Action Academy | Millionaire Mentorship For Your Life & Business

Episode: From $0 to Your First Small Business Acquisition — The Ultimate Roadmap
Host: Brian Luebben
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a no-fluff, step-by-step roadmap for high-performing employees to transition from their corporate jobs to owning cash-flowing small businesses. Drawing from personal experience and guiding hundreds through this journey, Brian Luebben condenses decades of private equity and acquisition knowledge into a detailed and actionable solo episode. The episode is structured around six core pillars, each representing a key stage in acquiring and owning your first small business.

“What you do need is a roadmap. And today I’m handing you the playbook I wish I had when I was in that corporate job trying to figure out how to go from employee to entrepreneur.”
— Brian Luebben (00:15)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Acquisition Mindset (02:07)

• Overcome limiting beliefs: The biggest obstacle is believing you’re not qualified to own a business.
• Avoid “buying a job”: Many first-timers buy businesses that are too small and end up with a stressful, low-margin job instead of a business.
• Think bigger, not smaller:
  • “It takes the same work, skillsets, time, and attention to buy a $3 million business as it does a $300,000 business.” (03:36)
  • Ensure the business can survive your learning curve; you will make mistakes.
• Exercise: Make a list of your corporate achievements to boost self-belief.
• Key insight: Most successful business owners aren’t genius—they believed in themselves enough to start.

2. Acquisition Criteria: The Buy Box (10:29)

Qualitative Buy Box

• Question 1: Will this support my desired lifestyle?
  • E.g., Don’t buy a business that ties you to one place if you want to travel.
• Question 2: Is the business aligned with my current skillset?
  • “If you’re great at sales and marketing, buy a business that’s strong operationally but weak in sales; you want to add value using your strengths.” (13:05)
• Don’t take on multiple “new things” at once: Only buy what fits your expertise.

Quantitative Buy Box

• Business type: Boring, service-based, cash-flowing, not easily replaced by AI.
• Size:
  • Revenue: $1M–$3M top line
  • Profit (SDE): $300K–$600K
• Location: Within 1–1.5 hours’ drive for first-time buyers
• Growth: Must show growing profit/revenue, not stagnating or declining
• Employee tenure: Look for stability, not high turnover
• Customer concentration: Avoid high reliance on a few customers; diversify your base
• Financial history: Require at least three years’ financials

“This knowledge alone should be enough to put you ahead of 90% of people that are organically looking for small businesses themselves without any knowledge, any expertise.” (27:59)

3. Acquisition Funding (28:11)

a. SBA (Small Business Administration) Loans

• Structure: Up to 90% financed, typically 10% down payment
• Process: Takes ~90+ days, but forces thorough vetting (good for beginners)
• Required: Tax docs, income statements, business plan

b. Seller Financing

• Why sellers agree:
  • Sellers are often older, want to retire, and lack heirs who want the business.
  • Offers tax advantages to sellers and allows smoother transition.
• Negotiation levers: Price, duration, interest rate (“It’s your price, my terms, or my price, your terms.” (42:53))
• Always align interests: Keep sellers invested in your success
• Tip: Don’t ask brokers up front about seller finance—bring it up during diligence.

c. Investor & Operational Partnerships

• Structure:
  • Partner brings cash (capital partner) or complementary skills (operational).
  • Example: 10% SBA down payment from investor = ~15% equity.
• Importance of a good Operating Agreement: Handles every possible dispute or scenario, not just profits.
• Don’t partner with your clone: Find a skills complement.

Notable Funding Quote

“You don’t need your own money. You need the knowledge and courage to structure the freaking deal correctly.” (44:22)

4. Deal Finding Flywheel (44:39)

• Establish your buy box and funding upfront—don’t window-shop blindly
• Deal sources:
  1. BizBuySell.com (“Zillow for businesses”) — good for familiarization and practice
  2. Local business brokers — build relationships for “pocket listings,” i.e., deals not listed online
     • Be specific, show seriousness (“I have SBA pre-approval, I want to close by X, etc.”)
  3. Direct to seller — Facebook groups, door-knocking, cold-calling, local networking
  4. Personal network — Announce your search, friends/family often know sellers
• Goal:
  • Review 5 businesses per day
  • After underwriting 100 deals, you’ll be “dangerous”

