Buy a Business. Skip the Startup Grind.
Everything you need to find, evaluate, and acquire a cash-flowing business — without starting from scratch. I've started businesses and bought them. Buying wins every time. This page is your hub for every acquisition resource I've built — by business type, by topic, and by where you are in the process.
Start With the Playbook — Get Buy > Start for $10
Why Buying Beats Starting
Most entrepreneurs are taught one path: come up with an idea, build from zero, grind for years, and hope it works. Some of them make it. Most don't — or do, but it takes a decade longer than it needed to.
Buying a business is a different game entirely. When you acquire an existing business, you skip the part where nothing works. You inherit customers, revenue, systems, employees, and a brand that people already trust. You're not building from the ground up — you're stepping into something that already runs and making it better.
Private equity figured this out decades ago. Now individual buyers — people like you — are using the same playbook.
STARTING A BUSINESS
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10-15 years to meaningful scale
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No customers on Day One
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You do everything yourself
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High failure rate, low certainty
BUYING A BUSINESS
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Cash Flow from Day One
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Customers already in place
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Systems already built
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Skip a decade of guessing
That's not hype. That's math. And it's why this site exists — to give you the frameworks, the knowledge, and the support to do it right.
I've Done This. Here's What I Learned
My name is Nate Jones. I've started companies from scratch and bought them. I know what both feel like — and I know which one I'd choose every time.
My wife and I built Wexford Insurance into a national agency operating in 48 states with over $10M in annual sales. Our first acquisition was a mess — bad diligence, seller pressure, hidden risks. And it still cash-flowed. That deal taught me more than any book ever could.
I wrote Buy > Start so you don't have to make those mistakes. I built this acquisitions resource center so you always know where to look next.
Whether you're trying to figure out what kind of business to buy, how to evaluate a deal, or how to finance your first acquisition — the answer is somewhere on this site. And if you need help beyond that, I work with buyers directly.
Browse by Business Type
Each page below is a complete acquisition guide — what to look for, what to pay, how to finance it, and how to run it without experience.
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HVAC & Refrigeration -> Explore Acquisitions
One of the most recession-resistant businesses you can buy. High demand, recurring service contracts, and a massive wave of retiring owners creating opportunity for buyers right now
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Landscaping & Lawn Care -> Explore Acquisitions
Recurring seasonal revenue, low overhead, and scalable routes make landscaping one of the most accessible acquisitions for first-time buyers. Simple model, strong margins.
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Accounting & Bookkeeping -> Explore Acquisitions
White-collar, low overhead, and sticky clients. Accounting firms have some of the highest customer retention of any small business — and they're quietly one of the best acquisitions nobody talks about.
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Home Services & Restoration -> Explore Acquisitions
A $210 billion industry driven by aging housing stock and weather events. Restoration, remediation, and general home services businesses offer strong margins and reliable demand.
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Specialty Manufacturing -> Explore Acquisitions
Niche manufacturing businesses supplying specific components or serving defined regional markets are among the most undervalued acquisitions available. Resilient, financeable, and off most buyers' radar.
How The Acquisition Process Works
Whether you're brand new to this or already looking at deals, here's the path from zero to ownership.
Step 1 — Build Your Buy-Box Before you look at a single listing, you need to know what you're actually looking for. Revenue range. Geography. Industry. Deal structure. Your buy-box is the filter that keeps you from chasing the wrong deals. Get the criteria right first.
Step 2 — Source Deals Most great deals don't come from business listing sites. They come from direct outreach, broker relationships, trade networks, and referrals. Learn where to find deals before they hit the open market.
Step 3 — Screen Fast, Walk Away Faster Most deals aren't worth your time. Build a screening process that lets you evaluate a business in under an hour and move on without regret. One great deal beats ten mediocre ones.
Step 4 — Run Real Due Diligence This is where most buyers either protect themselves or get hurt. Learn how to read financials, verify cash flow, assess key person risk, check licenses, and uncover what sellers don't volunteer.
Step 5 — Structure and Finance the Deal SBA loans, seller financing, equity partners — there are more ways to finance a small business acquisition than most buyers realize. Know your options before you sit down at the table.
Step 6 — Close and Execute the First 90 Days Buying is the beginning. How you handle the first 90 days determines whether customers stay, employees stay, and the cash flow you underwrote actually shows up.
The full playbook for all six steps is in Buy > Start
Need Help With Your Deal?
The book gives you the framework. If you want eyes on your specific deal — or someone in your corner as you work through the process — that's what I'm here for.
One-Time Mentor Call — $300 You've got a deal in front of you and need a second opinion. We'll do a deal review, talk through structure and financing, and you'll leave with clarity on whether to move forward or walk away.
Mentor Program — $500/month Monthly 1:1 call, weekday text access, deal screening, and ongoing support as you search for and evaluate businesses. Built for buyers who are actively in the market.
Partner Program — $750/month Two monthly calls, weekday access, off-market acquisition strategy, active deal evaluation, lender prep, and first-90-days planning. For serious buyers who want a real partner in the process.
Equity Partner (Selective) In the right situations, I invest alongside you as a capital or strategic partner. Highly selective — based on deal quality, fit with my team, and long-term upside.
Start Here If You're New to This
If you're just getting started and want to understand how business acquisition actually works — before you talk to brokers, before you look at listings, before you spend a dime — start with the book.
Buy > Start is a no-fluff guide to finding the right business, running real due diligence, using SBA loans, and protecting your first 90 days. It's $10. It will save you far more than that.