341 - "I've Been Through This Before—And I'm Not Doing It Again"

0:00I've been through this before and I'm not doing it again. I remember the CEO of a public company saying that to me back in 2008-2009 around the crash. And he had built a company 20 plus years, taken it public. He said, I just don't want to go through another down cycle. I've done that before. So let's talk about why fear is fueling seller financing and business acquisitions, which is more important to you than a conversation I had in 2008 and 2009. So let's talk about those points I think that make sense and are important for you to remember. Older owners are tired of the ride. Many of those owners in their 60s and 70s, which coincidentally is your target market, have ridden out the 2008 crash and more recently COVID-19.

0:52They're emotionally and financially fatigued and don't want to navigate another uncertain down cycle. And you'll hear them say often, I just don't have the energy to do this again. Economic uncertainty creates urgency. So tariffs, inflation fears, election year volatility, we saw that, and rising costs are pushing fence sitters to act. When uncertainty rises, so does the desire for uncertainty through exit. So they don't know what's going to happen. They're afraid of what might happen. So now might be the time to just say, you know what, let's cash our chips in and go forward. Now, seller financing is more attractive than ever.

1:35Why is that? Traditional financing is tighter. Banks are cautious. But older sellers are open to seller finance because it provides monthly income without running the business. Super important. That coupled with usually a higher selling price for them is what will drive them towards that option. So you can structure deals that help them retire give you control with little to no money down. Most of the time, no money down. Timing the market versus seizing the moment. You don't need to wait for a better economy to act. Now is when wealth is built. History shows that business acquisitions often happen in down markets.

2:17And boy, is that true. I've seen that over and over again, especially when larger acquires smaller that they get into cash flow troubles the big guys come in and do some great deals and you can do the same thing with seller finance certainly you must be ready and positioned have your board industry focus credibility and deal structure ready you should already have that if you do not know that go over to brucewhipple.com and grab the Acquisition Advantage 2025 Boot Camp Edition recordings. Deals are available, but only prepared buyers will capitalize. Separate yourself from the bots, something I say frequently.

3:00You can do a better job than they can, and your job is not to convince sellers to sell. Your job is to convince sellers why you are and your team are the best choice. But this window is a short window usually. As the economy recovers, seller expectations rise, seller financing is not as popular, and competition increases. So act before the tide turns, and the terms become less favorable. So I hope you recognize that while the conditions that we're in now will freeze a lot of people, I hope you're not one of them. There is opportunity and chaos. There are deals to be made. and if you look at it from that standpoint and you go after the right target market and the right demographics, seller financing is certainly an option which is very, very viable and I would say should always be your first pitch.

3:56So again, if you don't know what to do and how to do it, if you're looking for group coaching, go over to brucewhipple.com. All the details are there but time is now to act and I hope you do that.