They’re buying freedom. They want to make more money and grow their business so they can be free. Some want to retire, some want to grow, but it all boils down to enjoying the freedom that comes from a business that’s easy to run and large enough to operate without …
Read More »What is your best advice for people on how to recruit great team members?
Hire slow, Fire fast. Make sure to interview them a couple of times with different team members – find out what’s they’re about. Maybe take them to dinner and see what they like to talk about. Make sure they’re easy to get along with. Then, when they’re working there, make …
Read More »What do you wish your prospects would understand before they talk to you?
I wish people would understand the myriad of benefits being part of a PLC affords. You typically get better pricing on supplies, a bigger forum to put the word out, easier access to top talent, easier acquisition story, acquisitions using stock rather than cash, etc. Being part of a publicly …
Read More »What coming technological advancement do you expect to have the biggest impact on your business?
I think technology is continuing to make companies easier to manage with fewer people. Being in the mergers and acquisition and IPO space, specific tech isn’t on my radar, but anything that makes a company easier to manage with fewer people will make acquisitions or IPOs much easier to initiate. …
Read More »What misconception do people outside of your industry hold about it?
I think the most common misconception is you have to be big. You don’t need to be a very large company to acquire another or go public. Both become easier with scale, but are possible even for smaller firms. There are ways to use leverage or deferred payments for acquisitions. …
Read More »What do you wish someone had told you at the beginning of your career?
I wish someone had told me the quickest way to a large company is through acquisition. Heck, even starting from scratch, if you can acquire a company instead of build one you’re leagues ahead on day 1. Then acquire another and another. If you acquired a $1 million company annually, …
Read More »What makes you most optimistic about the future of your industry?
There is a huge transfer of ownership going on right now as the Baby Boom generation retire from the companies they started. Some of these companies may just be shut down for lack of interested or qualified buyers – my cousin’s grain mill is in this situation. This brings tremendous …
Read More »Bradford Kindergan – Entrepreneur at Blackhouse PE
Moving from software development to mosquito control may not be the traditional route to business acquisitions, but it is the route Bradford Kindergan took, and very happy he is about it! What’s your story? I was a software developer and tester in my “career”. I was working for an Army …
Read More »What belief do you hold about your industry that is not shared by many?
I believe that Acquisition is the best way to structure the business you dream of. Most entrepreneurs get mired in the details and the struggle of gaining one client before the next. Most also “think small” – they think acquisitions are something big companies do and not available to the …
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