Why 20% of Small Business Owners Close Instead of Sell | Mike Ehrle

Why 20% of Small Business Owners Close Instead of Sell | Mike Ehrle

In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Mike Ehrle, founder of FinParency, to discuss one of the most overlooked problems in the lower-middle market: business owners who simply lock the door and walk away rather than securing a proper exit. Mike draws on his experience watching UnitedHealth Group complete 65 acquisitions and leading companies through multiple private equity and family office transactions to explain how FinParency is building a platform to get small business owners exit-ready, match them with the right buyers from a pool of 4,500+ private equity groups and 4,000+ family offices, and bridge the knowledge gap that causes so many deals to fall apart.    In this podcast episode, we discuss:  * Why roughly 20% of small business owners in their 60s plan to shut down rather than sell -- and what's driving that trend  * How FinParency's platform diagnoses a business, scores its exit-readiness, and flags red flags before buyers ever see them  * What business owners need to understand about add-backs, working capital, and cleaning up financials before going to market  * How cutting costs (especially benefits and insurance) directly increases your exit multiple  * Inside look at how strategic buyers like UnitedHealth Group approach acquisitions differently than private equity  * How FinParency matches sellers with the right buyers -- PE groups, family offices, and individual investors -- and when to bring in a banker    Guest Contact Info:  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeehrle/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeehrle/]  * Email: mikeehrle@finparency.ai [mikeehrle@finparency.ai]  * Website: finparency.ai [https://www.finparency.ai/] or finparency.com [https://www.finparency.com/]    Additional Resources:  * Thinking about buying or selling a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities.  * Contact Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles: info@equity-launchpad.com [info@equity-launchpad.com]  * Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com [https://www.equity-launchpad.com/]    About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/ [http://malaunchpad.com/]

How PE-Backed Companies Scale Fintech Revenue with Robert Checchia

**Please note: There are periodic audio distortions.  Thank you for bearing with the tech glitches.  In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Robert Checchia, CFO of Benzinga, to discuss what happens after private equity acquires a fast-growing media company and how leadership teams reposition businesses for long-term enterprise value. Robert shares how Benzinga evolved from a financial media platform into a fintech and data licensing company, why recurring revenue and sticky data products matter, and the operational playbook he uses when stepping into PE-backed businesses.  In This Episode We Discuss:  * How Benzinga transitioned from financial media into a fintech and data licensing company  * Robert’s 30-60-90-180 day CFO framework after joining a PE-backed acquisition  * Why cash flow management and centralized data are critical after acquiring a business  * The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when scaling and productizing companies  Guest Contact Info:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robert-g-checchia-cfa  Email: robert@benzinger.com [robert@benzinger.com] or checchia.robert@gmail.com [checchia.robert@gmail.com]   Benzinga: https://www.benzinga.com  Additional Resources:  Equity Launchpad helps acquisition entrepreneurs, investors, and operators learn how to buy, scale, and grow businesses through strategic acquisitions. Explore educational resources, podcast episodes, and investment insights at https://www.equity-launchpad.com [https://www.equity-launchpad.com/] or contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa at info@equity-launchpad.com [info@equity-launchpad.com]    About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/ [http://malaunchpad.com/]

Legal Mistakes that Kill Acquisitions with Fareed Kaisani

In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with Fareed Kaisani of MW Law to discuss the legal side of buying businesses and the costly mistakes that can derail acquisitions. Fareed shares insights from working on lower middle market deals ranging from SBA-funded acquisitions to private equity rollups, including why buyers should engage counsel early, how working capital disputes kill deals, and why trying to save money on legal or QoE support can backfire.    In this podcast episode, we discuss:    • Why buyers should engage experienced M&A counsel before signing an LOI    • How working capital, holdbacks, escrows, and seller notes impact transactions    • The legal and financial mistakes that commonly blow up deals before closing    • Why AI-generated LOIs and “cheap” legal advice can create major problems for buyers    Guest Contact Info:    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareed-kaisani/    • Email: Fareed@MWFirm.com    Additional Resources:    • Thinking about buying a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities.    • Contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa: info@equity-launchpad.com    • Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com    About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/ [http://malaunchpad.com/]

