Today's Purchases Teach Float and Discipline
Why today is always the day for my biggest business purchases. Float and Discipline lesson inside. https://t.co/r6DUEVnTtI #SmallBusiness & Deal Making #SMB https://t.co/s6Y0EC0IKN
Skipping Due Diligence: A Straightforward Legal Mistake
Nah. It was cut-and-dried law. He signed the deal and chose not to do the due diligence.
AI Poised to Upend Software, Jeopardizing Private Equity
The Extinction of Private Equity? My latest memo on the potential of AI to disrupt the software industry and its effect on private equity: https://t.co/GMi44JG2PQ https://t.co/oZYyMnfppx
From Associate to GP: $95M Fund, 16 Niche Deals
1. Left an Associate role at a mid-market private equity firm 2. Raised $95 million over three years 3. Completed 16 acquisitions In this episode, I sit down with Kaido, who started his career at a PE fund in New...
Trump Poised to Acquire Media Stakes via Netflix Debt
Did not have President Trump buying Netflix debt on my bingo card. How long until he is taking direct stakes in the media business? Remember Jared's Affinity Partners "pulled out" of part the Paramount investor group in December. $PSKY $WBD...
Blackstone Invests $400M in Teva, Sanofi Gut Drug
Blackstone puts $400M into Teva, Sanofi gut disease drug https://t.co/CkxPaI6CPr @ByJonGardner $TEVA $SNY $MRK $RHHBY
PE‑
Major narrative violation but a private equity-owned SaaS company, financed by *gasp* private credit, is rapidly building out its AI capabilities. https://t.co/DOGvFQyXdN
Vendor Financing Aligns Seller Interest via Business Collateral
Case Study: Effective Vendor Financing in Business Acquisitions This topic was highlighted by a question from Tomo, a follower intrigued by the mechanics behind vendor take-back notes. Challenge: When purchasing a business with vendor financing, one of the key concerns for both...
CP Axtra's RM1.66B Deal Consolidates Malaysia's Grocery Market
The Malaysian grocery landscape just changed forever. 🚨 Thai retail giant CP Axtra (the power behind Lotus’s) is officially acquiring 100% of The Food Purveyor for RM1.66 billion. 💰 By Q4 2026, the group will control 120 stores nationwide, blending the scale...
Software Buyout Lending Shows Near‑zero Default
No wonder direct lending to software buyouts was so popular. Out of 300+ loans that Blue Owl has made since inception, only one has defaulted. That one loan was to finance Vista Equity's $3.5 billion buyout of Pluralsight in 2021. Blue Owl...
Boring Success Gets 120 Views, Steak Grilling Gets Millions
There's an interview with a guy who quit his job and, with no prior experience, raised a $95 million to acquire 13+ "boring" niche businesses. Less than 120 views. Meanwhile, a gentleman grilling a wasabi-marinated A5 wagyu steak has over 7.5...
New Data‑Driven LOI Template Boosts Lower‑Middle‑Market Deal Success
We just released our 2026 Lower-Middle-Market LOI Template. Built from 500+ deals and $1.6B+ in closed (and busted) transactions. It’s designed to reduce retrades, surface deal killers early, and increase close probability. Download it here: https://smblaw.group/services/mergers-and-acquisitions Scroll to the middle of the page to access...
Flexibility to Invest Minority or Majority Drives Success
Talked to a small-cap private equity GP, and he said that from day one, they've always asked LPs for the flexibility to do both majority and minority investments... They’ve seen many great companies where the owners have clear reasons for not...
RedBird Reshapes Streaming Landscape with Major Studio Deals
Friday: RedBird helps Paramount pry Warner Bros. away from Netflix. Monday: RedBird helps Artists Equity ink major streaming deal with Netflix.
Blackstone’s Jon Gray Offers SaaS Loans at 98¢
it’s your promotion year at Blackstone and Jon Gray calls and asks if you wanna buy some SaaS loans at 98 cents: https://t.co/7xdf7c8YNt https://t.co/CvnV13BVpL
Databricks Files Audited GAAPs, Signals IPO Preparation
Databricks today disclosed audited GAAP financials. That's the sort of thing a company does when it's prepping to go public.
