Acquisition Insights

Exclusive access to recorded Q&A sessions
with Walker Deibel

Hosted inside our elite accelerator program, Acquisition Lab

In these exclusive Q&A sessions, Walker will explore all your most pressing questions, such as...

What’s the secret to getting a deal done?

What are the drawbacks of seller financing?

How do you stay on top of industry trends?

How can I get noticed by brokers?

Here's the course curriculum...

Lab Preview: Walker’s Insights from Q&A Sessions

In this module we’ll be answering questions like:

  • What can searchers expect to happen in six months?
  • What’s the secret to getting a deal done?
  • What kinds of businesses do you own now and how do you manage them?
  • What are the biggest mistakes you’ve seen people make when trying to buy a business?
  • What was the biggest mistake you made when acquiring businesses?
  • What was the worst acquisition you ever did?

Q&A lessons include:

  • Can you tell us about your experience adding value to a manufacturing company?
  • What are your thoughts on the different monetization models for online businesses?
  • What are the differences between a startup and buying an existing business, in terms of metrics?
  • What’s your advice for staying on top of industry trends?
  • How do you think about SaaS companies?
  • Can you talk about your experience with a platform business?
  • What skill set is needed to run an online business?

We’ll cover tons of questions related to strategy, such as: 

  • What’s the right sized business for me to buy?
  • When did you reach the point where you were comfortable having more than one business?
  • Should I buy a small company or go as big as I can? 
  • Do you risk not learning enough from buying too small of a company?
  • How has your target checklist evolved over time?
  • How far from your house would you recommend considering for a business?

Q&A lessons include:

  • What do banks mean by seller risk?
  • As an SBA buyer, should I fear the cash buyer?
  • What would happen if a buyer accepts a seller note and then stops paying it?
  • What are the drawbacks of seller financing?

Ask Me Anything sessons include:

  • How do you work with an attorney as a buyer?
  • How do you recommend we structure partnerships?
  • How do you structure the ownership percentages when working with investors?
  • How do you approach getting key employees to sign noncompetes?
  • What is phantom stock?

Training videos with Walker answer questions such as:

  • Is it worth reaching out to a broker about a deal that is pending?
  • What type of commission is the seller paying a broker?
  • How does the way you are perceived change after the first acquisition?
  • What are the best ways to get noticed by brokers during your initial outreach?
  • How do you break into proprietary deals?

Lessons include:

  • How do you overcome analysis paralysis, particularly when looking at different online business models?
  • How do you deal with the fact that accurate industry information in the private market is virtually nonexistent?
  • What’s a typical request for exclusivity in a letter of intent?
  • How do you consider the impact of COVID-19 when analyzing a business?
  • Can you use information about publicly-traded companies to better understand private SaaS companies?
  • Can you trust the industry information that the seller provides?
  • Can you explain the concept of a contribution margin?
  • What’s the difference between overhead and contribution margin?
  • What strategies can you use to find growth opportunities for the business you’re considering buying?
  • When is the appropriate time to ask the seller tough questions?
  • When is the right time to ask for detailed financial statements from the seller?
  • How do you determine an initial offer price when the listing has a multiple, rather than a specific asking price?
  • How long is the typical exclusivity period when you’re going under LOI?
  • How can you structure an offer to factor in the general cycle of a business?
  • How and when does the negotiation process on the price of a business happen?
  • How can you structure an offer to factor in the general cycle of a business?
  • What’s your advice on buying the building that the business is operating out of?
  • What advice do you have for valuing service businesses with low inventory?
  • When you set your target acquisition price, should you take closing costs and other fees into account?
  • How often do deals fall apart after going under LOI?
  • How is working capital typically negotiated in smaller deals?
  • How do you approach a listing without a price?
  • How do you approach purchasing inventory?
  • Why is diligence so important?
  • When should I start due diligence, relative to the SBA loan application?
  • How should I approach a business’ existing leases and equipment?
  • What’s your approach to handling the debt from a recent acquisition?
  • Is it fair to assume that the depreciation amount is what you’ll need to save for future capital expenditures?
  • What role does the culture of a company play in the success of an acquisition?
  • How do you build up cash once you’ve acquired a business?
  • How can you use SBA loans to grow through acquisition?
  • Is there an opportunity to blend new economy and old economy businesses
  • How do you grow through bringing old economy businesses into the new economy?
NEED HELP OR HAVE QUESTIONS?
We’re happy to answer any questions you might have and help you make the wisest choice for you.

Meet Your Instructor

Walker Deibel

Serial Entrepreneur & Author

Walker Deibel cofounded four startups, including his most recent endeavor, Acquisition Lab, and has acquired seven companies. He is the founder and Managing Partner of the holding company, Centra, as well as an advisor for online entrepreneurs. He holds an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis where he received the Declaration of Achievement in Entrepreneurship from the Skandalaris Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Walker is a Certified M&A Advisor and former SEC licensed stock broker. Walker has also produced almost a dozen films and had premieres at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Sundance, SXSW, and Toronto International Film Festival. He is the author of Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game, released in fall 2018 by Lioncrest Publishing.

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

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