Get your reps in before you buy your first business.
Practice making real acquisition decisions every week. Analyze the business, make the call before seeing the answer, and get feedback on your reasoning.
Start this week's challenge →A rep takes about 10 minutes.
Read the deal. Make the call. See how your reasoning compares.
A residential pool service business outside Phoenix: $780K revenue, $295K SDE, asking $944K (3.2x). Four routes — three W-2 techs costing $60k each fully loaded, plus the owner, who drives the fourth himself and writes every repair quote. the add-backs supporting SDE include $58K of the owner's wages, $9K of personal auto and health insurance, and a one-time $12K compressor replacement. The buyer is a career-changer who plans to run the business and hire a fourth tech rather than drive. The listing calls it semi-absentee.
Which addback do you push back on?
Get reps. Build judgment.
You don't build acquisition judgment by reading more. You build it by making decisions.
Don't read the answer. Make the call first.
Each case gives you the numbers, business context, and key questions. You commit to your answer before seeing how an experienced buyer would approach it.
What you'll get better at
- Spot attractive businesses hiding behind mediocre numbers
- Recognize when seller earnings don't tell the whole story
- Decide what deserves more diligence
- Identify risks before they become deal-breakers
- Judge whether the asking price makes sense
- Make a confident buy / pass / dig deeper call
The feedback starts with your reasoning.
Get your next acquisition rep in.
3 cases. 9 decisions. About 10 minutes.
Start this week's challenge →