Lease Used Equipment to Cut Costs and Risk
"Another great way to do smaller deals and reduce risk is to do leases on used equipment. Just like cars, most of the depreciation on equipment happens in the first few years." –Invest Local (2014) https://t.co/l2EObkfURN https://t.co/X97c95CkJd
MBAs Spot Digital Gap in 27‑Year HVAC Business
How MBAs look at a 27 year old HVAC business in Omaha with no website:
Massive M&A Spree: Premium Deals Across Sectors
Today's M&A notes - $WBD to be acquired by $PSKY for $31.00, 147.2% premium, $110bn - $AES to be acquired by GIP / EQT / CalPERS / QIA for $15.00, 35.5% premium, $33.4bn - $ASCU.to to be acquired by $HBM.to for 0.242x shares,...
Elite Leaders Prove Focus, Long Hours Drive Success
Spent a long weekend with a group of folks in the mountains of Switzerland. All top people in their fields: a senior position in investment banking, CFO of a bank, serial acquirers, PE investors, etc. Some of the obvious observations: 1. Everyone’s busy,...
LBO Debt Market Faces $20B Nerve‑Testing Stress Test
The LBO debt market is freaking out. Here comes a $20B test of nerves https://t.co/MiXTnEB2pK
Use a 1.5× DSCR to Fund $2‑3M Deals
The one number that unlocks business acquisition finance: DSCR — Debt Service Coverage Ratio Formula: EBITDA ÷ Annual Debt Repayments Lenders want ≥ 1.5x What this means: For every $1 you owe the bank, the business earns $1.50. Find a business with $500K EBITDA? You can service...
Retiring Owners Value Trust over Price in Exits
What retiring business owners actually want: • To know their staff will be looked after • To feel proud of who they sell to • A clean exit with no complications • Someone who "gets" their industry • Monthly payments that feel like a pension Notice...
Unlock Hidden Loan Options Through Business Brokers
“Welcome to my special report on how to borrow from #businessbrokers... By the end of this report, you’ll learn how you can negotiate a loan from a lender that many others have never considered.” –Borrow from Biz Brokers (2017) https://t.co/l2EObkfURN...
Bootstrapped SaaS Thrives on Trust, Not Code
Gah such a great take. I don’t invest in large SaaS plays, but on the micro end, especially for bootstrapped founders, it’s still a fantastic place to build.
KKR Founders' First Capital and Early Investor Snapshot
A great one-page overview detailing the KKR founders’ initial capital contributions and the investors they raised from to finance their first leveraged buyouts. https://t.co/JQxW7mzQhZ
Capital Comes Last: Build Board, Seller, Structure First
"You need money to buy a business." False. What you actually need: • A credible board (free to recruit) • A seller motivated to exit • A structure they say yes to • 1,000 cold calls worth of persistence Capital is the last variable. Not the first.
10 Cash‑
. @Travis_Jamison is sharing his story of doing 10 acquisitions in cash-flow-positive, profitable lower middle market businesses, with some deals projected to have an IRR of 25% or more. The best part: he is only getting started. These last 10 deals...
Opaque Private Debt Markets Reveal Growing Financial Fragility
Private debt markets have been struggling for some time. These are nonbank lenders, largely in the private equity space, although they do rely upon bank credit. This is one of many fragilities in the financial market and the economy more...
JPMorgan, Not Stripe, Seen as Viable PayPal Buyer
.@ShenLucinda argues that Stripe isn't a logical buyer for PayPal. But JPMorgan may be. https://t.co/5mg3m05s44
Company Secures Record Private Funding Amid Cofounder Lawsuit
Remarkable that a company raises largest private round ever, while in the midst of being sued by a cofounder who also happens to be the world' richest man.
Revenue Growth Trumps Profit as Companies Form Interlinked Borg
I take @sama point on circular dealmaking concerns -- that the revenue growth is key metric. And will leave profit concerns for another day. But also true that these companies are becoming something of a borg. If one goes down, it's...
Banks Fund Equipment, Not Your Business Goodwill
"Most commercial banks will lend against machines & equipment... Do you know what the bank won’t finance? Goodwill… the intangible value of the fact that you’ve built up a great clientele" –12 Things to Do Before You Consider Selling Your...
