Ed Weeks Jr.

Consigliere to $2M–$20M business owners. Growth, capital, acquisitions & M&A. I talk about what actually happens when ownership, money and deals collide.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Most owners do one major deal. The other side does it for a living.

I've spent 30+ years around Wall Street, operating companies, sales, capital and M&A.

Here's what I've learned - Building a successful company and building a valuable company aren't always the same thing.

I write about the decisions that change what a business is worth - growth, capital, acquisitions, succession and M&A.

Mostly from the owner's side of the table. If you own a $2M–$20M business, that's what you'll find here.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

If a business isn't ready, it shouldn't be out there getting offers. Real numbers and a realistic value first. Then go to market.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Important limitation:

No public database can reliably certify that a private buyer has sufficient committed funding for a specific acquisition. Public research can establish credibility and identify red flags. Transaction-specific funding still requires independent verification.

Perhaps this is where proof of funds or a bank commitment letter can come into play, but need to verify it directly with the lender or capital provider.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Before you spend real money on diligence, verify that your backers actually have the capital. I had 13 deals under signed LOIs and a SPAC sponsor that didn't have the money. Check first.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Start with SEC EDGAR for public sponsors and SPACs. For PE firms, check Form ADV and their actual investment history. Then find out who’s providing the equity and whether it’s committed to the deal.

Big difference between having investors and having money ready to close. I learned that one the expensive way.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Owners won't talk about selling their business at the office. So my letters go to their home, and I sign every one myself. About half of our owner conversations start because of that signature.

My team has been doing this kind of outreach since 2015. Mail, email, outbound, then I get on the phone and qualify the owner myself. Even in a crowded space like home services it still turns up 4-5 quality leads a week.

Now I'm pointing all of it at buyers. That's the WCG Origination Desk. It runs a continuous search built around one buyer's thesis and exclusions, across the U.S. and U.K., and it produces one-page target profiles backed by evidence. It's for family office principals, heads of acquisitions and BD officers who have capital and a real mandate. Any sector, any deal size.

I'm using my 30 days with @boardyai on one goal: 3-4 paid mandates heading into 2027.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

@paulcrane Especially in service businesses where the people and relationships drive the revenue. Lose the key employees after closing and that great acquisition can turn ugly pretty quickly.

How many buyers do you think really understand that risk before they close?

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Owners, as much as a buyer is vetting your business, you get to vet the buyer. Most owners I talk to care about their people more than almost anything. So ask. How will you treat my team? What changes in year one? Who runs it day to day? You have every right to know.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

@IanjhReynolds Agreed, Ian. Nothing wrong with an auction when it makes sense, but the highest bid isn’t always the best deal. I’d rather have a serious buyer who can actually close.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Selling a business isn't about throwing it on the wall to see what sticks. For most deals it's two or three buyers who really fit. Make sure they're all involved, then work on getting them to up their price.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

@BraizorChris Exactly, Chris. And a higher offer doesn’t mean much if the buyer can’t actually get the deal done.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

@millenrastogi Love it 👊

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

People ask why I work with $2M to $20M businesses. Because that's where a sale is a life-changing event for the owner. That's what makes this work satisfying.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Building your business? Go for the revenue and the cash flow. At the end of the day, cash is king.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

I say this to owners all the time. You want someone sitting on your side of the table, because the people across from you do this all day, every day, and you're doing it one time.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

A lot of trades owners I talk to have already been down an LOI path. Some sold and regret it. Some didn't meet the bar. Some watched the price drop 40, 50% from the offer to what the buyer actually wanted to pay. Not every buyer does that. Know your numbers before you sign.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

A buyer isn't buying your past. They're buying the next five years, and somebody has to run those five years. Who is that in your company?

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Most owner dependence is an easy fix. For a lot of owners, the dependency is just their own ego in the way. I can say that. I'm the guy who always has to have his hands in everything.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

A business that passed from parent to child can still be hard to sell if it passed person to person.

Buyers pay for what's written down, delegated, and repeatable.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Family businesses: list your related-party items before a buyer does.

Family on payroll, rent paid to a family-owned building, personal expenses run through the company. Each needs a clean answer in diligence.

[Ed Weeks Jr. @EdWeeksJr]

Roofing owners: age your insurance receivables before a buyer does.

Slow carrier payments and open supplements are where working capital fights tend to start in a sale.