Daniel Askew

Operators who advise. Nashville founder helping SMB owners grow, capitalize & exit w real operator insight. Your co-pilot.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

How your buyer pays matters to YOU:

SBA: Up to $5M, slow, requires cash flow test
Conventional: 20-30% down, faster, pickier
PE/Cash: Fast close, harder negotiation
Seller financing: You're the bank

Know the options BEFORE you negotiate.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@Codie_Sanchez Well said. No one cares anyways.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@danmartell Truth

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Earnouts are like gym memberships.

Great in theory. Rarely used as intended.

The buyer controls every lever that affects your earnout target.

Rule: price the base deal as if the earnout doesn't exist.

If it pays out, it's a bonus. Not your retirement.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@Teslaconomics Concerned about demand side once thousands of AVs hit the roadways

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@thedankoe Be to become!

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Memphis logistics M&A is heating up.

3PLs, freight brokers, fleet services — all getting acquired.

PE figured out: route density + contracts = money machines.

5-7x EBITDA multiples. Higher for tech-integrated, multi-modal.

Getting PE calls? They're real. But don't take the first offer.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Memphis logistics M&A is heating up.

3PLs, freight brokers, fleet services — all getting acquired.

PE figured out: route density + contracts = money machines.

5-7x EBITDA multiples. Higher for tech-integrated, multi-modal.

Getting PE calls? They're real. But don't take the first offer.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@GrantHensel The ability to make new decisions as new data presents itself with little regard for ego.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Most expensive word in M&A?

'Someday.'

Every 'someday' costs real money at closing.

$8M today → $12M in 24 months if you fix value killers now.

Or $6M because you waited.

'Someday' isn't a strategy. A timeline is.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Term sheet ≠ your number.

$15M term sheet that nets $9M after adjustments.
$10M term sheet that delivers $10M clean.

Look for:
1. Cash at close %
2. Earnout metrics (who controls them?)
3. Non-compete scope

Don't sign excitement. Sign understanding.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

"My business is unique."

They all are. That's not the flex you think it is.

Unique = harder to comp, harder to underwrite, harder to fund.

Be special in the market.
Be boring in due diligence.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Three quiet M&A hotspots:

Chattanooga: Manufacturing/logistics, 5-7x
Huntsville: Defense/aerospace, premium offers
Knoxville: Nuclear renaissance + healthcare growth

Business owners in these markets don't realize how hot they are.

Buyers are looking. Are you visible?

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@LivingInNorthGa Would love to hear any key takeaways for what is working in the current environment!

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

I do my best thinking on the water.

Disconnection creates clarity.

Every owner I know is so deep in the weeds they can't see the field.

This weekend, find your version of the boat.

Ask yourself the big question.

See what comes up.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@SBA_Ray Good to meet you Ray. Sorry to hear about the tough times. What lessons would you share with others trying to buy these “boring” businesses? I get calls from these buyers daily.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Thanks for the reply and that is great perspective. I'm somewhat bullish on travel over the next 4-7 yrs. Once the robots are building robots and the cost of goods & services goes towards zero, people with more time + disposable income are going to be looking towards experiential travel to find their purpose again.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

@nikitabier @nikitabier I often get frustrated by not being able to tell when the original videos were recorded. So much “Breaking News” with videos that were months old or that I have already previously consumed.

[Daniel Askew @daniel_askew]

Succession planning ≠ exit planning.

Exit: how do I sell?
Succession: how does it survive without me?

'I'll stay on for a year' ≠ a plan.

Real succession = 24 months of preparation before you leave.

Owners who invest in this sell faster and for more.