Scaled a Business to $30M After a Brutal First Deal | Joe Van Deman

He went from working at Google to driving trucks at 3AM after a brutal first acquisition—then turned those hard lessons into a business that scaled to nearly $30M.    Join us at the M&A Launchpad Conference on May 2, 2026 in Houston. Use code LAUNCH for $150 off. Get details: https://malaunchpad.com [https://malaunchpad.com/]  Serious about buying a business? Start your acquisition journey here: https://equity-launchpad.com/invest-with-us/ [https://equity-launchpad.com/invest-with-us/]    In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew and Ben Suttles sit down with Joe Van Deman of Circle City Capital Group to break down what it actually looks like to buy and operate small businesses.  After reviewing more than 1,200 deals, Joe and his partner acquired an overnight trucking business that looked great on paper but quickly became a grind of middle-of-the-night routes, missed drivers, and operational chaos. Instead of walking away, they stabilized it, grew it, and exited using that experience to reshape their entire strategy.  From there, they built a diversified portfolio across e-commerce, bookkeeping, and manufacturing, including scaling an American-made denim platform to nearly $30M in revenue. Their approach is simple: buy stable businesses, improve operations, and focus on long-term value, not hype.  In this episode, we discuss:  * Reviewed over 1,200 businessesand still got the first deal wrong • Bought a “great on paper” business that had them driving trucks at 3 AM  • Doubled the business in year one and exited to a strategic buyer  • Scaled a niche denim manufacturing business from under $2M to ~$30M  • Built a portfolio by buying overlooked businesses most people ignore  Guest Contact Info:  Joe Van Deman  Email: joe@circlecitycapitalgroup.com [joe@circlecitycapitalgroup.com]  Website: https://circlecitycapitalgroup.com [https://circlecitycapitalgroup.com/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joevandeman/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joevandeman/]    Additional Resources:  Contact Casey Minshew, Ben Suttles and Feras Moussa at info@equitylaunchpad.com [info@equitylaunchpad.com]  https://www.equity-launchpad.com [https://www.equity-launchpad.com/]  About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/ [http://malaunchpad.com/]

100 Days to Unlock Millions? How Sale-Leasebacks Work | Tyrell McGee

Most investors leave millions locked inside their deals because they don’t understand how to turn real estate into usable capital through sale-leasebacks. Join us at the M&A Launchpad Conference on May 2, 2026 in Houston. Use code LAUNCH for $150 off. Get details: https://malaunchpad.com [https://www.malaunchpad.com/event/Houston2026/summary] Looking to buy a business or scale through acquisition? Submit your information here: https://www.equity-launchpad.com [https://equity-launchpad.com/invest-with-us/] In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, Casey Minshew sits down with Tyrell McGee, a commercial real estate expert specializing in sale-leaseback transactions. Ty shares how investors use real estate as a strategic tool to unlock capital, solve financing challenges, and accelerate growth. This conversation breaks down how sale-leasebacks work, when they make sense, and how operators, searchers, and private equity firms use them in real deals. From credit and EBITDA thresholds to lease structure and long-term risk, this episode gives a clear, practical look at one of the most powerful tools in M&A. In this episode, we discuss: * What a sale-leaseback is and how it works in M&A * How investors use real estate equity to fund acquisitions and growth * A real-world example of solving a debt maturity using a sale-leaseback * Minimum EBITDA and deal size thresholds that make deals viable * How credit quality and operator strength impact deal structure * The role of market rent and how lease rates are determined * Risks of long-term lease obligations and overburdening the business * When sale-leasebacks make sense for searchers vs private equity sponsors * How to think about real estate as a strategic lever in acquisitions Guest Contact Info: Tyrell McGee Email: Tyrell.McGee@marcusmillichap.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyrellmcgee/ Additional Resources: Contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa: info@equitylaunchpad.com Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com