

Acquisitions Anonymous - #1 for business buying, selling and operating
Bill D'Alessandro, Mills Snell, Heather Endresen, and Michael Girdley
Jump into the world of business acquisitions with hosts Bill D'Alessandro, Mills Snell, Heather Endresen, and Michael Girdley. We review real businesses for sale in each episode, providing expert insights, strategies, and tips to make savvy business moves like the pros. Perfect for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone interested in buying and selling businesses.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 4, 2023 • 26min
Recovering insurance claims for profit and sometimes fun - Acquisitions Anonymous 181
Michael Girdley (@Girdley) and Mills Snell (@thegeneralmills) talk about the messiest listing they've ever seen.----Thanks to our sponsor!Acquira - your acquisition in a box service. Acquira offers training to help you find, evaluate, and close on a small business. All in under a year. Their team has bought over 30 businesses across 3 different portfolios. Whether you’re just beginning your business search, actively pursuing a specific deal, or looking to grow your existing company, Acquira’s training and team of experts can help. Their M&A advisors provide individualized support through the entire process. They will provide guidance toward your offer structure, drafting your LOI, in-depth due diligence, and securing funding for your deal. They will even fly out to the business with you. Once you acquire a business, they can help you grow it too.Acquira’s ACE Framework will help you transition that business from owner-operated to management-led, increasing profits and allowing you to step away from the daily operations and enjoy doing more of what you love. And if “more of what you love” is buying and growing more businesses, they can help you build a portfolio of businesses, and eventually get liquidity from that portfolio by selling it to a financial buyer, or selling it to its employees.Space is limited each month, so if you’re looking to acquire a cash-flowing business this year, sign up now at acquira.com/pod-lander----Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

25 snips
Mar 31, 2023 • 54min
How Great Operators Win! How PE does it like pros with Mark Brooks - Acquisitions Anonymous 180
If you liked this episode, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and receive new episodes, offers and learnings directly to your inbox every week:https://landing-newsletter.acquanon.com/----Mills Snell (@thegeneralmills) is joined by Mark Brooks (@markbrooks), Managing Director at Permanent Equity, to talk about investor-operator relationships, integrations, pre-close involvement and post-close dynamics, cultural fits, empowering leadership teams, handling tough conversations, and much more.--Thanks to our sponsors!CloudBookkeeping offers adaptable solutions to businesses that want to focus on growth with a “client service first” approach. They offer a full suite of accounting services, including sophisticated reporting, QuickBooks software solutions, and full-service payroll options.Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

Mar 28, 2023 • 30min
$50mm/yr Bedding Brand for Sale - Acquisitions Anonymous 179
Michael Girdley (@Girdley) and Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA) look into $50mm/yr Bedding Brand for Sale. Things get weird.-----Thanks to our sponsor!This episode is sponsored by Acquisition Lab. Acquisition Lab, created by Walker Deibel author of Buy Then Build: How to Outsmart the Startup Game, is an accelerator with a highly vetted cohort-based educational and support community for people serious about buying a business. After going through the Lab's month-long intensive, you have ongoing access to almost daily Q&A sessions with advisors, regular live deal review forums with Walker, hand-picked vendors for your deal team, and a very active Slack group with other searchers on this path. Our team personally understands how to buy a business and will help navigate all the complexities of the process, as well as provide a trusted framework, tools, and resources to support you from search to close. The Acquisition Lab recently celebrated its 70th business being acquired and well over $100m in aggregate transaction value. The Lab is there to stand by your side, so you can take the right action (at the right time) and avoid wasting countless hours trying to "go it alone".For more information, check out acquisitionlab.com (link in the show notes) or email the Lab's director Chelsea Wood, chelsea@buythenbuild.com.Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

Mar 24, 2023 • 24min
A $5mm tent rental company for colleges - Acquisitions Anonymous 178
Michael Girdley (@Girdley) and Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA) review a company that rents tents to colleges and universities.Girdley also tells some stories and Bill is smart as always!-----Thanks to our sponsors!CloudBookkeeping offers adaptable solutions to businesses that want to focus on growth with a “client service first” approach. They offer a full suite of accounting services, including sophisticated reporting, QuickBooks software solutions, and full-service payroll options.-----Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

Mar 21, 2023 • 34min
Fedex long-haul routes and are we crazy - Acquisitions Anonymous 177
Michael Girdley (@Girdley) and Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA) look into Fedex long-haul routes and whether you want to own one.-----Thanks to our sponsor!This episode is sponsored by Acquisition Lab. Acquisition Lab, created by Walker Deibel author of Buy Then Build: How to Outsmart the Startup Game, is an accelerator with a highly vetted cohort-based educational and support community for people serious about buying a business. After going through the Lab's month-long intensive, you have ongoing access to almost daily Q&A sessions with advisors, regular live deal review forums with Walker, hand-picked vendors for your deal team, and a very active Slack group with other searchers on this path. Our team personally understands how to buy a business and will help navigate all the complexities of the process, as well as provide a trusted framework, tools, and resources to support you from search to close. The Acquisition Lab recently celebrated its 70th business being acquired and well over $100m in aggregate transaction value. The Lab is there to stand by your side, so you can take the right action (at the right time) and avoid wasting countless hours trying to "go it alone".For more information, check out acquisitionlab.com (link in the show notes) or email the Lab's director Chelsea Wood, chelsea@buythenbuild.com.Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

Mar 17, 2023 • 45min
How One Tweet Led to One SMB Acquisition! - Acquisitions Anonymous Episode 176
Michael Girdley (@Girdley) and Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA) are joined by Joe Cassandra (@JoeCassandra) to hear his lessons learned in SMB ownership, running a children's retail store, owner-employee relationships, building a HoldCo, hidden expenses, and more.-----Thanks to our sponsors!This episode is sponsored by Acquisition Lab. Acquisition Lab, created by Walker Deibel author of Buy Then Build: How to Outsmart the Startup Game, is an accelerator with a highly vetted cohort-based educational and support community for people serious about buying a business. After going through the Lab's month-long intensive, you have ongoing access to almost daily Q&A sessions with advisors, regular live deal review forums with Walker, hand-picked vendors for your deal team, and a very active Slack group with other searchers on this path. Our team personally understands how to buy a business and will help navigate all the complexities of the process, as well as provide a trusted framework, tools, and resources to support you from search to close. The Acquisition Lab recently celebrated its 70th business being acquired and well over $100m in aggregate transaction value. The Lab is there to stand by your side, so you can take the right action (at the right time) and avoid wasting countless hours trying to "go it alone".For more information, check out acquisitionlab.com (link in the show notes) or email the Lab's director Chelsea Wood, chelsea@buythenbuild.com.Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

Mar 14, 2023 • 27min
Someone makes $5mm/yr printing CD sleeves - Acquisitions Anonymous 175
Michael Girdley (@Girdley), Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA), and Mills Snell (@thegeneralmills) review a company that prints CD-ROM sleeves as well as some other stuff too.Also, check our Girdley's dramatic lighting as he's trying out to be a member of the Backstreet Boys and/or a Twitch streamer.-----Thanks to our sponsors!CloudBookkeeping offers adaptable solutions to businesses that want to focus on growth with a “client service first” approach. They offer a full suite of accounting services, including sophisticated reporting, QuickBooks software solutions, and full-service payroll options.-----Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

4 snips
Mar 10, 2023 • 32min
A cash printing food blog - Acquisitions Anonymous 174
Michael Girdley (@chilis) and Mills Snell (@thegeneralmills) review a food blog for sale.----Thanks to our sponsor!Acquira - your acquisition in a box service. Acquira offers training to help you find, evaluate, and close on a small business. All in under a year. Their team has bought over 30 businesses across 3 different portfolios. Whether you’re just beginning your business search, actively pursuing a specific deal, or looking to grow your existing company, Acquira’s training and team of experts can help. Their M&A advisors provide individualized support through the entire process. They will provide guidance toward your offer structure, drafting your LOI, in-depth due diligence, and securing funding for your deal. They will even fly out to the business with you. Once you acquire a business, they can help you grow it too.Acquira’s ACE Framework will help you transition that business from owner-operated to management-led, increasing profits and allowing you to step away from the daily operations and enjoy doing more of what you love. And if “more of what you love” is buying and growing more businesses, they can help you build a portfolio of businesses, and eventually get liquidity from that portfolio by selling it to a financial buyer, or selling it to its employees.Space is limited each month, so if you’re looking to acquire a cash-flowing business this year, sign up now at acquira.com/pod-landerSubscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

Mar 8, 2023 • 37min
Do you want to own a cleaning company? - Acquisitions Anonymous 173
Michael Girdley (@Girdley), Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA), and Mills Snell (@thegeneralmills) review a cleaning company in Michigan. Good times were had by all! -----Thanks to our sponsors!CloudBookkeeping offers adaptable solutions to businesses that want to focus on growth with a “client service first” approach. They offer a full suite of accounting services, including sophisticated reporting, QuickBooks software solutions, and full-service payroll options.-----Subscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com

Mar 3, 2023 • 39min
Importing ice cream machines for fun and profit - Acquisitions Anonymous 172
Michael Girdley (@chilis), Mills Snell (@thegeneralmills), and Bill D’Alessandro (@BillDA) review an importer of ice cream machines.----Thanks to our sponsor!Acquira - your acquisition in a box service. Acquira offers training to help you find, evaluate, and close on a small business. All in under a year. Their team has bought over 30 businesses across 3 different portfolios. Whether you’re just beginning your business search, actively pursuing a specific deal, or looking to grow your existing company, Acquira’s training and team of experts can help. Their M&A advisors provide individualized support through the entire process. They will provide guidance toward your offer structure, drafting your LOI, in-depth due diligence, and securing funding for your deal. They will even fly out to the business with you. Once you acquire a business, they can help you grow it too.Acquira’s ACE Framework will help you transition that business from owner-operated to management-led, increasing profits and allowing you to step away from the daily operations and enjoy doing more of what you love. And if “more of what you love” is buying and growing more businesses, they can help you build a portfolio of businesses, and eventually get liquidity from that portfolio by selling it to a financial buyer, or selling it to its employees.Space is limited each month, so if you’re looking to acquire a cash-flowing business this year, sign up now at acquira.com/pod-landerSubscribe to weekly our Newsletter and get curated deals in your inboxAdvertise with us by clicking hereDo you love Acquanon and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!Follow us on Twitter @acquanon Learnings about small business acquisitions and operations.For inquiries or suggestions, email us at contact@acquanon.com