Ellisons Pull Off Record LBO of Warner, CNN
The Ellisons nab Warner and CNN in the biggest leveraged buy-out in history. Who's going to run it? https://t.co/KOQeZ3NQTy
Master the ‘Exit’ Strategy to Sell Your Business
This small ‘E’ word secret will help ensure that you’ll be able to sell your business one day. It’s easy, but most never do it. https://t.co/riUdLIn5K2 #SmallBusiness & Deal Making #SMB https://t.co/qh1kcfQ0Jf
PE Shifts From Legend Deals to Low‑Margin Rollup Frenzy
PE in 2009: We tried to be legends but got jammed (Caesars, NXP, IntraWest) PE in 2026: Wheels are coming off our janitorial, car wash, dental clinic and gritty Glengarry glenross-esque insurance brokerage rollups. One fund spotlights PEs problems https://t.co/O0PB4vXT6T
Add Inventory to Valuation only if Working Capital Requires It
When valuing a business using a cashflow multiple (SDE or EBITDA), do you ADD inventory on top of that price? Answer: Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. It depends on how the working capital actually functions.
Paramount Ups Bid, Netflix Faces Critical Decision
Axios Pro Rata on Feb. 11: "It feels like the next act already has been written. The 'Davids' get over themselves, Paramount raises its bid and then Netflix has a decision to make."
Warner Says Paramount Offer Outpaces Netflix, Challenges Sarandos
WBD says Paramount bid > Netflix. Mr Sarandos, the ball is now in your court.
New Free Guide: Buying a Business for Beginners
We just did a bunch of work to update the free resource page about buying a business over on our website. Lots of links to further resources (videos) great place for a beginner to start... link in comment.
Blue Owl’s Rise Marred by Internal Fractiousness
Blue Owl climbed quickly on Wall Street. One of its arms floated an idea to create a Mt Rushmore of private equity. But those pitched saw the firm’s own fractiousness as the plan’s big flaw. @EricGPlatt & I look at the...
Blackstone's Medallia Loan Downgrade Erases $5B Equity
Surprised no journalists have read $BXSL's 10-K filed this am, but I'll front run them with the story: Blackstone marked the Medallia loan at 78 in Q4, down from 82 in Q3. It's safe to say the PE sponsor's (and co-investors') $5...
Sharing Your Deal Story Inspires New Acquirers
Important message for folks acquiring $2-15M EBITDA businesses, especially those who are willing to share their story and lessons down to the detail. Thanks to you, others are willing to take the leap. Just received a DM from a listener of the...
Crestview and Gersh Eye Full or Partial Wasserman Sale
One of the more interesting things from my recent story on the @Wasserman sale. Crestview Partners and @TheGershAgency are looking at Wasserman in whole and or in parts #sportico https://t.co/swU8ey2FGO
Rare Glimpse Into Secretive Thrive's Performance Data
got my hands on Thrive's performance. secretive firm so this provides a rare snapshot of how they're doing https://t.co/5dbvPfrUF1
AGI Privatization Falters; Stock Trades Above $1 Bid
As expected, $AGI.AX privatization failed - Novomatic (67%) failed to reach 75% delisting threshold - Stock now ~15% above the A$1.00/sh bid since Sep - Activist argues for ~A$3.00/sh (likely stretched) - Novo can re-bid in a few months, overbid thesis looks enticing now.
ByteDance Valued at $550 Billion in Proposed Sale
Exclusive: ByteDance valued at $550 billion in proposed share sale by General Atlantic, sources say With the national emergency finally over.... https://t.co/meRO3PXF22
Closing Short: When Business Sales Lack Funds
What happens when a small business is sold… and there isn’t enough money at the closing table? https://t.co/2PBFSkyCNC #SmallBusiness #BusinessSale #BuyingABusiness #SellMyBusiness #BusinessBroker #Entrepreneurship https://t.co/skl9JQoWaW
Fund 1 Takes 10% Stake, Presses FNKO Sale
Fund 1 pops a 10% stake in $FNKO. Pushing for a sale of the struggling branded collectibles biz. Co trades ~5x Q3 run-rate EBITDA w/ room for further normalization. Staggered board though, so tough to see real movement unless mgmt is open to...
Buffett Chooses Companies with Durable, Layered Foundations
Vic Keller on Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway acquiring three of his companies, and what he looked at in his companies: "Mr. Buffett acquired businesses that I was fortunate enough to be part of founding. I don't think anybody sells a...
