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Happy Monday, friends!
Today I’m sharing a story about Rodrigo.
He was a serial entrepreneur who had built a six-car Turo rental business from scratch, never worked in automotive repair, and had a newborn baby at home when the bank told him he’d need to put both of his houses up as collateral to close the deal.
One year later, he’s generating $200K+ in profit on top of a $96K salary, and he’s already planning his next acquisition.
Before getting to Rodrigo’s case study, I’ve got another success story from our Acquisition Ace community.
Prashant and Arvind bought a $2.7M math tutoring business in Seattle with 1,000+ recurring students and 8 employees who run the day-to-day.
“The templates we had for the LOI stood out compared to what other bidders submitted. The deal calculator let us simulate worst-case scenarios. The network helped us navigate government shutdowns, landlord drama, and PG negotiations. Could not have done it without the community.”
They beat 17+ other bidders by reading the room: the seller wanted simplicity, so they offered 100% cash with no seller note.
👉 Want templates, tools, and a network to help you win competitive deals? Book a call with our team here.
Before the deal
Rodrigo had always had an entrepreneurial mindset. He started a handyman business with his brother at 23, built a Turo rental fleet, and was always looking for the next opportunity.
When he found my content and joined Acquisition Ace two days before his 2024 birthday, he went all in, spending two months glued to his computer looking at deals 24/7.
The lender pointed him toward the automotive space based on his Turo background, and Rodrigo pivoted his search accordingly.
Finding the deal
Two months into his search, Rodrigo found a 32-year-old mechanic shop generating $1.8M in revenue and $420K in SDE.
The seller was retiring, and his three kids were all doctors with no interest in taking it over.
The business would have closed if nobody stepped in.
What stood out immediately: the books were spotless.
For a sub-$5M service business, that’s genuinely rare.
Due diligence wrapped in under a month, Rodrigo submitted his first offer at $1M, and they landed at $1.25M.
(In Acquisition Ace, members get their deals reviewed by coaches and learn how to negotiate with confidence. To hear how Acquisition Ace could help on your path to business acquisition, book a call with our team here.)
The deal breakdown
Listed price: $1.5M
Final purchase price: $1.25M
Revenue: $1.8M+
SDE: $420K
Seller note: 5% of purchase price, 3-year full standby, 5% interest
Total out of pocket: ~$80-90K (including closing costs)
Year-one salary: $96K (~$1,800/week)
Year-one net profit after debt service and salary: ~$200K
Cash-on-cash return: Well above 100% in year one
When the bank’s terms arrived requiring his homes as collateral, Rodrigo nearly backed out.
But his family rallied behind him, the deal closed, and the rest is history.
What he’s doing now
A year in, Rodrigo is more involved in daily operations than he originally anticipated, partly because the previous owner had understated his own involvement, and partly because Rodrigo genuinely wants to learn the business from the inside before stepping back.
His foreman - a 30-year mechanic veteran - has been invaluable.
Rodrigo identified him as the key person from day one and leaned on him heavily through the transition.
He only disclosed the ownership change to his receptionist and foreman initially, letting the rest of the team get comfortable with him before making any announcements.
The first major operational change: replacing pen-and-paper estimates with proper shop management software.
His Turo business is still running, managed largely by his mom and wife.
The key lesson
“You can’t let fear paralyze you. Our heads are our biggest enemy. If you’re able to push through those bad mental moments, you’re going to get it.”
Rodrigo put his houses on the line with a newborn at home. He second-guessed himself and asked me on a recorded call whether the bank could actually take his house if the business failed.
He closed anyway, and a year later, he says he’d do it all over again without hesitation.
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 Mark.
👉 Book a call with our team here to see if it's a good fit.
 | Onward, Ben Kelly PS: Check out our latest YouTube video. We reveal how one entrepreneur built a multi-million dollar pool company from scratch with no industry experience. |
