About Us

Despite the popularity of entrepreneurship, we still haven't engineered success into the average startup.

Acquisition entrepreneurship changes that.

Buying an existing company provides a profitable infrastructure from which to build your own company, without worrying about the startup phase.

Buy Then Build was created as a passion project to underscore the trends at this unique time in history:

With jobs not being able to keep up with college graduate demand, entrepreneurship has never been more important. We have entered the Entrepreneurial Economy.
Buying one of the largest 4% of companies in the US can be done relatively easily and relatively affordably. Never before has capital been so available.
The retiring baby boomers own more businesses than any generation in the history of mankind. It’s estimated that $10 trillion in business value will need to change hands.

Buy an existing company instead of starting from scratch

Uncover the biggest opportunities (and risks) of any business

Learn how to navigate the complex acquisition process

Use ownership as a path to financial independence

OUR MISSION

Simply put, we want to help budding entrepreneurs understand the why and how of business acquisition.

Buy Then Build was created to help entrepreneurs see that there is another way. Although not every startup idea should be executed in a Buy Then Build model, most probably should.

Meet Walker Deibel

Founder, M&A Advisor

Walker Deibel is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of Buy then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, Fast Company, and the Harvard Business Review.

He is also the creator of Acquisition Lab, the premier accelerator for acquisition entrepreneurship, focusing on delivering world-class education, tools & resources, group coaching, and a vetted community.

Walker has practiced acquisition entrepreneurship since 2006 amassing $16.5 million in revenue through acquisitions; has cofounded three startups, acquired seven companies outright, and has consulted (or participated in) almost $200,000,000 in business transactions.

Walker helps online entrepreneurs exit with Quiet Light Brokerage—the first boutique M&A firm focused solely on online businesses—and coaches business buyers through his elite accelerator, the Acquisition Lab.

He’s also an active investor in private companies and real estate, a Emmy-nominated film producer, and currently owns companies in manufacturing, online education, and eCommerce.

He holds an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis where he was awarded the Declaration of Accomplishment in Entrepreneurship. He later returned to introduce “Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition” as an adjunct professor and has given keynote talks at both Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and MIT.

He is a Certified M&A Advisor, Certified M&A Professional, M&A Master Intermediary, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, and former SEC licensed stockbroker. He was awarded the Platinum Award from M&A Source and Thought Leader of the Year by both The Alliance of M&A Advisors and Axial.com.

About Us

Despite the popularity of entrepreneurship, we still haven't engineered success into the average startup.

Acquisition entrepreneurship changes that.

Buying an existing company provides a profitable infrastructure from which to build your own company, without worrying about the startup phase.

OUR MISSION

Simply put, we want to help budding entrepreneurs understand the why and how of business acquisition.

Buy Then Build was created to help entrepreneurs see that there is another way. Although not every startup idea should be executed in a Buy Then Build model, most probably should.

Meet Walker Deibel

Walker has practiced acquisition entrepreneurship since 2006 amassing $16.5 million in revenue through acquisitions; has cofounded three startups, acquired seven companies outright, and has consulted (or participated in) almost $200,000,000 in business transactions.

Join the Community

We’ve put together a private Buy Then Build group on Facebook for entrepreneurs, investors, deal-makers, advisors, and professionals.

Join us to find listings, capital, and resources to accelerate your acquisition entrepreneur journey.

Send us a quick note

Free 3-Day Video Series

Outsmart the Startup Game

Bypass the common struggles entrepreneurs face when creating a successful business.

Free 3-Day Video Series

Outsmart the Startup Game

Bypass the common struggles entrepreneurs face when creating a successful business.

In this free training you'll learn how to: