search fund, searcher, deal flow, buying a small business, ETA community, founder notes
What I Hear When I Ask Searchers How the Search Is Going
Notes from a founder's weekly conversations with searchers: shared listings dressed up as deal flow, tool stacks that eat the calendar, and the owner who is not ready yet.
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deal team, buying a small business, M&A attorney, quality of earnings, SBA lender, letter of intent, search fund
The Deal Team: Why Solo Buyers Lose at the Deal Stage
Deals are lost on credibility, not price. Why the lender, QoE provider, and M&A attorney belong on your team before the LOI, and what waiting costs a buyer.
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search fund, Stanford search fund study 2026, entrepreneurship through acquisition, ETA, buying a small business, search fund returns, search fund acquisition rate, searcher, long duration enterprise, LDE, search fund investors, acquisition entrepreneurship, SMB acquisition, search fund IRR, self-funded search
So You Want to Buy a Business? What Stanford's 2026 Search Fund Study Tells Aspiring Searchers
Stanford's 2026 Search Fund Study reveals what separates successful searchers: experience, partnerships & early momentum. Key insights for aspiring buyers.
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quality of earnings report, due diligence small business acquisition, SBA acquisition diligence,QoE report cost, commercial due diligence, acquisition entrepreneurship, buying a small business, SDE seller discretionary earnings, small business acquisition risks
You Paid for the Course. Did You Pay for the Diligence?
Buyers spend $120K on a down payment and skip the $15K QoE report. Here is why that is the most expensive mistake in acquisition entrepreneurship.
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