In this episode of the Buying Online Businesses podcast, host Jaryd Krause interviews Lisa Williams, CEO of Hello Again, a women’s wellness e-commerce brand. Lisa shares her journey of transitioning from running a marketing agency to acquiring a brand in 2024 with zero prior M&A experience and no outside capital. 

She dives into how she discovered the product during her own menopause journey, structured the deal to finance it herself, navigated complex legal challenges, reformulated and rebranded the products, and scaled the business through organic growth and content creation.

If you're looking to buy your first business without relying on outside investors, this episode is a masterclass in creative deal-making. Click the ‘Play’ button to get started!

 

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

03:44 – Finding the Deal Opportunity

07:50 – Due Diligence and Valuation as a First-Time Buyer

09:03 – Self-Funding and Deal Structure

15:13 – Managing Legal Friction & Deal Fatigue

21:47 – Industry and Regulatory Challenges

26:48 – The Rebranding & Post-Acquisition Overhaul

28:22 – Growth Strategy: Organic Marketing & Going Viral

 

Key Takeaways

➥ Alternative Valuations for Unprofitable Brands: When acquiring an unprofitable or winding-down business, traditional profit multipliers may not apply; valuation can be based on reimbursing the founders' initial build capital.

➥ Creative Seller Financing: Buyers can self-fund acquisitions using initial cash down payments combined with multi-year seller payouts and royalty agreements rather than taking on expensive loans or outside investors.

➥ Overcoming Deal Fatigue: When attorneys cause friction or delay during contract revisions, direct, unrecorded founder-to-buyer communication can resolve standstills and save the deal.

➥ Post-Acquisition Timelines and Costs: Buying a brand that requires reformulation, new digital infrastructure, or new merchant processing can demand six or more months of capital investment and work before launching.

➥ Founder-Led Organic Marketing: In restricted niches where digital ad platforms forbid promotion, organic content creation and personal brand positioning can effectively generate viral awareness and revenue spikes.

 

About Lisa Williams

Lisa Williams is CEO of Hello Again, a women's wellness ecommerce brand she acquired in 2024 after discovering the products during her own menopause journey — with zero prior M&A experience and no outside funding. Since acquiring the business, she's reformulated products, rebranded the company, rebuilt the website, and shifted growth toward content and community. Before Hello Again, Lisa founded The TOKE Agency and It's Simply Digital, bringing 35+ years of marketing expertise in brand positioning and customer acquisition.

 

Connect with Lisa Williams

➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/simplylisawilliams/


➥ https://helloagainproducts.com 

 

Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

In this episode of the Buying Online Businesses podcast, host Jaryd Krause interviews Lisa Williams, CEO of Hello Again, a women&rsquo;s wellness e-commerce brand. Lisa shares her journey of transitioning from running a marketing agency to acquiring a brand in 2024 with zero prior M&amp;A experience and no outside capital.&nbsp;
She dives into how she discovered the product during her own menopause journey, structured the deal to finance it herself, navigated complex legal challenges, reformulated and rebranded the products, and scaled the business through organic growth and content creation.
If you're looking to buy your first business without relying on outside investors, this episode is a masterclass in creative deal-making. Click the &lsquo;Play&rsquo; button to get started!
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights &amp; Timestamps
03:44 &ndash; Finding the Deal Opportunity
07:50 &ndash; Due Diligence and Valuation as a First-Time Buyer
09:03 &ndash; Self-Funding and Deal Structure
15:13 &ndash; Managing Legal Friction &amp; Deal Fatigue
21:47 &ndash; Industry and Regulatory Challenges
26:48 &ndash; The Rebranding &amp; Post-Acquisition Overhaul
28:22 &ndash; Growth Strategy: Organic Marketing &amp; Going Viral
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ Alternative Valuations for Unprofitable Brands: When acquiring an unprofitable or winding-down business, traditional profit multipliers may not apply; valuation can be based on reimbursing the founders' initial build capital.
➥ Creative Seller Financing: Buyers can self-fund acquisitions using initial cash down payments combined with multi-year seller payouts and royalty agreements rather than taking on expensive loans or outside investors.
➥ Overcoming Deal Fatigue: When attorneys cause friction or delay during contract revisions, direct, unrecorded founder-to-buyer communication can resolve standstills and save the deal.
➥ Post-Acquisition Timelines and Costs: Buying a brand that requires reformulation, new digital infrastructure, or new merchant processing can demand six or more months of capital investment and work before launching.
➥ Founder-Led Organic Marketing: In restricted niches where digital ad platforms forbid promotion, organic content creation and personal brand positioning can effectively generate viral awareness and revenue spikes.
&nbsp;
About Lisa Williams
Lisa Williams is CEO of Hello Again, a women's wellness ecommerce brand she acquired in 2024 after discovering the products during her own menopause journey &mdash; with zero prior M&amp;A experience and no outside funding. Since acquiring the business, she's reformulated products, rebranded the company, rebuilt the website, and shifted growth toward content and community. Before Hello Again, Lisa founded The TOKE Agency and It's Simply Digital, bringing 35+ years of marketing expertise in brand positioning and customer acquisition.
&nbsp;
Connect with Lisa Williams
➥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/simplylisawilliams/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/simplylisawilliams/ </a>
➥&nbsp;<a href="https://helloagainproducts.com">https://helloagainproducts.com</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

Buying a Business With No Experience: She Put $60K Down on a 7 Figure Brand with Lisa Williams

In this episode of the Buying Online Businesses podcast, Jaryd Krause interviews David Barnett, an author, educator, and former business broker with over 20 years of experience buying, selling, financing, and managing small businesses. 

They explore concepts from David's 11th book, Business and Asset Values, diving into how opinions, personal situations, and emotions influence how people value businesses. 

The discussion highlights strategies for becoming an "unfocused" buyer to avoid costly emotional mistakes, objectively assessing a business's build-versus-buy replacement costs, navigating competition from strategic buyers or private equity firms, and using a sales mindset to help buyers secure better terms.

Check out this video to learn how to win deals without overpaying!

Link here: _____


Episode Highlights

02:14 - David’s journey from a sales representative to a business acquisition consultant.

03:40 - How value is driven by human attitudes and choices rather than fixed numbers.

05:40 - How opinions and context shape valuation

11:30 - Asset valuation scenarios (The Used Car Example)

16:09 - Why search funders or eager buyers overpay

21:00 - Dealing with high competing offers

28:52 - Uncovering broker valuation errors

32:25 - Viewing acquisition as a sales process







Key Takeaways

➥ Value is Context-Dependent: A business's value is not an absolute number; it is a conclusion based on the specific buyer's or seller's unique situation, emotional state, alternatives, and long-term goals.

➥ Master the Art of "Unfocusing": Emotional commitment to closing a deal often leads to overpaying or accepting excessive risk. Stepping back and remembering that leaving with your capital intact beats closing a bad deal prevents costly mistakes.

➥ Beware the "Day Two" Problem: Over-leveraging or overpaying to win an acquisition leaves the new owner vulnerable on "day two," when debt service and operational realities kick in.

➥ Treat Buying as a Sales Role: Acquisition is ultimately about selling a smooth exit strategy to the owner. Build rapport, ensure an easy transfer, and minimize seller stress to win deals over higher cash bids from less attractive buyers.

➥ Recognize Differing Buyer Incentives: Competing buyers, such as strategic acquirers or private equity firms collecting capital deployment fees, may pay higher multiples because their synergies or structural incentives differ from individual buyers.





About David C. Barnett

David C. Barnett has spent over 20 years buying, selling, financing, and managing small businesses. A former business broker turned author and educator, he's written multiple best-selling books including Invest Local, Franchise Warnings, and How To Sell My Own Business. And his newest one we talk about on this pod Business And Asset Values. 





Connect with David C. Barnett

➥  Ep 389 - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-249-ma-negotiation-strategies-growth-by-acquisition-blueprints-with-will-smith-david-barnett/

➥ https://www.businessandassetvalues.com/book





Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

In this episode of the Buying Online Businesses podcast, Jaryd Krause interviews David Barnett, an author, educator, and former business broker with over 20 years of experience buying, selling, financing, and managing small businesses.&nbsp;
They explore concepts from David's 11th book, Business and Asset Values, diving into how opinions, personal situations, and emotions influence how people value businesses.&nbsp;
The discussion highlights strategies for becoming an "unfocused" buyer to avoid costly emotional mistakes, objectively assessing a business's build-versus-buy replacement costs, navigating competition from strategic buyers or private equity firms, and using a sales mindset to help buyers secure better terms.
Check out this video to learn how to win deals without overpaying!
Link here: _____
 Episode Highlights
02:14 - David&rsquo;s journey from a sales representative to a business acquisition consultant.
03:40 - How value is driven by human attitudes and choices rather than fixed numbers.
05:40 - How opinions and context shape valuation
11:30 - Asset valuation scenarios (The Used Car Example)
16:09 - Why search funders or eager buyers overpay
21:00 - Dealing with high competing offers
28:52 - Uncovering broker valuation errors
32:25 - Viewing acquisition as a sales process
 
Key Takeaways
➥ Value is Context-Dependent: A business's value is not an absolute number; it is a conclusion based on the specific buyer's or seller's unique situation, emotional state, alternatives, and long-term goals.
➥ Master the Art of "Unfocusing": Emotional commitment to closing a deal often leads to overpaying or accepting excessive risk. Stepping back and remembering that leaving with your capital intact beats closing a bad deal prevents costly mistakes.
➥ Beware the "Day Two" Problem: Over-leveraging or overpaying to win an acquisition leaves the new owner vulnerable on "day two," when debt service and operational realities kick in.
➥ Treat Buying as a Sales Role: Acquisition is ultimately about selling a smooth exit strategy to the owner. Build rapport, ensure an easy transfer, and minimize seller stress to win deals over higher cash bids from less attractive buyers.
➥ Recognize Differing Buyer Incentives: Competing buyers, such as strategic acquirers or private equity firms collecting capital deployment fees, may pay higher multiples because their synergies or structural incentives differ from individual buyers.
 
