Buying a business starts with defining what "right" means for you. Not every profitable business will suit your goals, skills, or lifestyle. In this module, we'll clarify your acquisition criteria and explore how to source viable deals.

Once you've found a promising target, the next step is evaluating its true worth and viability. This module covers how to analyze financials, assess value, and decide whether the deal makes sense. We'll also introduce a deal analysis spreadsheet template and valuation techniques.

You've found a promising business and done your homework on its value. Now it's time to craft the deal - how exactly you'll buy it - and formally propose your terms to the seller. In this module, we cover deal structure, creative financing options, negotiation tips, and drafting a Letter of Intent (LOI).

With an LOI signed, the deal enters a critical stage: due diligence. This is your chance to verify all aspects of the business - financial, legal, operational - to ensure no surprises post-acquisition. Concurrently, you'll be working to secure financing and drafting the purchase agreement. In this module, we outline a due diligence checklist, highlight key focus areas, and walk through the closing process.

The deal is closed - now you face the challenge of taking over and growing the business. This module focuses on the first 100 days post-acquisition, integrating yourself into the company, winning over employees and customers, and setting the stage for growth. We also provide a 30/60/90-day plan checklist and tips for driving improvements without derailing what already works.

From day one of owning a business, it's wise to have an exit strategy in mind (even if it's years away). This module discusses planning for your eventual exit - whether that's selling the business, passing it on, or other routes - and how to maximize long-term value. By understanding exit options early, you can build the business in a way that yields the best outcome for you when the time comes.

Having gone through one acquisition, you may catch the "acquisition entrepreneurship" bug - many do! This module is for those who aspire to buy additional businesses and build a portfolio or roll-up. We'll discuss how to create a repeatable system for sourcing, analyzing, and integrating multiple acquisitions. Even if you stick with one business, these tips can help in case you pursue future deals.

Scaling a company rapidly often involves not just organic growth, but growth by acquisitions - a strategy known as a roll-up when done repeatedly in one industry. In this closing module, we examine how to use acquisitions as a deliberate scaling strategy and the considerations to make it successful. If Module 7 was about setting up the system, this is about the strategic endgame: building a much larger enterprise through M&A.

This will just go over a digital Appendices & Resources