A search lives or dies on deal flow. Self-funded searchers often run the whole search alone, alongside a job or with a short runway. Funded searchers answer to investors who want to see a pipeline. Independent sponsors need a deal before they can raise the equity for it. In each case the hardest part is the same: finding owners worth talking to, early enough that the buyer isn't one of a dozen bidders.
What this guide covers
- How to turn a buy box into a target list you can actually work.
- What to ask before you put real time into an off-market business.
- Related articles on building a target list, sizing a market and SBA financing.
Before you start
Write down the buy box first: the industries you'll buy in, the geography, the size range by revenue or earnings, and the deal breakers. Every later step, from list building to the first call, gets easier when the criteria are written and specific.
If you want a team to run the sourcing for you, our engagements are scoped by search radius, regional or national.