About David C. Barnett
David C. Barnett has spent over 20 years buying, selling, financing, and managing small businesses. A former business broker turned author and educator, he's written multiple best-selling books including Invest Local, Franchise Warnings, and How To Sell My Own Business. And his newest one we talk about on this pod Business And Asset Values.&nbsp;
 
Connect with David C. Barnett
➥&nbsp; Ep 389 - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-249-ma-negotiation-strategies-growth-by-acquisition-blueprints-with-will-smith-david-barnett/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-249-ma-negotiation-strategies-growth-by-acquisition-blueprints-with-will-smith-david-barnett/</a> ➥ <a href="https://www.businessandassetvalues.com/book">https://www.businessandassetvalues.com/book</a>
 
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

The 'Unfocused Buyer' Trick That Wins Deals Without Overpaying with David C. Barnett

What actually keeps someone in the game when the business fails, the money disappears, and the strategy stops working?

Joe Burrell knows that feeling. His first business cost him $700 and didn’t work out. Years later, he’s been involved in 300+ transactions worth nearly $7 million.

But the interesting part isn’t the acquisitions. It’s what happened in between them.

In this episode, Joe and Jaryd unpack the mindset behind staying the course - why the hardest part of entrepreneurship is often the dip, how belief is built through action rather than motivation, and why constantly chasing the next opportunity can quietly destroy the compounding effect of sticking with one thing.

They also break down a simple but powerful progression: desire → vision → courage → belief.

Because you don't need to feel confident before you start. Sometimes confidence is what you earn by refusing to stop.

🎧 Hit play — this one is about what happens when you stay in the game long enough to get good at it.

 

Episode Highlights

03:20 – The $4K-a-Month Goal: Why Focusing Less on the Number Finally Helped Him Reach It

08:13 – The “Dip” Is Part of the Game: How Losing a Major Revenue Stream Became the Lesson That Changed His Business

14:30 – The 10-Project Trap: Why Starting Over Every Time Things Get Hard Can Cost You Years of Compounding

16:57 – The Hidden Advantage of 10 Years in One Space: How Experience Turns Into Authority, Better Decisions, and Less Effort

19:59 – How Small Wins Build Belief: Why Confidence Comes From Taking Action Before You Feel Ready

24:52 – The Desire → Vision → Courage → Belief Framework: The Emotional Path From Knowing Nothing to Taking Action

27:45 – Why Successful Entrepreneurs Use Emotion Without Letting Emotion Make the Decision — And How That Changes the Way You Buy Businesses

 

Key Takeaways

➥ Expect the dip. Setbacks aren't proof that the strategy is broken. They’re often where the biggest lessons and growth happen.

➥ Stay in one lane long enough to compound. Constantly jumping between ideas resets your learning, network, authority, and momentum.

➥ Belief is built through action. You don't need complete confidence to start. Small wins and repeated action create confidence over time.

➥ Build from desire to belief. The framework is simple: desire → vision → courage → belief. A strong vision gives you the courage to take the first step.

➥ Feel the emotion, but don't let it make the decision. Emotions can guide you toward action, but business and investment decisions require enough distance to think clearly.

➥ Success isn't just owning a business. Define your priorities outside work and make sure your time actually reflects what matters most to you.

➥ Consistency creates authority. Staying in the same space for years doesn't just make you better—it builds deeper knowledge, stronger networks, trust, and the ability to achieve more with less effort.

 

About Joe Burrill

Joe Burrill was a government office clerk with no business experience when a Cashflow board game from his brother changed his entire trajectory. He invested his savings, got a mentor, failed on his first $700 site, and kept going anyway. Over a decade later he's closed 300+ transactions worth $6.8M. His story isn't about talent — it's about the mindset that made him start, survive the hard parts, and build something most people only dream about.





Connect with Joe Burrill

➥  Ep 389 - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-389-300-deals-heres-what-most-buyers-never-find-out-with-joe-burrill/ 

➥ https://www.justwebsitebrokerage.com/ 

➥ justwebsitebrokerage.com/2026 





Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

What actually keeps someone in the game when the business fails, the money disappears, and the strategy stops working?
Joe Burrell knows that feeling. His first business cost him $700 and didn&rsquo;t work out. Years later, he&rsquo;s been involved in 300+ transactions worth nearly $7 million.
But the interesting part isn&rsquo;t the acquisitions. It&rsquo;s what happened in between them.
In this episode, Joe and Jaryd unpack the mindset behind staying the course - why the hardest part of entrepreneurship is often the dip, how belief is built through action rather than motivation, and why constantly chasing the next opportunity can quietly destroy the compounding effect of sticking with one thing.
They also break down a simple but powerful progression: desire &rarr; vision &rarr; courage &rarr; belief.
Because you don't need to feel confident before you start. Sometimes confidence is what you earn by refusing to stop.
🎧 Hit play &mdash; this one is about what happens when you stay in the game long enough to get good at it.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
03:20 &ndash; The $4K-a-Month Goal: Why Focusing Less on the Number Finally Helped Him Reach It
08:13 &ndash; The &ldquo;Dip&rdquo; Is Part of the Game: How Losing a Major Revenue Stream Became the Lesson That Changed His Business
14:30 &ndash; The 10-Project Trap: Why Starting Over Every Time Things Get Hard Can Cost You Years of Compounding
16:57 &ndash; The Hidden Advantage of 10 Years in One Space: How Experience Turns Into Authority, Better Decisions, and Less Effort
19:59 &ndash; How Small Wins Build Belief: Why Confidence Comes From Taking Action Before You Feel Ready
24:52 &ndash; The Desire &rarr; Vision &rarr; Courage &rarr; Belief Framework: The Emotional Path From Knowing Nothing to Taking Action
27:45 &ndash; Why Successful Entrepreneurs Use Emotion Without Letting Emotion Make the Decision &mdash; And How That Changes the Way You Buy Businesses
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ Expect the dip. Setbacks aren't proof that the strategy is broken. They&rsquo;re often where the biggest lessons and growth happen.
➥ Stay in one lane long enough to compound. Constantly jumping between ideas resets your learning, network, authority, and momentum.
➥ Belief is built through action. You don't need complete confidence to start. Small wins and repeated action create confidence over time.
➥ Build from desire to belief. The framework is simple: desire &rarr; vision &rarr; courage &rarr; belief. A strong vision gives you the courage to take the first step.
➥ Feel the emotion, but don't let it make the decision. Emotions can guide you toward action, but business and investment decisions require enough distance to think clearly.
➥ Success isn't just owning a business. Define your priorities outside work and make sure your time actually reflects what matters most to you.
➥ Consistency creates authority. Staying in the same space for years doesn't just make you better&mdash;it builds deeper knowledge, stronger networks, trust, and the ability to achieve more with less effort.
&nbsp;
About Joe Burrill
Joe Burrill was a government office clerk with no business experience when a Cashflow board game from his brother changed his entire trajectory. He invested his savings, got a mentor, failed on his first $700 site, and kept going anyway. Over a decade later he's closed 300+ transactions worth $6.8M. His story isn't about talent &mdash; it's about the mindset that made him start, survive the hard parts, and build something most people only dream about.
 
Connect with Joe Burrill
➥&nbsp; Ep 389 - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-389-300-deals-heres-what-most-buyers-never-find-out-with-joe-burrill/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-389-300-deals-heres-what-most-buyers-never-find-out-with-joe-burrill/</a>&nbsp;
➥ <a href="https://www.justwebsitebrokerage.com/">https://www.justwebsitebrokerage.com/</a>&nbsp;
➥ <a href="http://justwebsitebrokerage.com/2026">justwebsitebrokerage.com/2026</a>&nbsp;
 
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

The Mindset Framework From Knowing Nothing To Acquiring And Growing Online Businesses w/ Joe Burrill

He bought a SaaS business for $3,000.

It had zero revenue.

No payment gateway. Barely any real traffic. And some of the traffic being reported? It was basically the founder testing his own site.

18 months later, that same business was doing $3,000 a month in revenue.

So what changed?

Steven Macdonald didn't throw money at ads or try to monetize everything on day one. He knew the market, listened to customers, went all-in on SEO, and turned original research into a growth engine.

He surveyed 200+ startups. Published the data. Started ranking for major OKR keywords. Built backlinks. Generated thousands of monthly visits. And kept improving the product based on what customers actually wanted.

But the most interesting part might be what he didn't do.

He didn't rush.

Steven gave himself eight to ten years to build the business. That long-term mindset completely changed how he approached growth, product decisions, and even monetization.

In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Steven to break down the $3K acquisition, how he took a zero-revenue SaaS to $3K/month, why knowing the market can matter more than the size of the deal, and how original research and AI are helping him compound organic growth.

If you're thinking about buying a small SaaS, or wondering what can happen when you give a tiny business enough time to grow, this one is worth hearing.

🎧 Hit play. The acquisition cost $3K. The lessons are worth a lot more.

