Hello friend,
Why you're getting this: this is my Friends Newsletter; where I share everything I wish someone had told me before I sold my first business.
Today’s topic?
That moment when you're deep in Google search hell, typing:
“Who buys businesses like mine?”
You’ve built a legit company.
It’s profitable.
It’s real.
It’s boring (in the best way).
And you want out; not because it’s broken, but because you’re tired.
Here’s the no-BS answer: who actually buys businesses like yours, how to find them, and how to skip the circus entirely.
After buying over 40 businesses, I’ve seen it all.
Here are the five types of buyers you’ll encounter; some great, some painful.
They’re in your industry.
They know your product.
They’d love to “explore a partnership” first.
🚩 Red Flags:
Good only if:
You’ve already got an inbound offer and you're ready to play long-ball.
More often than not?
They’ll waste your time.
Shows up in a vest.
Talks about “rolling up the vertical.”
Thinks 20% margins are “too low”; for a business you built from scratch.
🚩 Red Flags:
Good only if:
You love Excel, earn-outs, and working for someone who’s never run a business.
Hard pass for me.
These are founders who’ve built and run businesses themselves.
They speak margin.
They get churn.
They know why your weird SOP doc matters.
Green Flags:
This is who we are at Tiny.
We buy boring, profitable businesses and actually run them.
Want to know what we look for?
👉 What Buyers Like Tiny.com Look For
Smart MBA grad.
Nice guy.
Still hasn’t raised capital.
Still asking for another extension.
🚩 Red Flags:
Good only if:
You like mentorship and don’t mind risk.
Otherwise?
You’re babysitting a buyer who’s still learning to walk.
They get it.
They’ve built.
They’ve sold.
And now they want to buy.
✅ Green Flags:
This is who you want.
Here’s how I break it down:
Your BusinessYour Buyer< $1M EBITDA, simple opsFellow founder or operator-buyer like Tiny$1–5M EBITDA, high marginOperator-led holding company$5–20M EBITDA, growth modePE firm (maybe); proceed with cautionVC-backed, no profitStrategic or auction; get a banker
If you’re doing real revenue, high margin, and don’t want drama?
You want a direct deal with an operator or holding company.
No deck. No drama. No earn-out with 19 clauses.
Just a clean check and peace of mind.
Want the full playbook?
👉 The Boring Business Exit Checklist
Skip the brokers.
Skip the banker fees.
Here’s what I’d do instead:
“Hey; I own [BusinessName]. $X profit, low churn, mostly runs without me. Wondering if this fits your wheelhouse. Open to chatting.”
That’s it.
Want to see how the process unfolds?
👉 What It’s Really Like to Sell to Tiny
You don’t need a banker.
You don’t need a pitch deck.
You don’t need to be in a M&A war room for 9 months with legal breathing down your neck.
You just need:
If your business is boring, profitable, and built with taste; I promise you, the right buyer is out there.
You just don’t need to scream to find them.
Get Your Copy of Never Enough at https://www.neverenough.com
Or don’t.
Just go write your one-pager and send it to someone who actually runs businesses.
No BS required.
– Andrew
