Learn the foundational mindset and knowledge needed to successfully buy a business, including the deal lifecycle and what it takes to run a company.
Why acquisition entrepreneurship?
The 10 Acquisition Entrepreneur Mindset Pillars
The deal journey & lifecycle
Do you have what it takes to run a business?
Resource: Action Steps Checklist
Resource: Acquisition Journey Reference Sheet
Resource: Acquisition Self-Reflection Worksheet
Unit 2: Deal Clarity
Gain clarity on your personal acquisition criteria using the Contrarian Deal Clarity Framework, focusing on income goals, skills, and target industries.
Get clarity on why you want to own a business
Characteristics of the business you should buy
Which industries you should target
Create your own Deal Box to find your ideal business
Resource: Zone of Genius Worksheet
Resource: Deal Clarity Worksheet
Resource: Industries Database Selector
Resource: Personalized Deal Box
Unit 3: Origination
Discover techniques for finding on-market and off-market deals that fit your criteria, and learn to track deal flow using the Contrarian CRM Database
How deal sourcing works: finding businesses to buy
Finding deals through marketplaces like BizBuySell
How to find off-market deals
7 other methods for finding off-market deals
How to track if you’re making progress in business buying
Resource: Business Sourcing List
Resource: Business Broker List
Resource: Deal Sourcing CRM
Unit 4: Outreach
Master the art of positioning yourself as a qualified buyer, engaging sellers, and building relationships with owners and brokers.
How to position yourself as a qualified buyer
How to engage with sellers (including scripts)
FROG Method for meeting sellers
How to get responses from on-market deals
Bonus: 3 methodologies for seller outreach
Resource: Buyer Profile PDF
Resource: Cold Email Outreach Scripts
Resource: Questions To Ask Sellers
Unit 5: Evaluation
Learn to evaluate potential deals, sign NDAs, assess valuation using cash flow and market comparables, and decide whether to make an offer.
How to assess valuation before submitting an offer
2 methods for assessing valuation
How to calculate SDE
The 10 Contrarian Business Value Markers Framework
How to quickly crunch the numbers on a deal with our deal calculator
Resource: NDA Template
Resource: Deal Decision Tree
Resource: Contrarian Deal Navigator
Resource: Deal Calculator
Resource: SDE Calculation
Resource: 10 Contrarian Acquisition Value Markers
Unit 6: Offer & Negotiation
Understand the differences between LOIs and purchase agreements, structure creative deals, make offers, handle counteroffers, and negotiate win-win outcomes.
How & when to use professionals at the offer stage
What to include in your LOI (with templates!)
When to use LOI vs APA
What money is at risk during this stage
How to present your offer
How to negotiate your offer with sellers
Resource: Offer Checklist
Resource: LOI Template (advanced)
Resource: LOI Template (simple)
Resource: Asset Purchase Agreement Template
Unit 7: Due Diligence
Navigate the due diligence process, build your deal team, evaluate key information, and identify potential issues or red flags.
How to perform due diligence
How to build your deal team to verify due diligence
When to use LOI vs APA
What information to look for during due diligence
How to present your offer
How to negotiate your offer with sellers
Resource: 60+ item due diligence checklist
Unit 8: Financing
Explore the five main acquisition funding methods and 21 specific financing strategies, including seller financing, SBA loans, and sweat equity.
Learn the main ways deals are financed
How & when you should leverage debt to finance your deal
How to combine debt & equity
Deep dive into seller financing
Deep dive into SBA loans
Deep dive in sweat equity
Resource: 21 Financing Options Sheet
Resource: Expertise to Equity Terms Worksheet
Resource: Seller Financing Avatar Checklist
Unit 9: Closing
Master the formal closing process, resolve outstanding issues, finalize legal documents, and understand escrow and purchase price allocation.
Learn how the closing process works
How does escrow work during closing
Who are the key people involved in closing?
Models: Services, products and systems
Buying franchises with Wayne Lucier
Resource: Closing checklist
Unit 10: Day Zero
Prepare for the transition to ownership by completing essential tasks and setting the stage for a successful first day.
Add Comment