 

Episode Highlights

05:32 – The $3K Flippa Bid That Beat an $8K Asking Price, And Got Accepted the Next Day

07:54 – Buying a SaaS With $0 Revenue, No Payment Gateway, and Almost No Real Traffic

12:57 – The 8–10 Year Vision That Changed How He Approached Growth, Risk, and Patience

19:39 – How 30 Pieces of Content a Month and One 200+ Startup Research Study Started Driving Organic Growth

27:40 – From $0 to $3K/Month: The Simple SaaS Pricing Model Behind the Growth

30:58 – The Acquisition Lesson That Matters Most: Buy What You Actually Understand

33:53 – How He Uses AI + Original Research to Scale Content Without Publishing Generic AI Articles

 

Key Takeaways

➥ Buy what you understand. Knowing the market and customer pain points gave Steven confidence to act when he found OKRsTool.com.

➥ Small acquisitions can have big upside. A $3K purchase with zero revenue became a $3K/month business in 18 months.

➥ Learn before you monetize. Steven focused first on customers, feedback, and product improvements instead of chasing immediate revenue.

➥ Original research creates leverage. Surveying 200+ startups produced unique data that drove traffic, backlinks, and signups.

➥ SEO rewards patience. Steven kept publishing and improving while organic traffic gradually compounded into thousands of monthly visits.

➥ AI needs original insight. AI can scale content, but proprietary research and real expertise are what make that content valuable.

➥ Long-term thinking changes everything. An 8–10 year vision gave Steven room to experiment, learn, and let the business compound.

 

About Steven Macdonald

Steven Macdonald is an SEO entrepreneur and SaaS founder based in Tallinn, Estonia. In early 2025 he acquired OKRs Tool, a lightweight OKR platform for startups, and grew it through SEO, product-led content, and AI search optimization instead of rebuilding the product. He previously founded Kingspoint, a SaaS-focused content marketing agency that scaled organic growth for clients like VWO, Hiver, SimCorp, and GetAccept. Steven turns overlooked SaaS businesses into search-dominant, demand-generating companies.

 

Connect with Steven Macdonald

➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-l-macdonald/ 

➥ https://www.okrstool.com/   

 

Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

He bought a SaaS business for $3,000.
It had zero revenue.
No payment gateway. Barely any real traffic. And some of the traffic being reported? It was basically the founder testing his own site.
18 months later, that same business was doing $3,000 a month in revenue.
So what changed?
Steven Macdonald didn't throw money at ads or try to monetize everything on day one. He knew the market, listened to customers, went all-in on SEO, and turned original research into a growth engine.
He surveyed 200+ startups. Published the data. Started ranking for major OKR keywords. Built backlinks. Generated thousands of monthly visits. And kept improving the product based on what customers actually wanted.
But the most interesting part might be what he didn't do.
He didn't rush.
Steven gave himself eight to ten years to build the business. That long-term mindset completely changed how he approached growth, product decisions, and even monetization.
In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Steven to break down the $3K acquisition, how he took a zero-revenue SaaS to $3K/month, why knowing the market can matter more than the size of the deal, and how original research and AI are helping him compound organic growth.
If you're thinking about buying a small SaaS, or wondering what can happen when you give a tiny business enough time to grow, this one is worth hearing.
🎧&nbsp;Hit play. The acquisition cost $3K. The lessons are worth a lot more.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
05:32 &ndash; The $3K Flippa Bid That Beat an $8K Asking Price, And Got Accepted the Next Day
07:54 &ndash; Buying a SaaS With $0 Revenue, No Payment Gateway, and Almost No Real Traffic
12:57 &ndash; The 8&ndash;10 Year Vision That Changed How He Approached Growth, Risk, and Patience
19:39 &ndash; How 30 Pieces of Content a Month and One 200+ Startup Research Study Started Driving Organic Growth
27:40 &ndash; From $0 to $3K/Month: The Simple SaaS Pricing Model Behind the Growth
30:58 &ndash; The Acquisition Lesson That Matters Most: Buy What You Actually Understand
33:53 &ndash; How He Uses AI + Original Research to Scale Content Without Publishing Generic AI Articles
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ Buy what you understand. Knowing the market and customer pain points gave Steven confidence to act when he found OKRsTool.com.
➥ Small acquisitions can have big upside. A $3K purchase with zero revenue became a $3K/month business in 18 months.
➥ Learn before you monetize. Steven focused first on customers, feedback, and product improvements instead of chasing immediate revenue.
➥ Original research creates leverage. Surveying 200+ startups produced unique data that drove traffic, backlinks, and signups.
➥ SEO rewards patience. Steven kept publishing and improving while organic traffic gradually compounded into thousands of monthly visits.
➥ AI needs original insight. AI can scale content, but proprietary research and real expertise are what make that content valuable.
➥ Long-term thinking changes everything. An 8&ndash;10 year vision gave Steven room to experiment, learn, and let the business compound.
&nbsp;
About Steven Macdonald
Steven Macdonald is an SEO entrepreneur and SaaS founder based in Tallinn, Estonia. In early 2025 he acquired OKRs Tool, a lightweight OKR platform for startups, and grew it through SEO, product-led content, and AI search optimization instead of rebuilding the product. He previously founded Kingspoint, a SaaS-focused content marketing agency that scaled organic growth for clients like VWO, Hiver, SimCorp, and GetAccept. Steven turns overlooked SaaS businesses into search-dominant, demand-generating companies.
&nbsp;
Connect with Steven Macdonald
➥ <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-l-macdonald/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-l-macdonald/</a>&nbsp;
➥ <a href="https://www.okrstool.com/">https://www.okrstool.com/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

Zero Revenue to $3K/Month: Inside a $3K Micro SaaS Acquisition with Steven Macdonald

Buying your first business is exciting. Buying six more before you’ve figured out how to run the first one is where things get interesting.

Dev Shah discovered acquisitions through Acquire.com and quickly went from being fascinated by the idea of buying businesses to actually building a portfolio of them. His first deal was Sourcely AI, a student research tool he bought for just $4,000 while it was making around $500 a month.

A year and a half later, he had grown it to more than $5,000 in monthly recurring revenue and sold it for a low six-figure exit.

But along the way, Dev acquired six other micro-businesses, all for less than $10,000 each, using the cash flow from his original acquisition. And that's where he learned one of the biggest lessons of his acquisition journey: just because you can buy another business doesn't mean you should.

He couldn't integrate them as effectively as he expected. Some were sold. Some were shut down. Others continued running.

Today, Dev has taken those lessons into a much bigger world of acquisitions. He runs a buy-side advisory firm helping search funds, startups, and other buyers source deals, conduct due diligence, negotiate, and get acquisitions across the finish line.

And he's seen plenty go wrong.

Sellers who disappear after an LOI. Businesses with information that turns out to be fake. Owners claiming revenue that can't actually be verified. Deals that look attractive until you start pulling apart the numbers.

In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Dev to unpack what buying seven businesses taught him about moving too fast, how to build a buy box around your own skills and competitive advantages, and why serious buyers need to spend time in the market before they ever make an offer.

Dev also breaks down his approach to due diligence, why you should treat those 30 days as if you're already taking over the business, how to avoid becoming emotionally attached to a deal, and why your relationship with the seller can be just as important as the numbers on the spreadsheet.

From $4,000 micro-acquisitions to sourcing deals for buyers with millions of dollars behind them, Dev has seen both sides of the acquisition process.

If you're thinking about buying an online business, especially for $100K or less, this conversation is full of lessons that could save you from making the same mistakes.

🎧 Hit play to hear what Dev would do differently if he could go back to his first acquisition.

 

Episode Highlights

05:04 – The $4K Sourcely AI Acquisition: How Dev Turned $500 MRR Into $5K+ MRR and Sold It for a Low Six-Figure Exit

06:24 – He Bought 6 More Businesses Under $10K Each: Why Acquiring Too Fast Became His Biggest Lesson

10:21 – Online vs. Offline Acquisitions: Why Stripe Makes Due Diligence Easier and How “Unofficial Revenue” Can Destroy a Deal

15:07 – The Deals He Walked Away From: Fake Information, Ghosting Sellers, and Red Flags That Changed Everything

18:16 – Why Dev Still Believes SaaS Is the Best Business Model, Even After AI Sent Smaller SaaS Multiples Nosediving

27:04 – The 200 Seller Calls Before His First Acquisition: Why Your Buy Box Should Start With Your Own Skills, Network, and Interests

31:44 – The 30-Day Due Diligence Test: Why You Should Approach Every Deal Like You're Taking Over the Business Tomorrow

 

Key Takeaways

➥ $4K can be enough to start. Dev turned his first $4,000 acquisition into a low six-figure exit in about 18 months.

➥ Six acquisitions in 18 months taught him to slow down. Buying businesses faster than he could integrate them created unnecessary complexity.

➥ 200 seller conversations built his acquisition edge. Dev spoke with roughly 200 sellers before closing his first deal.

➥ Your buy box should go beyond price and MRR. Skills, interests, networks, and competitive advantages should shape what you buy.

➥ 30 days of diligence can expose a bad deal. Dev recommends starting from a blank slate and examining every number, customer, and red flag.

➥ 50–70% upfront cash changes the risk. Dev typically structures deals so the seller retains meaningful financial incentive after closing.

➥ The seller can be valuable long after the deal closes. A strong relationship can make the first 90 days of ownership much easier.

 

About Dev Shah

Dev Shah is a micro private equity investor and founder of Pocket Fund, a holding company built without outside capital. He started in 2023 by acquiring Sourcely.ai for $4,000, growing it into a business valued at $150,000 before exiting at a 37.5x return. Since then he's built a portfolio of SaaS, newsletter, and app acquisitions, and now helps search funds and private equity firms source and close deals in the $250K to $2M range.

