Pete Ciaverilla bought a $12m HVAC business, then grew earnings 50% in 3 years. His timing couldn't have been better.

Topics in Peter’s interview:

• Combining households with his parents while searching
• Using a buy-side advisor
• Funding less than 5% of the deal himself
• Transitioning the seller’s family out of the business
• Buying a company with 65 employees, $12M in revenue
• Advantages of buying a bigger company
• Balancing commercial and residential HVAC
• Impact of seasonality on revenue
• Why private equity likes HVAC
• Feeling comfortable with taking on a large loan

References and how to contact Peter:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HR

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Michael Jacobson bought his uncle's barely-profitable 45-year-old flower shop in LA. In 4 years he's grown it 16x.

Topics in Michael’s interview:

• Revamping his uncle’s flower shop
• Replacing the overpriced phone system
• Building custom software for the floral industry
• Why flower shops are hard to run
• How “wire services” like 1-800 Flowers work
• Switching to Google Ads for better ROI
• Doubling revenue with a new website
• Operating as a digital-first brand with physical locations
• Becoming the French Florist franchise
• Why he’s not interested in private equity money

References and how to contact Michael:

• LinkedIn
• michael@frenchflorist.com
• French Florist

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:

• Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you’re a searcher

Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):

• Book a call with Tim or email hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring Minds

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter

Tim Lahey has doubled the $1.6m company he bought, and buying small has prepared him well for the next phase of growth.

Topics in Tim’s interview:

• Being inspired by Doug Cook
• Looking for a “dusty, not rusty” business
• Partnering with an M&A firm to search
• Acquiring a home technology company
• Getting bitten on a cashflow crunch
• Handling customer complaints as the owner
• Culture of small businesses
• Changing too much too fast
• Listening for what customers want
• Challenges of buying small

References and how to contact Tim:

• LinkedIn
• timlahey@rhometech.com
• r:home
• The Trusted Advisor

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:

• Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital Advisory

Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:

• The Acquisition Lab

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter