“Just keep shooting your shot - eventually one hits all the buttons”

Happy Friday!

Earlier this week, I told you about Troy and how he bought a doggy daycare in Washington State for less than $30K out of pocket.

No SBA loan, no broker… and a projected 8x return on his investment in year one.

Today, you’ll hear the 3 biggest takeaways from his deal, and our full conversation detailing how he did it. 👇

Troy found his deal through his personal network. But most deals aren’t that close to home, and that’s where SMBMarket.com comes in.

SMBMarket.com gets thousands of business listings in one place, with filters, alerts, and deal tracking so you never miss an opportunity that fits your criteria.

With built-in earnings and financing calculators, you can screen deals fast, and get weekly live coaching calls to keep your search moving forward.

👉 Start your free 7-day trial at SMBMarket.com.

“Just keep shooting your shot. You’re going to limit yourself if you get too picky. Keep trying - eventually you’ll find one that hits all the buttons.”

That’s what Troy told me after closing on a 30-year-old doggy daycare through his personal network, after two other deals had already fallen through.

(Troy structured this deal with zero SBA involvement - just seller financing and a hard money loan secured against a rental property. Inside Acquisition Ace, members learn creative financing structures like this. To learn more about our community and if it’s a good fit for you, book a call with our team here.)

3 key takeaways from our conversation

1. Your network is your best deal source

Troy bought it from a family friend who was approaching retirement and hadn’t even planned to sell.

Just by talking openly about wanting to buy a business, Troy had three more opportunities come to him after he’d already committed to this one.

2. Seller financing can replace the bank entirely

Troy used a 75% seller note, meaning the seller financed $450K of the $600K purchase price.

The first two years were interest-only, giving Troy breathing room to build cash reserves before principal payments kicked in, with no SBA required.

3. Raising prices immediately can offset your debt service

Troy raised prices 15% on day one.

That increase alone covered his monthly debt service, meaning his net cash flow after debt payments was roughly the same as what the business was generating before he bought it.

This week’s action item

Write down five people in your personal network who own a small business and are likely within ten years of retirement.

You don’t have to pitch them anything, yet. Just reach out, reconnect, and let them know what you’re working on.

You never know which conversation leads to your next deal.

To hear the full story of how Troy structured this acquisition from start to finish…

Watch the full interview with him here.

P.S. Troy had two deals fall through before this one closed.

What kept him going was staying plugged into a community of people doing the same thing: learning from every deal, good or bad.

If you want that same support behind your acquisition hunt…

👉 Book a call with our team here.