 

Connect with Dev Shah

➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/devlikesbizness/



 

Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

*This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

Buying your first business is exciting. Buying six more before you&rsquo;ve figured out how to run the first one is where things get interesting.
Dev Shah discovered acquisitions through Acquire.com and quickly went from being fascinated by the idea of buying businesses to actually building a portfolio of them. His first deal was Sourcely AI, a student research tool he bought for just $4,000 while it was making around $500 a month.
A year and a half later, he had grown it to more than $5,000 in monthly recurring revenue and sold it for a low six-figure exit.
But along the way, Dev acquired six other micro-businesses, all for less than $10,000 each, using the cash flow from his original acquisition. And that's where he learned one of the biggest lessons of his acquisition journey: just because you can buy another business doesn't mean you should.
He couldn't integrate them as effectively as he expected. Some were sold. Some were shut down. Others continued running.
Today, Dev has taken those lessons into a much bigger world of acquisitions. He runs a buy-side advisory firm helping search funds, startups, and other buyers source deals, conduct due diligence, negotiate, and get acquisitions across the finish line.
And he's seen plenty go wrong.
Sellers who disappear after an LOI. Businesses with information that turns out to be fake. Owners claiming revenue that can't actually be verified. Deals that look attractive until you start pulling apart the numbers.
In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Dev to unpack what buying seven businesses taught him about moving too fast, how to build a buy box around your own skills and competitive advantages, and why serious buyers need to spend time in the market before they ever make an offer.
Dev also breaks down his approach to due diligence, why you should treat those 30 days as if you're already taking over the business, how to avoid becoming emotionally attached to a deal, and why your relationship with the seller can be just as important as the numbers on the spreadsheet.
From $4,000 micro-acquisitions to sourcing deals for buyers with millions of dollars behind them, Dev has seen both sides of the acquisition process.
If you're thinking about buying an online business, especially for $100K or less, this conversation is full of lessons that could save you from making the same mistakes.
🎧 Hit play to hear what Dev would do differently if he could go back to his first acquisition.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
05:04 &ndash; The $4K Sourcely AI Acquisition: How Dev Turned $500 MRR Into $5K+ MRR and Sold It for a Low Six-Figure Exit
06:24 &ndash; He Bought 6 More Businesses Under $10K Each: Why Acquiring Too Fast Became His Biggest Lesson
10:21 &ndash; Online vs. Offline Acquisitions: Why Stripe Makes Due Diligence Easier and How &ldquo;Unofficial Revenue&rdquo; Can Destroy a Deal
15:07 &ndash; The Deals He Walked Away From: Fake Information, Ghosting Sellers, and Red Flags That Changed Everything
18:16 &ndash; Why Dev Still Believes SaaS Is the Best Business Model, Even After AI Sent Smaller SaaS Multiples Nosediving
27:04 &ndash; The 200 Seller Calls Before His First Acquisition: Why Your Buy Box Should Start With Your Own Skills, Network, and Interests
31:44 &ndash; The 30-Day Due Diligence Test: Why You Should Approach Every Deal Like You're Taking Over the Business Tomorrow
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ $4K can be enough to start. Dev turned his first $4,000 acquisition into a low six-figure exit in about 18 months.
➥ Six acquisitions in 18 months taught him to slow down. Buying businesses faster than he could integrate them created unnecessary complexity.
➥ 200 seller conversations built his acquisition edge. Dev spoke with roughly 200 sellers before closing his first deal.
➥ Your buy box should go beyond price and MRR. Skills, interests, networks, and competitive advantages should shape what you buy.
➥ 30 days of diligence can expose a bad deal. Dev recommends starting from a blank slate and examining every number, customer, and red flag.
➥ 50&ndash;70% upfront cash changes the risk. Dev typically structures deals so the seller retains meaningful financial incentive after closing.
➥ The seller can be valuable long after the deal closes. A strong relationship can make the first 90 days of ownership much easier.
&nbsp;
About Dev Shah
Dev Shah is a micro private equity investor and founder of Pocket Fund, a holding company built without outside capital. He started in 2023 by acquiring Sourcely.ai for $4,000, growing it into a business valued at $150,000 before exiting at a 37.5x return. Since then he's built a portfolio of SaaS, newsletter, and app acquisitions, and now helps search funds and private equity firms source and close deals in the $250K to $2M range.
&nbsp;
Connect with Dev Shah
➥ <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/devlikesbizness/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/devlikesbizness/</a> 
&nbsp;
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
*This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

He Bought 7 Businesses Too Fast - Here's What He'd Never Do Again with Dev Shah

What happens when you buy a SaaS business for $5,000… only to discover the deal comes with a $12,000 security bill, a mountain of technical work, and a newborn baby?

Andrew Kamphey was the number one user of Pigeon, a tiny SaaS app built inside Gmail that he genuinely loved. Then the founder announced he was shutting it down.

So Andrew bought it.

There was just one problem. The business was already making $0.

And within days of sending the $5,000 payment, Andrew found out he was about to become a dad. A week later, his son was born prematurely and spent three days in the NICU. Meanwhile, Andrew was waking up every few hours to care for his newborn and sometimes restart the servers.

Then came the $12,000 Google-required penetration test.

What started as a tiny acquisition quickly became a crash course in what actually happens after you buy an online business. Technical headaches. Unexpected costs. Customer recovery. Infrastructure. And the reality that owning a business isn't always about growth charts and big wins. Sometimes it's just figuring out which fire to put out next.

But Andrew didn't walk away empty-handed.

After roughly six months, he had reduced the infrastructure costs, brought back paying users, improved the product, and eventually sold Pigeon for just over $30,000.

And that's only part of the story.

Andrew has also built and sold an industry newsletter with 15,000 subscribers, experimented with strategic acquisitions, and built Better Sheets into a business around Google Sheets, tools, templates, tutorials, and some seriously unconventional products.

In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Andrew to unpack what his strangest acquisition taught him about buying businesses with little capital, why strategic value can matter more than traditional valuation multiples, what makes a small online business worth acquiring, and why simply asking an owner if they'd sell can open doors you never expected.

Because sometimes the best acquisition isn't the one with the biggest revenue.

It's the one you actually know how to make better.

🎧 Hit play - this is what a $5K SaaS acquisition, a $12K surprise bill, and a newborn baby can teach you about buying online businesses.

 

Episode Highlights

02:11 – Why Andrew Bought a SaaS He Was the #1 User Of After the Founder Announced It Was Shutting Down

05:12 – The $5K Acquisition With $0 Revenue: Why Traditional Valuation Multiples Didn't Make Sense

06:49 – The $12K Google Pen Test Nobody Expected: How One Compliance Cost Nearly Made the Tiny SaaS Impossible to Run

10:41 – From Acquisition to Fatherhood: How Andrew Found Out He Was Becoming a Dad 2 Days After Buying the Business

13:06 – The 6-Month Turnaround: Cutting Server Costs, Bringing Back Paying Users, and Selling the SaaS for $30K+

20:41 – Why Andrew Keeps Building Weird Side Projects That Don't Make Money Yet - And Why That's Still Valuable

24:57 – The $36K Newsletter Exit: How a 15K, Subscriber Industry Audience Became a Strategic Acquisition Worth 3X Revenue

 

Key Takeaways

➥ Strategic value can beat revenue. Andrew bought Pigeon for $5K because he was its #1 user and understood its potential, even though it had $0 revenue.

➥ Cheap deals can hide expensive problems. The $5K purchase came with a $12K Google pen test, technical issues, and ongoing infrastructure costs.

➥ Ownership means owning every problem. Servers, security, APIs, compliance, and unexpected fires became Andrew's responsibility after the acquisition.

➥ Energy and focus matter more than time. Andrew eventually understood why the original owner walked away: sometimes another opportunity simply deserves your attention more.

➥ Small acquisitions can still create real returns. After about six months of improvements and cost-cutting, Andrew sold Pigeon for $30K+.

➥ Buy where you have an advantage. Knowing the product, customer, or market deeply can reveal opportunities that traditional numbers miss.

➥ Sometimes the best deal starts with asking. Andrew found opportunities through relationships, Twitter, and direct outreach,not just acquisition marketplaces.

 

About Andrew Kamphey

Andrew Kamphey is the founder of Better Sheets, a Google Sheets tools and training platform he built in 24 hours and grew into a 4,000+ member business. A serial acquirer, Andrew has bought and exited multiple digital products, including Pigeon, an email CRM he rescued from shutdown and later resold on MicroAcquire. With a background spanning cruise ships, LA television, and indie newsletters, Andrew brings a scrappy, buyer-first approach to building a portfolio of small, profitable online assets.