“Most good deals never make it online. They’re passed around behind closed doors.” (52:48)

5. Due Diligence Checklist (54:14)

Five-Part Framework:

1. Financials: Three years trailing—P&L, balance sheets, tax returns
2. Operations: Org chart, roles, tenure, systems—find “the chest to poke and the throat to choke”
3. Customer Base: Look for recurring, diversified customers
   • Recurring revenue is 3x as valuable as one-time
4. Moat: What protects the business from competitors and market changes?
   • E.g., Car washes lack a strong moat (can pop up anywhere)
5. Risks:
   • Owner/key-employee dependency (“key man risk”)
   • Family member involvement (big red flag—likely to leave post-sale)
   • Outdated or declining industries
   • Messy, unaudited financials (especially in seller-financed deals)

• Leverage mentors and partners for outside perspective during diligence

"Diligence is where you’re actually going on dates... trying to figure out, should we marry? Should we have children together? This is super important." (01:01:58)

6. Your First 90 Days Post-Acquisition (01:05:14)

Transition Rules:

• Rule #1: For 90 days, do not change anything.
  • Get in the trenches, ask questions, build trust with employees and customers.
• Employees’ biggest fear: Job security under new owner
• Ask employees: What are your goals? What works/doesn’t work here?
• Meet your largest customers face-to-face. Owners should personally introduce you.
• Document everything: Build visual SOPs (Miro is recommended), map processes
• After 90 days:
  • Begin making organizational changes (hiring/firing, restructuring)
  • Automate, delegate, and aim to remove yourself from day-to-day operations
• KPI systems:
  • Each employee accountable for up to three metrics, tied to performance bonuses

Major Red Flags

• Owner doesn’t transition you to team and customers in person—don’t skip this!

Notable Quotes (Post-Acquisition)

“For 90 days, do not change a thing. Do not touch a thing. You are in the business, you’re rolling up your sleeves... you are building employee trust.” (01:06:00)

“Don’t default to working a job again—be a business owner, build a system.” (01:12:02)

Closing Thoughts & Timeline (01:13:20)

• Learning phase: 90 days of education/handholding
• Building relationships & sourcing: another 90 days
• Under contract: typically by 6–9 months, possibly up to 18 for more complex cases
• Owning a strong, cash-flowing business is realistic in under two years—even if it takes 18 months that’s still “replacing a $200–400K job.”

“I just gave you what most people charge $10,000 for across 50 minutes… something you can send to anybody for free that will give them enough information to be dangerous.” (01:17:33)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Mindset Wisdom:

  “That guy’s not smarter than you. He’s just dumb enough to believe in himself.” (07:16)

• Sellers’ Motivation:

  “Their kids want to do TikTok dances. Like they don’t want to run the local tree trimming company…” (33:31)

• On Partnerships:

  “If two of you guys are doing the same thing, one of you is not needed, guaranteed.” (40:35)

• Due Diligence Reality:

  “Every single business has [problems]. Your job is to solve them and to make sure that they are solvable.” (01:00:18)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:00] – Introduction and context
• [02:07] – Part 1: Acquisition Mindset
• [10:29] – Part 2: Acquisition Criteria (The Buy Box)
• [28:11] – Part 3: Acquisition Funding Explained
• [44:39] – Part 4: Finding Your First Deal
• [54:14] – Part 5: Diligence Checklist
• [01:05:14] – Part 6: Your First 90 Days as Owner
• [01:13:20] – Timeline and closing thoughts

Final Takeaways

This episode offers a comprehensive, actionable blueprint for anyone looking to escape a corporate grind through small business acquisition. Brian encourages listeners to think big, leverage partnerships, and use proven frameworks to de-risk their leap into entrepreneurship—all while delivering a blend of tough love, practical strategies, and real-world anecdotes.

“If you’re still listening to this, this is probably a very, very, very good investment for you.” (01:18:39)

For more details, check the episode show notes and join the Action Academy for hands-on support.