Acquiring Minds How to Own 20% of Multiple SMBs
20 snips
Feb 12, 2026 Evan DiLeonardi, an acquisition entrepreneur who runs a commercial cleaning company and trades buy-side services for minority equity stakes. He recounts buying a rural cleaning business, surviving a brutal first year of staffing and theft, and building remote management systems. He also explains his “Equity in Kind” model: taking ~15–20% slices of SBA-style deals and scaling that into a diversified holding approach.
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Experiment To Find Scalable Lead Channels
- Test multiple marketing channels aggressively to find scalable lead sources for service businesses.
- Measure conversion rates and optimize hiring/training to improve bid-to-win ratios once leads arrive.
Promote And Reward Local Leaders
- Evan promoted internal supervisors to fill leadership gaps and rewarded them with higher pay and bonuses for growth.
- Those two managers became core to stabilizing operations and rebuilding customer trust.
Fund Working Capital Intentionally
- Build cash reserves or secure permanent working capital at close to smooth the J-curve and avoid overusing a line of credit.
- Weigh long-term interest costs versus short-term liquidity when choosing between permanent working capital and a credit line.