Connect with Andrew Kamphey

➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkamphey/ 

➥ https://bettersheets.co/ 






Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

*This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

What happens when you buy a SaaS business for $5,000&hellip; only to discover the deal comes with a $12,000 security bill, a mountain of technical work, and a newborn baby?
Andrew Kamphey was the number one user of Pigeon, a tiny SaaS app built inside Gmail that he genuinely loved. Then the founder announced he was shutting it down.
So Andrew bought it.
There was just one problem. The business was already making $0.
And within days of sending the $5,000 payment, Andrew found out he was about to become a dad. A week later, his son was born prematurely and spent three days in the NICU. Meanwhile, Andrew was waking up every few hours to care for his newborn and sometimes restart the servers.
Then came the $12,000 Google-required penetration test.
What started as a tiny acquisition quickly became a crash course in what actually happens after you buy an online business. Technical headaches. Unexpected costs. Customer recovery. Infrastructure. And the reality that owning a business isn't always about growth charts and big wins. Sometimes it's just figuring out which fire to put out next.
But Andrew didn't walk away empty-handed.
After roughly six months, he had reduced the infrastructure costs, brought back paying users, improved the product, and eventually sold Pigeon for just over $30,000.
And that's only part of the story.
Andrew has also built and sold an industry newsletter with 15,000 subscribers, experimented with strategic acquisitions, and built Better Sheets into a business around Google Sheets, tools, templates, tutorials, and some seriously unconventional products.
In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Andrew to unpack what his strangest acquisition taught him about buying businesses with little capital, why strategic value can matter more than traditional valuation multiples, what makes a small online business worth acquiring, and why simply asking an owner if they'd sell can open doors you never expected.
Because sometimes the best acquisition isn't the one with the biggest revenue.
It's the one you actually know how to make better.
🎧 Hit play - this is what a $5K SaaS acquisition, a $12K surprise bill, and a newborn baby can teach you about buying online businesses.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
02:11 &ndash; Why Andrew Bought a SaaS He Was the #1 User Of After the Founder Announced It Was Shutting Down
05:12 &ndash; The $5K Acquisition With $0 Revenue: Why Traditional Valuation Multiples Didn't Make Sense
06:49 &ndash; The $12K Google Pen Test Nobody Expected: How One Compliance Cost Nearly Made the Tiny SaaS Impossible to Run
10:41 &ndash; From Acquisition to Fatherhood: How Andrew Found Out He Was Becoming a Dad 2 Days After Buying the Business
13:06 &ndash; The 6-Month Turnaround: Cutting Server Costs, Bringing Back Paying Users, and Selling the SaaS for $30K+
20:41 &ndash; Why Andrew Keeps Building Weird Side Projects That Don't Make Money Yet - And Why That's Still Valuable
24:57 &ndash; The $36K Newsletter Exit: How a 15K, Subscriber Industry Audience Became a Strategic Acquisition Worth 3X Revenue
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ Strategic value can beat revenue. Andrew bought Pigeon for $5K because he was its #1 user and understood its potential, even though it had $0 revenue.
➥ Cheap deals can hide expensive problems. The $5K purchase came with a $12K Google pen test, technical issues, and ongoing infrastructure costs.
➥ Ownership means owning every problem. Servers, security, APIs, compliance, and unexpected fires became Andrew's responsibility after the acquisition.
➥ Energy and focus matter more than time. Andrew eventually understood why the original owner walked away: sometimes another opportunity simply deserves your attention more.
➥ Small acquisitions can still create real returns. After about six months of improvements and cost-cutting, Andrew sold Pigeon for $30K+.
➥ Buy where you have an advantage. Knowing the product, customer, or market deeply can reveal opportunities that traditional numbers miss.
➥ Sometimes the best deal starts with asking. Andrew found opportunities through relationships, Twitter, and direct outreach,not just acquisition marketplaces.
&nbsp;
About Andrew Kamphey
Andrew Kamphey is the founder of Better Sheets, a Google Sheets tools and training platform he built in 24 hours and grew into a 4,000+ member business. A serial acquirer, Andrew has bought and exited multiple digital products, including Pigeon, an email CRM he rescued from shutdown and later resold on MicroAcquire. With a background spanning cruise ships, LA television, and indie newsletters, Andrew brings a scrappy, buyer-first approach to building a portfolio of small, profitable online assets.
 
Connect with Andrew Kamphey
➥ <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkamphey/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkamphey/</a>&nbsp;
➥ <a href="https://bettersheets.co/">https://bettersheets.co/</a>&nbsp;
 
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
*This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

Inside The Strangest $5K SaaS Acquisition You'll Ever Hear with Andrew Kamphey

AI might be one of the biggest reasons to buy an online business right now.

Sounds crazy, right?

Most buyers are doing the opposite. They’re seeing AI disruption and running for the exits. But that fear is creating something interesting: undervalued businesses that other buyers are too scared to touch.

And not every online business is equally exposed.

A generic SEO site? Dangerous. A content business selling information AI can generate for free? Huge red flag. But a sticky niche SaaS with recurring revenue, customer data and integrations? A physical-product e-commerce brand? A community people actually want to belong to?

That’s a very different story.

In this episode, Jaryd breaks down which online businesses AI could destroy, which ones could become dramatically more valuable because of it, and the exact things buyers should look for during due diligence.

He also explains why ugly, outdated software might actually have a stronger moat than the shiny new AI tools everyone is talking about, and why customer inertia, switching costs and retention can matter more than how modern a business looks.

Because the biggest AI risk might not be buying the wrong business.

It might be being too scared to buy one at all.

🎧 Hit play — and find out where the real opportunities are hiding in the AI disruption.

 

 

Episode Highlights

00:42 – Why AI Fear Is Making Buyers Walk Away From Great Deals, And How That Fear Can Become Your Sourcing Strategy

03:01 – The AI Exposure Test: Which Online Businesses Are Most Vulnerable, And Which Ones Are Surprisingly AI-Resistant

07:30 – Why Niche SaaS With Sticky Customers, Data & Integrations Could Be Some of the Best Acquisitions Right Now

09:41 – The Physical-Product Advantage: Why E-Commerce Brands Can Use AI to Become Cheaper, Faster & More Profitable Without Being Replaced

14:20 – The 3.9x SaaS Opportunity: How Buyers Can Find Cash-Flowing, Recurring-Revenue Businesses Under $200K

16:37 – The 5 Due Diligence Questions That Reveal Whether AI Will Enhance or Destroy a Business

21:10 – Why the Ugliest, Most Outdated SaaS Businesses Can Have the Strongest Moats, And How Low Churn + Customer Inertia Creates Hidden Value

23:10 – The Mindset Shift Buyers Need: Why AI Should Be a Leverage Tool, Not a Reason to Sit on the Sidelines

 

 

Key Takeaways

➥ AI disruption doesn't automatically mean an online business is a bad acquisition. The real question is whether AI replaces what the business sells, or makes the business cheaper, faster, and better to operate.

➥ Information businesses are the most exposed. Generic content sites, SEO-dependent businesses, simple research tools, scraping services, and basic content creation can be vulnerable because AI can increasingly deliver the same information without requiring a click.

➥ Sticky businesses have a powerful moat. Niche SaaS with recurring revenue, customer data, integrations, workflow dependence, and low churn can remain highly resilient, even when the software looks outdated or clunky.

➥ Physical-product businesses have a major AI advantage. E-commerce brands selling real products can't simply be replaced by an AI model. Instead, AI can improve customer service, marketing, product descriptions, inventory forecasting, and operations.

➥ Customer switching costs matter more than a polished interface. A business with years of customer data and established workflows can be far more defensible than it looks. Ugly software with low churn can be an opportunity, not a warning sign.

➥ Due diligence needs an AI lens. Look at the traffic source, revenue model, content dependency, switching costs, and whether AI is an enabler or a competitor. And don't confuse “AI can replace this” with “AI will replace this.”

➥ The biggest opportunity may be the buyer who knows how to use AI. When a seller isn't leveraging AI, the right buyer can acquire the business and create value through automation, customer support, marketing, forecasting, analysis, and better systems, turning AI fear into acquisition leverage.





Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

AI might be one of the biggest reasons to buy an online business right now.
Sounds crazy, right?
Most buyers are doing the opposite. They&rsquo;re seeing AI disruption and running for the exits. But that fear is creating something interesting: undervalued businesses that other buyers are too scared to touch.
And not every online business is equally exposed.
A generic SEO site? Dangerous. A content business selling information AI can generate for free? Huge red flag. But a sticky niche SaaS with recurring revenue, customer data and integrations? A physical-product e-commerce brand? A community people actually want to belong to?
That&rsquo;s a very different story.
In this episode, Jaryd breaks down which online businesses AI could destroy, which ones could become dramatically more valuable because of it, and the exact things buyers should look for during due diligence.
He also explains why ugly, outdated software might actually have a stronger moat than the shiny new AI tools everyone is talking about, and why customer inertia, switching costs and retention can matter more than how modern a business looks.
Because the biggest AI risk might not be buying the wrong business.
It might be being too scared to buy one at all.
🎧 Hit play &mdash; and find out where the real opportunities are hiding in the AI disruption.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
00:42 &ndash; Why AI Fear Is Making Buyers Walk Away From Great Deals, And How That Fear Can Become Your Sourcing Strategy
03:01 &ndash; The AI Exposure Test: Which Online Businesses Are Most Vulnerable, And Which Ones Are Surprisingly AI-Resistant
07:30 &ndash; Why Niche SaaS With Sticky Customers, Data &amp; Integrations Could Be Some of the Best Acquisitions Right Now
09:41 &ndash; The Physical-Product Advantage: Why E-Commerce Brands Can Use AI to Become Cheaper, Faster &amp; More Profitable Without Being Replaced
14:20 &ndash; The 3.9x SaaS Opportunity: How Buyers Can Find Cash-Flowing, Recurring-Revenue Businesses Under $200K
16:37 &ndash; The 5 Due Diligence Questions That Reveal Whether AI Will Enhance or Destroy a Business
21:10 &ndash; Why the Ugliest, Most Outdated SaaS Businesses Can Have the Strongest Moats, And How Low Churn + Customer Inertia Creates Hidden Value
23:10 &ndash; The Mindset Shift Buyers Need: Why AI Should Be a Leverage Tool, Not a Reason to Sit on the Sidelines
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ AI disruption doesn't automatically mean an online business is a bad acquisition. The real question is whether AI replaces what the business sells, or makes the business cheaper, faster, and better to operate.
➥ Information businesses are the most exposed. Generic content sites, SEO-dependent businesses, simple research tools, scraping services, and basic content creation can be vulnerable because AI can increasingly deliver the same information without requiring a click.
➥ Sticky businesses have a powerful moat. Niche SaaS with recurring revenue, customer data, integrations, workflow dependence, and low churn can remain highly resilient, even when the software looks outdated or clunky.
➥ Physical-product businesses have a major AI advantage. E-commerce brands selling real products can't simply be replaced by an AI model. Instead, AI can improve customer service, marketing, product descriptions, inventory forecasting, and operations.
➥ Customer switching costs matter more than a polished interface. A business with years of customer data and established workflows can be far more defensible than it looks. Ugly software with low churn can be an opportunity, not a warning sign.
➥ Due diligence needs an AI lens. Look at the traffic source, revenue model, content dependency, switching costs, and whether AI is an enabler or a competitor. And don't confuse &ldquo;AI can replace this&rdquo; with &ldquo;AI will replace this.&rdquo;
➥ The biggest opportunity may be the buyer who knows how to use AI. When a seller isn't leveraging AI, the right buyer can acquire the business and create value through automation, customer support, marketing, forecasting, analysis, and better systems, turning AI fear into acquisition leverage.
 
