How Aisha and Mark bought a $2.4M accounting firm in Amish country

Happy Monday!

Today I’m sharing Aisha and Mark’s story.

She was a senior executive at Amazon who wanted out of corporate life, and he worked in AI software sales with a business background.

Neither of them were CPAs.

Three months after closing on a $2.4M accounting firm in small-town Indiana, they’re managing it remotely from Denver, and projecting $500K in annual cash flow once the transition period normalizes.

Before sharing their case study, here’s a great success story from the Acquisition Ace community.

Adam bought 50% of a $2M residential mortgage brokerage and AI software company with one of the most creative structures I’ve seen:

75% seller-financed on a 10-year full standby note.

He put $200K down, immediately started collecting $5K/month in guaranteed payments (replacing his W2 salary), and now owns half of a business expanding from 8 states to all 50 states with new banking partnerships.

The seller wasn’t motivated by money, he just wanted a strategic partner…

And Adam won him over by offering to handle backend operations so the seller could focus on growth.

👉 Want to learn creative deal structures that protect your downside? Book a call with our team here.

Before the deal

Aisha left Amazon about nine months into their Acquisition Ace membership, motivated by a desire for flexibility and ownership over her time.

Mark had always had the business fundamentals - a college education in business, experience standing up his own company - but had never been through an acquisition before.

Together, they decided on accounting firms early.

Finding the deal

Big city accounting firms proved nearly impossible to break into, and brokers didn’t return calls, so they pivoted to smaller markets and found a firm in a small Indiana town.

The firm was generating $1.9M in revenue the year they submitted their LOI.

Because they weren’t the obvious buyer profile, they came in above asking at $2.4M to stand out.

The offer was accepted without negotiation.

To get the seller comfortable with non-CPA buyers, they brought in Mark’s father - a CPA - as part of the operating team, to help bridge the credibility gap and get the deal across the finish line.

(Acquisition Ace members learn how to position themselves as credible buyers even without industry credentials, and how to structure the team around them to make sellers comfortable. If that sounds interesting to you, book a call with our team here and let’s talk.)

The deal breakdown

Purchase price: $2.4M

Revenue at close: $2.3M (up from $1.9M)

Projected SDE: $750K-$900K (pre-transition expenses)

Financing: SBA loan, ~10% buyer down payment (~$240K)

Year-one cash flow after debt service and transition expenses: ~$250-300K

Year-two projected cash flow (post-transition): ~$500K

What they’re doing now

Aisha and Mark are managing remotely from Denver.

Aisha spends 15-20 hours a week on people management, admin setup, and employee relations, and Mark contributes 10-15 hours per week around his full-time job, with plans to ramp up post-tax season as they focus on growth.

Mark’s father is spending closer to 30 hours a week in the more technical aspects of the transition.

The immediate focus post-tax season is hiring a new CPA to replace the seller as he steps back, and potentially positioning the seller as a long-term business development resource for surrounding markets.

The key lesson

“We had to sell ourselves. We’re not CPAs. But we knew what we were looking for, we were disciplined about the criteria, and when the right deal appeared, we moved on it.”

Aisha and Mark weren’t the obvious buyers for this firm.

They got in by targeting a smaller market, coming in above asking to stand out, and building a credible team around them to give the seller confidence.

Their discipline, creativity, and willingness to do what others wouldn’t got them over the line.

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 just like Aisha and Mark.

👉 Book a call with our team here to see if it's a good fit.