Everyone's talking about buying small HVAC/plumbing businesses like it's just the newest greatest way to get rich.

1. No it's not
2. It's blood + sweat + tears hard
3. It can take 10+ years

I've spoken with over 30 sellers in the last 2 months. Here's the *typical* story.

Someone who has built a $2MM+ business is almost always someone who started from the ground, the dirt.

- One truck,
- No website,
- no employees,
- cheap equipment,
- Likely almost killed in 2008.

They've clawed, scratched, and stressed 30+ years, 40+ hours a week to get that business where it is.

For some people that's more time than they get to spend with their children.

This business is literally their baby.

Sometimes they've inherited this business from their parents, and they've now raised their own baby, PLUS the generational family business.

And when it's finally time to sell their business, they're usually forced to via retirement or near bankruptcy.

In every single seller call I receive, there's some level of emotional dump.

1. They've raised their children to help them on jobs.

Bonding themselves, their children, and the business.

2. Their children are the ones who don't want to buy the business. Forcing a sale.

When the business becomes a part of the family - this can be heartbreaking, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

3. They've had aspirations of a 10MM business, and failed to get it there.

When they sell - they are admitting they couldn't do it.

I had a deal fall through because the seller would rather spend another 5+ years trying to turn it around.

Everything about selling a business is heartbreaking.

And most of the buyers I'm seeing lately aren't considering the other side of what they're buying.

Which is a family business that the founders bled for.

And I get it, multiples and SBA debt is fun. I talk a lot about it here.

But the only thing separating searchers from big PE is our genuine care for a business's legacy.

More accurately - a family business's legacy.

Be like @BrentBeshore - Do No Harm
Be like @xavierhelgesen - Hold Forever
Be like @sweatystartup - Embrace The Dirt
Be like @moseskagan - @girdley - @tsludwig

Care about the people who built what you buy