Walker Deibel is an acquisition entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and the founder of Acquisition Lab, an accelerator that teaches entrepreneurs how to purchase and scale sustainable, profitable companies. He has acquired 7 companies over ten years and co-founded several startups.
In this episode, Walker shares in-depth tips on how entrepreneurs can look at acquisitions as a part of their growth strategy. We discuss the value of “boring” brick-and-mortar businesses vs. “zero-to-one” innovative companies, how Walker sources deals, and ideas for evaluating and vetting potential businesses for sale.
You’ll also hear the number one risk Walker sees buyers make, the first thing he believes entrepreneurs should do when considering an acquisition, and the best place to start for entrepreneurs who already know what they want to buy.
Tweetables
“Acquisition as a lever has been here the whole time. There’s not a lot of emphasis on it, but it’s the fastest way to acquire the infrastructure, revenue and earnings that you want.” – Walker Deibel
“Companies are formed in the image of their leaders. And if you don’t trust the person or you just don’t jive with them in some way, it’s already a bad acquisition.” – Walker Deibel
“When entrepreneurs want to exit the most valuable thing that they have, it’s all about timing and getting them mentally ready to actually sell.” – Walker Deibel
