“The first three months are the hardest - just prepare for that”

Happy Friday!

Earlier this week, I told you about Whitney.

She lost her first shot at a $2M commercial cleaning company to another buyer, waited, stayed in contact, got a second chance when that deal fell through, and closed for $90K out of pocket with $200K+ projected back to her family in year one.

Today, you’ll get the top 3 takeaways from her acquisition and learn how her persistence paid off. 👇

Community Spotlight

Zach bought a $1.15M steel fabrication company in LA for just $115K out of pocket—and he's on track for a 200% ROI in year one while still working his W2 job.

He beat out over a dozen other offers by reading the room, building rapport with the sellers, and offering a clean all-cash structure they wanted.

👉 Want the resources and community support you need to close your first deal? Book a call with our team here.

“There are moments where you think ‘what have I done?’ And then there are moments where you think ‘this is so great.’ The first three months are the hardest - just prepare for that.”

Whitney told me that two months into owning her first business, with three kids under five, a corporate exit behind her, and a Las Vegas cleaning operation that had never run a single ad.

3 key takeaways from our conversation

1. Stay in contact after a deal falls through

Whitney lost this deal to another buyer in October, but kept the line open.

When that buyer stalled and the seller grew frustrated, Whitney was the first call he made.

2. Working capital is non-negotiable

Whitney negotiated $150K in working capital from the seller at close, plus a $100K line of credit.

On day one of ownership, payroll exists before revenue comes in.

Having that buffer meant she could cover expenses and stabilize operations without stress, which freed her up to actually focus on running the business.

(Whitney navigated two banks, mid-process SBA rule changes, and a deal that nearly went to someone else twice. Inside Acquisition Ace, members get support through exactly those kinds of obstacles. To see how Acquisition Ace could help you close your first acquisition, book a call with our team here.)

3. Expect the unexpected in the first 90 days

Whitney went in thinking the GM could handle more than he could.

She discovered employees cashing paychecks at casinos due to money laundering restrictions and had to swap banks mid-process.

None of it derailed the deal, but all of it required her to stay flexible and solve problems she couldn’t have anticipated.

This week’s action item

Go back through your deal pipeline and identify any deals that fell through in the last 6-12 months.

Send a short, genuine follow-up to each seller.

The deal you lost six months ago might be available again - and this time, you’ll be better prepared.

To hear the full story of how Whitney structured this deal and navigated everything that went sideways along the way…

Watch the full interview with her here.

P.S. Whitney found this deal on BizBuySell, lost it, waited, and got it back, all while navigating a newborn, a career transition, and a complex deal structure.

What made the difference was having a community and a framework to lean on throughout the process.

If you’d like similar support on your acquisition journey and want to see if the Acquisition Ace community could help you with your first business deal…

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