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

The AI Lie That's Killing Your Chances of Buying a Great Business

What if you could buy a seven-figure business without putting down a huge pile of cash?

Clayton Pritchard did exactly that.

He wasn’t even looking to buy a business. Then the founder of Olivine Marketing asked him a simple question: “Would you like to buy it?”

Instead of a massive upfront payment, Clayton structured the acquisition around a percentage of revenue.

Low risk. Massive upside.

But here’s the part that makes this deal really interesting.

Before taking over, Clayton stepped in as CEO to prove he could actually grow the business. And within months, the company went from declining growth to tracking nearly 50% year-over-year growth.

The business already had the assets: strong organic traffic, years of content, an established brand, and inbound leads.

Clayton’s job was to unlock the value that was already there.

In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Clayton to unpack how he acquired a seven-figure agency with no traditional cash-down deal, why the founders chose him over private equity, how he structured the revenue-based acquisition, what due diligence looked like from the inside, and how he turned better sales and conversion into rapid growth.

They also get into how employees can turn their expertise into ownership, why buying an imperfect business can create more upside than buying a “perfect” one, and where AI fits into the future of product marketing.

Because you don’t always need a giant bank account to buy a business.

Sometimes, you need a relationship, a clear value-creation plan, and the courage to make the offer.

🎧 Hit play, this is how Clayton bought a seven-figure agency without putting millions on the line.

 

Episode Highlights

02:56 – How an Unexpected “Would You Like to Buy It?” Conversation Turned Into a Seven-Figure Agency Acquisition

08:28 – Why the Founders Turned Down Private Equity to Put the Business in the Hands of Someone They Trusted

09:35 – The Acting-CEO Test: How Clayton Proved He Could Reverse a Declining Business Before Taking Ownership

20:22 – The No-Money-Down Acquisition Structure: How Paying a Percentage of Revenue Made the Deal Extremely Low Risk

24:52 – The Due Diligence Advantage of Already Being Inside the Business, And the Red Flags Clayton Looked For

27:07 – Why He Chose Revenue Over Profit for the Deal Structure,  And How Buyers Can Protect Themselves From Manipulating Margins

29:06 – The Employee-to-Owner Playbook: How to Create Value First, Then Use That Value to Buy Into a Business Without Millions in Cash

 

Key Takeaways

➥ You don’t need millions in cash to buy a business. The right deal structure can turn a massive upfront payment into a low-risk, revenue-based acquisition.

➥ Your network can become your deal flow. Clayton wasn’t hunting for Olivine. Years of trust and staying connected brought the opportunity directly to him.

➥ Prove you can grow it before you buy it. Clayton stepped in as CEO first, tested his ability to move the business forward, and used the results to validate the acquisition.

➥ The biggest opportunity may be hiding inside a “declining” business. Olivine already had the brand, content, SEO, and inbound engine. Clayton didn’t need to rebuild it, he needed to unlock what was already there.

➥ Structure the deal so both sides win. Tying the sellers’ payout to revenue gave Clayton less downside while giving the founders a reason to keep helping the business grow.

➥ If you want ownership, start by creating value. Employees with deep knowledge of a business can identify what they would change, prove the impact, and potentially turn that leverage into equity or ownership.

➥ AI can make the work faster, but it can’t replace strategic judgment. Research and execution can be accelerated, but positioning, stakeholder alignment, and getting people to make decisions still require human expertise.

 

About Clayton Pritchard

Clayton Pritchard is CEO and owner of Olivine Marketing, a B2B product marketing agency serving SaaS and tech companies from seed to post-IPO. A former marketer at Meta and LinkedIn, Clayton worked with Olivine as a contractor before leading the business on a trial basis in late 2025, then acquired it from the founders in April 2026. Under his ownership, Olivine is now growing at nearly double its original first-year target.

 

Connect with Clayton Pritchard

➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonpritchard/ 

➥ https://www.olivinemarketing.com/  

 

Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

What if you could buy a seven-figure business without putting down a huge pile of cash?
Clayton Pritchard did exactly that.
He wasn&rsquo;t even looking to buy a business. Then the founder of Olivine Marketing asked him a simple question: &ldquo;Would you like to buy it?&rdquo;
Instead of a massive upfront payment, Clayton structured the acquisition around a percentage of revenue.
Low risk. Massive upside.
But here&rsquo;s the part that makes this deal really interesting.
Before taking over, Clayton stepped in as CEO to prove he could actually grow the business. And within months, the company went from declining growth to tracking nearly 50% year-over-year growth.
The business already had the assets: strong organic traffic, years of content, an established brand, and inbound leads.
Clayton&rsquo;s job was to unlock the value that was already there.
In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Clayton to unpack how he acquired a seven-figure agency with no traditional cash-down deal, why the founders chose him over private equity, how he structured the revenue-based acquisition, what due diligence looked like from the inside, and how he turned better sales and conversion into rapid growth.
They also get into how employees can turn their expertise into ownership, why buying an imperfect business can create more upside than buying a &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; one, and where AI fits into the future of product marketing.
Because you don&rsquo;t always need a giant bank account to buy a business.
Sometimes, you need a relationship, a clear value-creation plan, and the courage to make the offer.
🎧 Hit play, this is how Clayton bought a seven-figure agency without putting millions on the line.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
02:56 &ndash; How an Unexpected &ldquo;Would You Like to Buy It?&rdquo; Conversation Turned Into a Seven-Figure Agency Acquisition
08:28 &ndash; Why the Founders Turned Down Private Equity to Put the Business in the Hands of Someone They Trusted
09:35 &ndash; The Acting-CEO Test: How Clayton Proved He Could Reverse a Declining Business Before Taking Ownership
20:22 &ndash; The No-Money-Down Acquisition Structure: How Paying a Percentage of Revenue Made the Deal Extremely Low Risk
24:52 &ndash; The Due Diligence Advantage of Already Being Inside the Business, And the Red Flags Clayton Looked For
27:07 &ndash; Why He Chose Revenue Over Profit for the Deal Structure,&nbsp; And How Buyers Can Protect Themselves From Manipulating Margins
29:06 &ndash; The Employee-to-Owner Playbook: How to Create Value First, Then Use That Value to Buy Into a Business Without Millions in Cash
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ You don&rsquo;t need millions in cash to buy a business. The right deal structure can turn a massive upfront payment into a low-risk, revenue-based acquisition.
➥ Your network can become your deal flow. Clayton wasn&rsquo;t hunting for Olivine. Years of trust and staying connected brought the opportunity directly to him.
➥ Prove you can grow it before you buy it. Clayton stepped in as CEO first, tested his ability to move the business forward, and used the results to validate the acquisition.
➥ The biggest opportunity may be hiding inside a &ldquo;declining&rdquo; business. Olivine already had the brand, content, SEO, and inbound engine. Clayton didn&rsquo;t need to rebuild it, he needed to unlock what was already there.
➥ Structure the deal so both sides win. Tying the sellers&rsquo; payout to revenue gave Clayton less downside while giving the founders a reason to keep helping the business grow.
➥ If you want ownership, start by creating value. Employees with deep knowledge of a business can identify what they would change, prove the impact, and potentially turn that leverage into equity or ownership.
➥ AI can make the work faster, but it can&rsquo;t replace strategic judgment. Research and execution can be accelerated, but positioning, stakeholder alignment, and getting people to make decisions still require human expertise.
&nbsp;
About Clayton Pritchard
Clayton Pritchard is CEO and owner of Olivine Marketing, a B2B product marketing agency serving SaaS and tech companies from seed to post-IPO. A former marketer at Meta and LinkedIn, Clayton worked with Olivine as a contractor before leading the business on a trial basis in late 2025, then acquired it from the founders in April 2026. Under his ownership, Olivine is now growing at nearly double its original first-year target.
&nbsp;
Connect with Clayton Pritchard
➥ <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonpritchard/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonpritchard/</a>&nbsp;
➥ <a href="https://www.olivinemarketing.com/">https://www.olivinemarketing.com/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

He Bought A 7 Figure Agency With No Money Down Business Acquisition Deal with Clayton Pritchard

What if you could beat a higher offer without paying more?

Justin Butlion knows how.

He’s completed five micro SaaS acquisitions, built a 10-app portfolio, and spends roughly three hours a week managing it. His biggest deal? $98,000 with 50% seller financing.

And that’s where this gets interesting.

Justin isn’t trying to outbid everyone. He’s learning how to become the buyer sellers want to choose.

Move fast. Understand the seller. Know the industry. Structure the deal so it works for both sides.

And seller financing? Justin calls it a powerful weapon.

