins, barriers to entry, key-person risk, financing, and scalability across business models.

12 min read

Acquiring a Law Firm or Legal Services Business

How to acquire law firms and legal services businesses - managing non-attorney ownership rules, MSO structures, practice area selection, and attorney retention strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Pharmacy Business

A guide to acquiring pharmacy businesses - community retail, compounding, long-term care, and specialty pharmacy. PBM contracts, generic margins, clinical services, and growth strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Med Spa or Aesthetics Business

A guide to acquiring med spas - injectable services, laser treatments, body contouring, and membership models. Cash-pay economics, Medical Director requirements, and growth strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Government Contracting Business

How to acquire a government contractor - contract backlog analysis, SBA certifications, security clearances, recompete dynamics, and post-acquisition growth strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a SaaS Business: The Search Fund Playbook

Key metrics (ARR, churn, LTV/CAC, NRR), valuation multiples, due diligence specifics, and growth levers post-acquisition.

9 min read

Acquiring a Healthcare Services Business

regulatory environment, reimbursement models, clinical integration, roll-up dynamics, and compliance requirements.

13 min read

Acquiring a Manufacturing or Industrial Business

Capital intensity, supply chain DD, workforce considerations, equipment valuation, and environmental liabilities.

13 min read

Acquiring a Professional Services Firm

Key-person risk, utilization rates, client concentration, partner buyouts, and building enterprise value in services.

13 min read

Acquiring a Home Services & Field Services Business

Route density, technician recruitment, recurring revenue models, roll-up economics, and operational levers.

12 min read

Acquiring an E-commerce & D2C Brand

Amazon/Shopify due diligence, CAC trends, supply chain analysis, brand defensibility, and post-acquisition growth levers.

13 min read

Acquiring an Education & Training Business

B2B vs B2C models, accreditation requirements, instructor dependency, digital transformation, and enrollment economics.

12 min read

Acquiring a Financial Services or Insurance Business

FCA/BaFin licensing, book-of-business valuation, renewal economics, compliance frameworks, and roll-up strategies.

14 min read

Acquiring an HVAC Business: The Search Fund Playbook

Valuation benchmarks, maintenance contract analysis, technician workforce DD, licensing risks, and buy-and-build strategies for HVAC acquisitions.

16 min read

Acquiring a Managed Service Provider (MSP): The ETA Playbook

MSP valuation (4-7x EBITDA), MRR analysis, technical stack review, cybersecurity focus, and post-acquisition growth - including buy-and-build roll-up strategies.

14 min read

Acquiring a Dental Practice: The DSO Model & ETA Playbook

Dental practice valuation (4-7x EBITDA), the DSO model explained, revenue quality analysis, clinical due diligence, and roll-up growth strategies.

14 min read

Acquiring a Staffing & Recruiting Agency: The ETA Playbook

Staffing agency valuation (3-6x EBITDA), temp vs. perm vs. contract models, recruiter productivity metrics, and post-acquisition niche specialization strategies.

14 min read

Framework

Industry Selection Framework: Picking Your Vertical

The 8-factor framework for evaluating ETA target industries: recurring revenue, fragmentation, recession resistance, succession opportunity, margins, capital intensity, complexity, and exit optionality.

14 min read

Acquiring a Digital Marketing Agency

Agency acquisition guide: revenue models (retainer vs. project), key metrics (revenue per employee, net retention), valuation (3-6x EBITDA), due diligence, and post-acquisition playbook.

14 min read

Acquiring a Pest Control Business: The ETA Playbook

Pest control acquisition guide: recurring revenue model, licensing requirements, route density economics, valuation (4-7x EBITDA), and post-acquisition growth playbook.

14 min read

Acquiring a Roofing Business: The ETA Playbook

Roofing contractor acquisition guide: residential vs. commercial, insurance restoration revenue, crew management, valuation (3-5x EBITDA), and post-acquisition growth playbook.

14 min read

Acquiring a Cleaning Business: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a commercial or residential cleaning business - recurring revenue, labor management, route density, and scaling strategies.

13 min read

Acquiring an Insurance Agency: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow an insurance agency - book of business analysis, commission structures, carrier appointments, and scaling strategies.

14 min read

Acquiring an Accounting Practice: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a CPA or accounting practice - client retention, service mix, valuation multiples, and advisory upsell strategies.

13 min read

Acquiring an Auto Repair Business: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow an auto repair business - technician retention, fleet accounts, equipment assessment, and multi-location expansion.

13 min read

Acquiring a Funeral Home: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a funeral home business - pre-need revenue, cremation trends, regulatory compliance, and community-based competitive moats.

13 min read

Acquiring a Gym or Fitness Business: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a gym or fitness studio - membership economics, lease analysis, equipment assessment, and multi-location expansion.

13 min read

Acquiring a Home Healthcare Business: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a home healthcare agency - Medicare certification, payer mix, staffing, compliance, and geographic expansion strategies.

14 min read

Acquiring a Car Wash Business: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a car wash business - membership models, equipment assessment, location analysis, and multi-site expansion strategies.

12 min read

Acquiring a Daycare or Childcare Business: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a daycare or childcare center - licensing, enrollment optimization, staff retention, and multi-location expansion.

13 min read

Acquiring a Moving Company: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow a moving company - USDOT authority, fleet management, seasonal patterns, and corporate relocation accounts.

12 min read

Acquiring an Electrical Contracting Business: Industry Playbook

How to evaluate, acquire, and grow an electrical contracting company - licensing requirements, recurring service contracts, commercial vs residential mix, and workforce development.

12 min read