Building a Beloved Brand from a Tiny, Dying Business
03/13/25 • 80 min
Register for:
- Employee Issues & Non-Competes When Buying a Business - Thu March 13th - https://bit.ly/41vg9SL
- The live Q&A with Harley on March 27th - https://bit.ly/43vYX24
Harley Sitner bought a struggling VW van repair shop for $100k in 2013. Today it's an 8-figure business and brand.
Topics in Harley’s interview:
- His career in software
- First business acquisition: West Coast Nurseries
- Sean buys a VW Camper Van
- "I'd rather hug 100 people than serve a billion"
- Irrational passion of VW van owners
- Overpaying for a failing auto repair shop
- VW Van culture
- The value of the brand
- Building 6 different lines of business
- The app he's developing for VW owners
References and how to contact Harley:
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:
- Email Nick Akers at [email protected], and tell him you’re a searcher
Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:
- From this page or contact [email protected]
Attend SMBash in Dallas, April 2-4, to meet fellow business buyers, operators, and investors:
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
- See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
- Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
- Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron
Register for:
- Employee Issues & Non-Competes When Buying a Business - Thu March 13th - https://bit.ly/41vg9SL
- The live Q&A with Harley on March 27th - https://bit.ly/43vYX24
Harley Sitner bought a struggling VW van repair shop for $100k in 2013. Today it's an 8-figure business and brand.
Topics in Harley’s interview:
- His career in software
- First business acquisition: West Coast Nurseries
- Sean buys a VW Camper Van
- "I'd rather hug 100 people than serve a billion"
- Irrational passion of VW van owners
- Overpaying for a failing auto repair shop
- VW Van culture
- The value of the brand
- Building 6 different lines of business
- The app he's developing for VW owners
References and how to contact Harley:
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
Get a complimentary IT audit of your target business:
- Email Nick Akers at [email protected], and tell him you’re a searcher
Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:
- From this page or contact [email protected]
Attend SMBash in Dallas, April 2-4, to meet fellow business buyers, operators, and investors:
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
- See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
- Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
- Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron
Previous Episode
The Appeal (and Risk) of Buying a Consulting Firm
Register for:
- Employee Issues & Non-Competes When Buying a Business - Thu March 13 - https://bit.ly/3F6dasG
- The live Q&A with Nick on March 25th: https://bit.ly/3DoZfgD
Industry outsider Nick Munsee bought a traffic engineering firm for a good price, carefully de-risking the acquisition.
Topics in Nick's interview:
- Managing from out of state
- The white whale: a deal that almost happened
- Lessons from a failed acquisition
- Finding Hales Engineering
- Understanding the traffic consulting business
- Navigating lender challenges
- Incentivizing key employees
- Challenges in consulting business growth
- Project-based revenue insights
- The abrupt customer hand-off
References and how to contact Nick:
Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):
- Book a call with Tim or [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 3rd:
- https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
- See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
- Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
- Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron
Next Episode
From Tech Sales to Forklift Repair
Register for the webinar:
- How to Reduce Surprises with Operational Diligence - Web March 26 - https://bit.ly/4kVYn3U
Recently laid off and a baby on the way, Shaugn Lindley pivoted into SMB ownership by buying a business with $550k SDE.
Topics in Shaugn’s interview:
- Getting laid off from tech
- Reaching out to 600 local landscaping companies
- Finding a mentor through Acquiring Minds
- Why he decided against landscaping
- Acquiring a forklift repair business
- The importance of follow up
- Being the second best option
- Challenge of hiring technicians
- Standing out from the competition
- Getting the business listed on Google
References and how to contact Shaugn:
- R&R Lift
- Mike Loftus Twitter
- Adrian Pinto & Mike Botkin on Acquiring Minds: One Acquiring Minds Guest Buys Another
- Matt Bauer & Chris Hartman on Acquiring Minds: Exited but Tired: 5 Years in a Hard Business
Get $200 off your ticket to the M&A Launchpad Conference in Houston on May 3rd:
- https://www.malaunchpad.com & enter code ACQUIRINGMINDS
Listen to Meeting of the Minds, our new sister podcast about independent sponsors and deal-by-deal private equity:
Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):
- Book a call with Tim or [email protected] and mention Acquiring Minds
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
Work with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
- See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
- Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
- Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron
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