He reveals how he negotiated deals with financing at under 2% interest, why developers often make surprisingly motivated sellers, and how the right terms can let you acquire more without putting all your cash on the line.

But the real edge starts before you make an offer.

Justin breaks down exactly what he looks for in a micro SaaS: B2B customers, sticky recurring revenue, low churn, simple tech, built-in distribution, and minimal operational risk. He also walks through how he analyzes the SaaS funnel to spot opportunities that the headline numbers might completely miss.

Then there’s the part most acquisition conversations skip.

What happens after you buy?

Justin gets brutally honest about cash flow getting squeezed by seller payments, the hidden cost of managing multiple small businesses, his costly lessons with U.S. business structures, and why bigger acquisitions may ultimately make more sense.

Because the goal isn't to own the most businesses.

It’s to build the most valuable portfolio without giving up your life in the process.

If you’re buying micro SaaS, negotiating acquisitions, or looking for ways to win deals without simply offering the highest price, this conversation is packed with strategies you can actually use.

🎧 Hit play and learn how to become the buyer sellers choose, even when your offer isn't the highest.

 

Episode Highlights

03:09 – How $98K in Cash Sitting Inside an Analytics Agency Sparked a Five-Deal Micro SaaS Acquisition Strategy

05:27 – The Micro SaaS Sweet Spot: Why Justin Buys Simple B2B Apps With Recurring Revenue, Low Risk, and Built-In Distribution

10:58 – The Due Diligence Advantage: Why 10+ Years of SaaS Experience Can Be the Difference Between a Great Deal and a Disaster

16:01 – The 1.7% Churn Discovery: How a SaaS With Weak Paid Conversion Revealed Massive Upside Through Its Existing Distribution

17:42 – The Seller Financing Playbook: How He Bought a $98K SaaS With 50% Seller Financing at Under 2% Interest

20:49 – How to Beat Higher Offers Without Paying More by Becoming the Buyer Sellers Trust Most

37:21 – The Bigger Acquisition Strategy: Why Justin Is Rethinking Small Deals, Raising Capital, and Building Toward a $20K MRR HoldCo 





Key Takeaways

➥ Seller financing can be a powerful acquisition tool. Justin used it in three of his five deals, including his $98K acquisition with 50% seller financing, allowing him to preserve cash and continue building his portfolio.

➥ The best SaaS acquisition isn't necessarily the fastest-growing one. Justin prioritizes simple B2B SaaS, low churn, recurring revenue, built-in distribution, and low operational risk over aggressive growth.

➥ Distribution can be more valuable than the software itself. When buying SaaS, you're acquiring an existing audience, customer base, brand, and recurring revenue stream, not just a piece of code.

➥ Due diligence should go deeper than revenue. Justin analyzes the entire SaaS funnel, from installs and signups to activation, paid conversion, and churn, to understand how healthy the underlying business really is.

➥ You can win deals without being the highest bidder. Moving quickly, understanding the seller's motivation, demonstrating acquisition experience, and reducing the seller's perceived risk can make you a far more attractive buyer than someone simply offering more money.

➥ Seller financing can also become a cash-flow trap. Financing makes acquisitions easier to complete, but excessive monthly payments can consume the business's cash flow and leave little room for growth or unexpected expenses.

➥ The ultimate goal isn't owning more businesses, it's building wealth without sacrificing freedom. Justin's experience has pushed him toward larger, higher-leverage assets while carefully weighing growth, risk, capital, time, and the lifestyle he actually wants.

 

About Justin Butlion

Justin Butlion is the founder of Hawkeye Ventures, a holding company that has acquired 10 micro SaaS apps generating over $93K ARR since 2022. After 7+ years working inside B2B SaaS companies as a marketer, product manager, and analyst, Justin turned to acquisitions instead of reinvesting his agency's marketing budget into ads. He writes SaaS Decoded, sharing deal breakdowns, due diligence lessons, and acquisition strategy for operators and buyers.

 

Connect with Justin Butlion

➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-butlion-54912129/  

➥ https://www.saasdecoded.com/ 

 

Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

*This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

What if you could beat a higher offer without paying more?
Justin Butlion knows how.
He&rsquo;s completed five micro SaaS acquisitions, built a 10-app portfolio, and spends roughly three hours a week managing it. His biggest deal? $98,000 with 50% seller financing.
And that&rsquo;s where this gets interesting.
Justin isn&rsquo;t trying to outbid everyone. He&rsquo;s learning how to become the buyer sellers want to choose.
Move fast. Understand the seller. Know the industry. Structure the deal so it works for both sides.
And seller financing? Justin calls it a powerful weapon.
He reveals how he negotiated deals with financing at under 2% interest, why developers often make surprisingly motivated sellers, and how the right terms can let you acquire more without putting all your cash on the line.
But the real edge starts before you make an offer.
Justin breaks down exactly what he looks for in a micro SaaS: B2B customers, sticky recurring revenue, low churn, simple tech, built-in distribution, and minimal operational risk. He also walks through how he analyzes the SaaS funnel to spot opportunities that the headline numbers might completely miss.
Then there&rsquo;s the part most acquisition conversations skip.
What happens after you buy?
Justin gets brutally honest about cash flow getting squeezed by seller payments, the hidden cost of managing multiple small businesses, his costly lessons with U.S. business structures, and why bigger acquisitions may ultimately make more sense.
Because the goal isn't to own the most businesses.
It&rsquo;s to build the most valuable portfolio without giving up your life in the process.
If you&rsquo;re buying micro SaaS, negotiating acquisitions, or looking for ways to win deals without simply offering the highest price, this conversation is packed with strategies you can actually use.
🎧 Hit play and learn how to become the buyer sellers choose, even when your offer isn't the highest.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
03:09 &ndash; How $98K in Cash Sitting Inside an Analytics Agency Sparked a Five-Deal Micro SaaS Acquisition Strategy
05:27 &ndash; The Micro SaaS Sweet Spot: Why Justin Buys Simple B2B Apps With Recurring Revenue, Low Risk, and Built-In Distribution
10:58 &ndash; The Due Diligence Advantage: Why 10+ Years of SaaS Experience Can Be the Difference Between a Great Deal and a Disaster
16:01 &ndash; The 1.7% Churn Discovery: How a SaaS With Weak Paid Conversion Revealed Massive Upside Through Its Existing Distribution
17:42 &ndash; The Seller Financing Playbook: How He Bought a $98K SaaS With 50% Seller Financing at Under 2% Interest
20:49 &ndash; How to Beat Higher Offers Without Paying More by Becoming the Buyer Sellers Trust Most
37:21 &ndash; The Bigger Acquisition Strategy: Why Justin Is Rethinking Small Deals, Raising Capital, and Building Toward a $20K MRR HoldCo&nbsp;
 
Key Takeaways
➥ Seller financing can be a powerful acquisition tool. Justin used it in three of his five deals, including his $98K acquisition with 50% seller financing, allowing him to preserve cash and continue building his portfolio.
➥ The best SaaS acquisition isn't necessarily the fastest-growing one. Justin prioritizes simple B2B SaaS, low churn, recurring revenue, built-in distribution, and low operational risk over aggressive growth.
➥ Distribution can be more valuable than the software itself. When buying SaaS, you're acquiring an existing audience, customer base, brand, and recurring revenue stream, not just a piece of code.
➥ Due diligence should go deeper than revenue. Justin analyzes the entire SaaS funnel, from installs and signups to activation, paid conversion, and churn, to understand how healthy the underlying business really is.
➥ You can win deals without being the highest bidder. Moving quickly, understanding the seller's motivation, demonstrating acquisition experience, and reducing the seller's perceived risk can make you a far more attractive buyer than someone simply offering more money.
➥ Seller financing can also become a cash-flow trap. Financing makes acquisitions easier to complete, but excessive monthly payments can consume the business's cash flow and leave little room for growth or unexpected expenses.
➥ The ultimate goal isn't owning more businesses, it's building wealth without sacrificing freedom. Justin's experience has pushed him toward larger, higher-leverage assets while carefully weighing growth, risk, capital, time, and the lifestyle he actually wants.
&nbsp;
About Justin Butlion
Justin Butlion is the founder of Hawkeye Ventures, a holding company that has acquired 10 micro SaaS apps generating over $93K ARR since 2022. After 7+ years working inside B2B SaaS companies as a marketer, product manager, and analyst, Justin turned to acquisitions instead of reinvesting his agency's marketing budget into ads. He writes SaaS Decoded, sharing deal breakdowns, due diligence lessons, and acquisition strategy for operators and buyers.
&nbsp;
Connect with Justin Butlion
➥ <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-butlion-54912129/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-butlion-54912129/</a> &nbsp;
➥ <a href="https://www.saasdecoded.com/">https://www.saasdecoded.com/</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
*This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

How To Win Micro SaaS Acquisitions With Seller Financing (Even Against Higher Offers) with Justin Butlion

What can kill a $10.5 million acquisition, and how can an experienced buyer spot a bad deal in the first 10 minutes?

Neil Twa has reviewed 500+ businesses and learned that the biggest red flags often show up before serious due diligence even begins. Messy financials. AI-generated business plans. Numbers that collapse when checked against the actual bank, Stripe, and PayPal data.

And sometimes, even when everything looks right, the deal still falls apart.

In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Neil to unpack the deal that looked so good the seller decided not to sell, the business deal that ghosted him after six months of due diligence, and the $10.5M acquisition that came with SBA financing, retail complexity, and a partner trying to sabotage the transaction.

Neil also reveals why his team changes almost nothing during the first 30 days after an acquisition, how they operate 30 brands with AI-powered systems, and why reputation can be worth more than any single deal.

