American Operator

Reviving the American Dream on Main Street

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

Our CEO @buysellsmb chats with board member and investor @JTLonsdale on the @AmOptimistShow for one of his first full sit-down interviews to discuss their optimism for Main Street.

America is at an inflection point. Small businesses are the lifeblood of communities and the backbone of everything this country was built on. But every year, more owners are retiring than there are young people stepping into ownership, and many are getting bought out by coastal private equity firms.

Will shares why it's important to have a country of owners, and how AI may be the best thing to ever happen to small businesses.

The vision is not just to "create more millionaires on Main Street", but to make sure these local businesses stay in the hands of their communities.

Full episode below.

https://t.co/a5mwzAA3mC

[American Optimist @AmOptimistShow]

EPISODE 149: The Small Business Succession Crisis & New Possibilities in the AI Age

@JTLonsdale sits down with @BuySellSMB, Founder & CEO @OperateUSA.

(00:00) Episode intro

(01:25) Will’s entrepreneurial journey

(04:15) The small business succession crisis

(06:40) American Operator’s approach vs. private equity

(08:35) "We're creating millionaires on Main Street"

(11:55) Does AI mean boom or bust for small business

(15:55) Forget law school? Buy a small business instead?

(21:20) AI use cases for small business

(23:00) Why many SMBs shut down instead of sell

(26:00) How the operate-to-own model works

(33:50) Optimism for Main Street America

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

Last week, Will joined FOX Business to highlight Gen-Z's shift towards entrepreneurship and the case for optimism in this country.

[Will Fry @BuySellSMB]

Great time making the case for optimism and the American Dream 🇺🇸

Thanks for having me, @dagenmcdowell and @BrianBrenberg!

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

The country has enough private equity roll-ups.

[American Radio Journal @AmerRadioJourn]

This week on American Radio Journal: @BuySellSMB of @OperateUSA explains the small business succession crisis as baby boomers retire with no one to take over. Twenty years ago, 30% of owners passed businesses to their children. Today that number is 3%.

@ScottTParkinson of @club4growth covers primary results from Wisconsin and South Carolina.

@EricBoehm87 and @JoeRLancaster of @reason examine how government meddling helped kill Spirit Airlines.

@TaxEconomist of @ALEC_states looks at why California's proposed billionaires tax is already backfiring.

Listen here: https://t.co/T6CSwN08O7

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

Our CEO joined @cabot_phillips to discuss the succession crisis playing out on Main Street.

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

Our CEO @buysellsmb recently joined @RickLeventhal to share the work we're doing on Main Street.

[Will Fry @BuySellSMB]

Huge thank you to our ELITE inaugural class of Forward Deployed AI interns.

They crushed it this summer!!

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

The succession crisis impacts more than just retiring owners.

@TimCast and @BuySellSMB discuss what happened to Japan and what's at stake in America.

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

"We view our mission as a fight to preserve the American Dream, populist capitalism, and local ownership."

Thanks to @realDailyWire for sharing what we do and why we do it.

https://t.co/jA8Kodn2Fl

[Paul Mauro @PaulDMauro]

Had an interesting discussion with @OperateUSA CEO, Will Fry (@BuySellSMB) about how his company helps to modernize small businesses on @FAAjimmy

[Will Fry @BuySellSMB]

The SMB roadshow continues... upcoming dates:

- Philadelphia (7/11)
- Jersey Shore (7/12-7/13)
- Central PA (7/14-7/15)
- NYC (7/16)
- Long Island (7/17)
- Bismarck, North Dakota (7/18-7/19)

If you're in any of these spots, lmk!!

[Ecomm Cowboy @ecommcowboy]

American Operator (@OperateUSA) Founder/CEO Will Fry (@BuySellSMB ) on the myth that drives people to business ownership:

“I meet a lot of people who say: ’I want to leave corporate America and do business ownership because I’ll have freedom and autonomy.’”

“It’s the least free thing you could ever do.”

“You’re a slave to yourself.”

[Colin Dougherty @colindougherty]

"Most of the folks that we partner with are putting next to nothing into the deal."

Will Fry (@BuySellSMB), founder/CEO of American Operator (@OperateUSA), on the operate-to-own model: 10% at close, earning into 70% over a decade, on a $120–200K base.

[American Moment @americanmoment]

Could small business ownership be a key tool for combating America's growing crisis of meaning?

@BuySellSMB thinks so.

[American Moment @americanmoment]

Why does it matter if small businesses are struggling?

Won't big businesses or private equity or UBI simply replace them without consequence?

@BuySellSMB argues, "You NEED a society of owners!"

[American Moment @americanmoment]

"Our mission statement is to 'Revive the American Dream,'" says @BuySellSMB.

Will explains what @OperateUSA does and why it's so important to the prosperity of America's next generation.

[Will Fry @BuySellSMB]

Spent an hour with Nick on why local ownership matters.

The case isn't just economic. It's societal.

Small businesses are the #1 trusted institution. Their owners serve as leaders in their communities. Their profits bolster towns through donations and volunteer work.

There is no better way to achieve the American Dream than through owning a small business. 🇺🇸🇺🇸

[Nick Solheim @NickSolheim]

America is sitting on a time bomb. Over half of our nation’s small business owners are approaching retirement, and most of them don’t have a plan other than selling out to private equity.

Wherever America’s small businesses go, the state of the country is sure to follow.

@BuySellSMB and @OperateUSA have a totally novel solution to solve this succession crisis. The entrepreneur may be endangered, but he’s not an extinct species yet, and Will and his team are ready to make a big bet in order to preserve our heritage of capitalistic freedom for another generation.

I really enjoyed this episode and I highly recommend it to you.

(02:21) What Is American Operator
(06:32) Refusing the McKinsey Path
(09:21) How the American Operator Model Works
(14:28) What Happens to Main Street if Nobody Solves This Problem
(17:42) Civic Renewal
(19:59) Is Private Equity Evil?
(24:26) How the SBA Seven A Loan Program Works
(29:45) The Deez Nuts Grill Brush and American Manufacturing
(31:22) What Makes the Best Operator
(35:46) Hiring Philosophy and Interviewing
(38:27) How American Moment and American Operator Find Talent
(48:51) The SBA Loan Cap Needs to Rise With Inflation
(50:41) Fixing the Purgatory Between Seven A and SBIC
(53:28) Rural America Is Where This Matters Most
(55:24) Defining the Win — 10,000 Businesses and a Main Street ETF

[Will Fry @BuySellSMB]

Fun SMB meetup in DC with some great local owners and the hardworking team at the SBA 🇺🇸

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

@SBAgov @SBA_Kelly Watch the full interview: https://t.co/aayKH9nQZJ

[American Operator @OperateUSA]

Defending Main Street is a national effort.

For National Small Business Week, we brought a room full of owners to the American Operator HQ and hosted @SBAgov Administrator @SBA_Kelly to have a direct conversation with the hardworking owners of America and address some of the most pressing topics on their minds.

Thank you for stopping by!