#123: The Acquisition Entrepreneur: Buying Companies and Growing Value

Walker Deibel began his entrepreneurial journey like a lot of us, with a startup. But by 2004 Walker had found a far more effective business model called acquisition al entrepreneurship. During today’s episode, Walker tells me how he stumbled onto acquisitional entrepreneurship.

We also discuss what he looks for in a potential purchase. He promotes his book on the subject Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game and shares what he hopes to create from it.

What you will learn:

• Walker’s business background.
• Why it is harder to build a startup from scratch.
• The 3 types of startup entrepreneurs and the difference between them.
• What is an acquisitional entrepreneur?
• The 4 types of businesses in the Acquisitional Entrepreneur Matrix.
• Why Walker likes to focus on online businesses.
• Why you shouldn’t assume a business’s circumstances till you get all the information.
• How to recognize opportunity and take advantage of it.
• The lessons Walker learned from the sell of his first company.
• Why you need to sell your business before it peaks.
• The types of businesses that Walker really likes to buy.

Takeaways:

Your business looks totally different to a buyer. Go online and check out a broker’s site. Get a feel for your current market and see your company from the buyer’s perspective. You will see so many opportunities for value building and growth.

Links and Resources:

GEXP Collaborative
Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game by Walker Deibel
Buythenbuild.com

About Walker:

Walker Deibel is an acquisition entrepreneur. He has co-founded three startups and acquired seven companies. Walker is the Managing Director for Centra, which currently owns and manages three companies. In addition,  Centra is a partner in over a half dozen firms covering: distribution, manufacturing, education, childcare, film, and television production, enterprise Software, online content, and eCommerce.

Walker is the bestselling author of Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game

He holds an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis where he received the Declaration of Accomplishment in Entrepreneurship from the Skandalaris Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He is a Certified M&A Advisor, former SEC licensed stockbroker, and helps online entrepreneurs exit their firms as an advisor.

Walker has produced almost a dozen films and had premieres at some of the world’s most esteemed festivals, including Sundance, SXSW, and Toronto International Film Festival.

He lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and their three children.