If you're buying online businesses, this is a masterclass in spotting problems early, surviving the surprises you can't see coming, and knowing when to walk away.

🎧 Hit play to learn what an experienced acquirer can see in the first 10 minutes that could save you months, and potentially millions.

 

Episode Highlights

03:32 – How Neil Reviewed 500+ Businesses to Find the Few Deals Worth Buying

06:45 – The First 10-Minute Deal Killers: Messy Financials, Missing Documents, and Disorganized Seller Packages

07:58 – The AI Due Diligence Trap: How Fake Business Plans and Unverified Numbers Fall Apart Under Scrutiny

12:50 – The Deal That Looked Too Good to Sell: Why the Seller Backed Out Just Before Signing the LOI

16:17 – The 6-Month Ghosting Nightmare: When a Seller Disappeared After Months of Due Diligence

22:55 – The $10.5M Acquisition: How Neil Navigated SBA Financing, Retail Complexity and a Deal That Nearly Fell Apart

37:09 – Why Reputation Beats Money: The Trust Principle That Becomes More Important the Higher You Go

38:17 – The First 90 Days After an Acquisition: Why Neil Says Change Nothing for 30 Days and Learn Before You Optimize

 

Key Takeaways

➥ The first 10 minutes can save you months of wasted due diligence. Messy financials, missing disclosures, disorganized seller packages, and numbers that don't reconcile are early signals to walk away, not problems to hope will magically improve.

➥ AI doesn't replace credibility. A polished, AI-generated business plan means nothing if the seller can't explain the business behind it. Buyers need to verify the numbers, assumptions, and documents, not simply trust what AI produces.

➥ A great-looking deal can still fall apart for reasons you can't model on a spreadsheet. Neil had a seller back out just before signing the LOI because the diligence process made him realize how valuable his own business was.

➥ Due diligence doesn't end when you find the numbers you expected. Hidden liabilities, undisclosed agreements, missing inventory costs, and other surprises can surface right before or even months after closing. Structure the deal with those risks in mind.

➥ The first 90 days after an acquisition should be about learning, not immediately changing everything. Neil's approach is simple: spend the first 30 days changing almost nothing, map the business and its people, then identify the highest-impact improvements before acting.

➥ Operational complexity can create the biggest opportunities. Neil turned acquisitions with Amazon and retail channels into broader omnichannel businesses by identifying unused growth channels, improving systems, and using data to understand where growth actually creates value.

➥ Reputation compounds and becomes more valuable as you move up. Deals, capital, and relationships increasingly depend on trust. Neil's acquisition philosophy is built around being a "kingmaker": helping operators succeed while protecting the reputation and relationships that took years to build.

 

About Neil Twa

Neil Twa is the CEO and co-founder of Voltage Holdings, where he and his clients have generated over $100 million in ecommerce sales since 2012. A former IBM executive, Neil has launched, scaled, and exited multiple 8-figure brands and mentored over 1,000 operators using his Train-Equip-Activate framework. He now focuses on building "generative" businesses engineered for margin and exit-readiness from day one, and helps buyers spot the difference between a business that looks great and one that actually is.

 

Connect with Neil Twa 

➥https://info.voltagedm.com/podcast-free-book   

➥https://voltagedm.com 

➥https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 

 

Resource Links

➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause

➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/

➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com

➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence

 

Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥

➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE

➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5

➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO

➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR

 

This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

What can kill a $10.5 million acquisition, and how can an experienced buyer spot a bad deal in the first 10 minutes?
Neil Twa has reviewed 500+ businesses and learned that the biggest red flags often show up before serious due diligence even begins. Messy financials. AI-generated business plans. Numbers that collapse when checked against the actual bank, Stripe, and PayPal data.
And sometimes, even when everything looks right, the deal still falls apart.
In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Neil to unpack the deal that looked so good the seller decided not to sell, the business deal that ghosted him after six months of due diligence, and the $10.5M acquisition that came with SBA financing, retail complexity, and a partner trying to sabotage the transaction.
Neil also reveals why his team changes almost nothing during the first 30 days after an acquisition, how they operate 30 brands with AI-powered systems, and why reputation can be worth more than any single deal.
If you're buying online businesses, this is a masterclass in spotting problems early, surviving the surprises you can't see coming, and knowing when to walk away.
🎧 Hit play to learn what an experienced acquirer can see in the first 10 minutes that could save you months, and potentially millions.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights
03:32 &ndash; How Neil Reviewed 500+ Businesses to Find the Few Deals Worth Buying
06:45 &ndash; The First 10-Minute Deal Killers: Messy Financials, Missing Documents, and Disorganized Seller Packages
07:58 &ndash; The AI Due Diligence Trap: How Fake Business Plans and Unverified Numbers Fall Apart Under Scrutiny
12:50 &ndash; The Deal That Looked Too Good to Sell: Why the Seller Backed Out Just Before Signing the LOI
16:17 &ndash; The 6-Month Ghosting Nightmare: When a Seller Disappeared After Months of Due Diligence
22:55 &ndash; The $10.5M Acquisition: How Neil Navigated SBA Financing, Retail Complexity and a Deal That Nearly Fell Apart
37:09 &ndash; Why Reputation Beats Money: The Trust Principle That Becomes More Important the Higher You Go
38:17 &ndash; The First 90 Days After an Acquisition: Why Neil Says Change Nothing for 30 Days and Learn Before You Optimize
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways
➥ The first 10 minutes can save you months of wasted due diligence. Messy financials, missing disclosures, disorganized seller packages, and numbers that don't reconcile are early signals to walk away, not problems to hope will magically improve.
➥ AI doesn't replace credibility. A polished, AI-generated business plan means nothing if the seller can't explain the business behind it. Buyers need to verify the numbers, assumptions, and documents, not simply trust what AI produces.
➥ A great-looking deal can still fall apart for reasons you can't model on a spreadsheet. Neil had a seller back out just before signing the LOI because the diligence process made him realize how valuable his own business was.
➥ Due diligence doesn't end when you find the numbers you expected. Hidden liabilities, undisclosed agreements, missing inventory costs, and other surprises can surface right before or even months after closing. Structure the deal with those risks in mind.
➥ The first 90 days after an acquisition should be about learning, not immediately changing everything. Neil's approach is simple: spend the first 30 days changing almost nothing, map the business and its people, then identify the highest-impact improvements before acting.
➥ Operational complexity can create the biggest opportunities. Neil turned acquisitions with Amazon and retail channels into broader omnichannel businesses by identifying unused growth channels, improving systems, and using data to understand where growth actually creates value.
➥ Reputation compounds and becomes more valuable as you move up. Deals, capital, and relationships increasingly depend on trust. Neil's acquisition philosophy is built around being a "kingmaker": helping operators succeed while protecting the reputation and relationships that took years to build.
&nbsp;
About Neil Twa
Neil Twa is the CEO and co-founder of Voltage Holdings, where he and his clients have generated over $100 million in ecommerce sales since 2012. A former IBM executive, Neil has launched, scaled, and exited multiple 8-figure brands and mentored over 1,000 operators using his Train-Equip-Activate framework. He now focuses on building "generative" businesses engineered for margin and exit-readiness from day one, and helps buyers spot the difference between a business that looks great and one that actually is.
&nbsp;
Connect with Neil Twa&nbsp;
➥<a href="https://info.voltagedm.com/podcast-free-book">https://info.voltagedm.com/podcast-free-book</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
➥<a href="https://voltagedm.com">https://voltagedm.com</a>&nbsp;
➥<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Resource Links
➥ Connect with Jaryd here -<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause</a>
➥ FREE Download the Due Diligence Framework - <a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/">https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/ </a>➥ Buying Online Businesses Website -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/"> https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com</a>
➥ Online Business Due Diligence Services -<a href="https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/"> </a>https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/duediligence
&nbsp;
Buy &amp; Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥
➥ Empire Flippers -<a href="https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE"> https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE</a>
➥ Flippa -<a href="https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5"> https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5</a>
➥ Motion Invest -<a href="https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO"> https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO </a>➥ Investors Club -<a href="https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR"> https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR</a>
&nbsp;
This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site/posts at no additional cost to you.

What Kills An Online Business Deal in the First 10 Minutes with 8 Figure Acquirer Neil Twa

Jaryd Krause quit his plumbing job in 2015 by acquiring online businesses and never looked back. Now one of the world's leading Online Business M&A advisors, he's helped thousands of people acquire profitable businesses, made his clients millions, and scaled companies from 6 to 8 figures.

The Buying Online Businesses Podcast cuts through the noise on acquisitions, M&A strategy, and building real wealth through buying already profitable online businesses. Whether you're looking to replace your income or build a portfolio that funds the life you actually want, this is your show!

Jaryd Krause quit his plumbing job in 2015 by acquiring online businesses and never looked back. Now one of the world's leading Online Business M&amp;A advisors, he's helped thousands of people acquire profitable businesses, made his clients millions, and scaled companies from 6 to 8 figures.
The Buying Online Businesses Podcast cuts through the noise on acquisitions, M&amp;A strategy, and building real wealth through buying already profitable online businesses. Whether you're looking to replace your income or build a portfolio that funds the life you actually want, this is your show!

Buying Online Businesses Podcast

Hosted by Jaryd Krause who went from plumber to creating an online business empire through buying websites for passive income. 

This podcast will unfold his secrets as you explore the highs, lows and light bulb moments of his personal journey in each episode. He will show you that no matter where you are in life an alternate lifestyle is more than possible. You will gain the knowledge you need to start buying online businesses yourself and live a fulfilling lifestyle.

Buying Online Businesses Podcast

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