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Happy Monday!
Today you’re going to hear a story about Zack.
He was a software engineer who had lost money in oil and gas investments and real estate syndications, and was looking for an asset class he could actually control.
Five months after joining Acquisition Ace, he closed on a 6,000-client accounting firm in Virginia…
While living in California.
Community Spotlight
Before getting into Zack’s case study, here’s a quick success spotlight from our Acquisition Ace community.
Marcus bought a $2.7M senior care franchise and is on track for 200%+ ROI in year one after joining Acquisition Ace.
“For me it’s just being around a community of like-minded individuals trying to get something really hard done... a place to ask any question any time and get a bunch of responses with different perspectives and then coaches that can help you cut through the noise... the live calls were clutch for me. I probably watched 300 of the call recordings."
He watched 300+ call recordings and credits the coaches and community for helping him cut through the noise and focus on what’s important.
👉 Want access to hundreds of call recordings and coaches who can help you cut through the noise? Book a call with our team here.
Zack had been burned by passive investments he had no control over.
He wanted meaningful returns on normal-person money, and stumbled across business acquisition as a path to get there.
He joined Acquisition Ace, showed up consistently on calls, and started sending deals for feedback.
Within five months, he had one closed.
Finding the Deal
Zach knew he wanted an accounting firm because they’re:
Recession-resistant
Have sticky recurring revenue
And no credentials required since the firm was run by an EA rather than a CPA
This one had over 6,000 clients, $20K per month in pure bookkeeping revenue, and hadn’t raised prices in years.
The Google Business profile wasn’t even claimed, and there was no functioning website.
To Zack, that looked like an incredible opportunity.
(Inside Acquisition Ace, members learn how to spot businesses with hidden upside like this, and structure smart deals, too. Want to learn how? Book a call with our team here.)
The Deal Breakdown
Purchase price: $2.1M
EBITDA at close: ~$1.2M
Revenue: $1.8M
All-in out of pocket: ~$250K (down payment and legal fees)
Salary: $120K/year
Projected net profit after debt service and all salaries: ~$1M+
Projected cash-on-cash return: 3-4x in year one
The seller (a 20-year veteran of the firm) stayed on as a tax manager, handling technical work while Zach focused on systems, pricing, and operations.
What He’s Doing Now
Zach implemented a 25% price increase across the board (still well below market rate) and started moving the firm’s operations to the cloud.
Their notes were previously taken on paper, they didn’t record their trainings, and had no standard processes documented.
All of it is being modernized using the technical background Zack built in his previous career…
And he flies out to Virginia once a quarter to check in with staff and cast vision.
Everything else is managed remotely.
The Key Lesson
“The seller is the most important person in a deal. Build that relationship. He had 10 to 12 other interested buyers, and he chose me because we got along.”
Zach didn’t win this deal because he had the highest offer.
He won it because he built genuine rapport with the seller.
The numbers mattered. But the relationship is what closed the deal.
If you’re ready to find and close your first acquisition…
Join the Acquisition Ace community with 2,000+ members who are learning to find, finance, and close deals.
👉 Book a call with our team here, and we’ll see if it’s a good fit.
 | Onward, Ben Kelly PS: Check out our latest YouTube video. We reveal which boring businesses never fail based on real data. |
