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Intake Questionnaire: Small Business Acquisitions Coaching
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Personal Information
Name
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First
Last
What made you join the mentorship?
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What specifically drew you to acquisition entrepreneurship?
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I’d love to know how you got started in business. Have you owned or operated any businesses before?
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Company Name (if applicable)
Company Website (if any)
Industry of Interest (for acquisition)
Clarity of Acquisition Goal:
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Rate 1 out of 10
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On a scale from 1-10, how clear are you on the type of business you want to acquire? 1 = No idea yet | 10 = Crystal clear
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Let’s Talk About Your Acquisition Goals
Tell me more about your vision as an acquisition entrepreneur. What’s your ideal acquisition?
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Are you currently searching for businesses to acquire? If yes, what types have you explored so far?
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What industry (or industries) are you most interested in for your acquisition?
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Why are you drawn to this industry or type of business?
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Acquisition Criteria Alignment
Do you prefer a business with:
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Need-based products/services
Want/desire-based products/services
Do you prefer a business that is:
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Owner-operated
Professionally managed
Would you be open to acquiring smaller owner-operated businesses after your first acquisition?
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Yes
No
Do you require the business to have contracted or recurring revenue?
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Yes, this is essential
Not a requirement
Are you comfortable reviewing financial documents such as P&L statements, balance sheets, and EBITDA reports?
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Yes
No
I need help with this
Have you considered financing options for acquisitions?
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SBA Loan
Seller Financing
Investors
Self-funded
Other (please specify)
Specify Here:
What is your ideal deal size (in EBITDA)?
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$500K - $1MM
$1MM - $2MM
Above $2MM
Do you have a team or advisors (lawyer, CPA, broker, etc.) in place to help with acquisitions?
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Yes
No
I’m looking for referrals
How many years of experience do you have running or managing a business?
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None
1-3 years
4-7 years
8+ years
Have you ever led a team of 10 or more people?
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Yes
No
Are you comfortable managing a senior management team and holding them accountable to KPIs?
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Yes
No
I need guidance on this
What’s your biggest strength as a business leader?
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What support do you need the most to feel confident making your first acquisition?
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Deal Sourcing
Financial Analysis
Negotiation/LOI
Due Diligence
Post-Acquisition Integration
Other (Please Specify)
IF "Other" Specify Here:
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Vision & Motivation
What does success in acquisition entrepreneurship look like to you over the next 24-36 months?
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What’s your income goal in the next 24-36 months?
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How many businesses do you aim to acquire over the next 3 years?
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Do you have a long-term vision of building a roll-up or regional monopoly? If yes, describe it.
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What’s slowing you down right now? Why haven’t you made your first acquisition yet?
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Mindset & Personal Development
When life isn’t turning out the way you want, you tend to feel…
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Frustrated
Angry
Bitter/Resentful
Disappointed/Sad
Want to go harder!
What is your main focus when it comes to your career?
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Making a difference
Reaching my potential
Enjoying the process
Creating lasting change
Which feeling would most likely make you skip key activities in the program?
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Burnout
Fatigue
Need space for mental health
Just need a break
At the end of your workday, how do you want to feel?
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Accomplished
Peaceful
Energized
On track
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Resources + Tools
Do you have any existing SOPs or systems in place for business management (Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Admin)?
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Yes (please specify)
No
Specify Here:
What systems or processes would you like help automating or improving post-acquisition?
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Coaching Focus Areas
Topics you want to discuss under Sales & Marketing:
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Lead Generation
Advertising/Promotion
Brand Management
Sales Process
Topics you want to discuss under Operations Management:
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Business Process Improvement
Task/Project Management
Customer Service/Support
Metrics/KPIs
Topics you want to discuss under People Management:
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Hiring & Delegation
Leadership Development
Team Management
Succession Planning
Topics you want to discuss under Financial Wealth:
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Financial Planning
Credit & Capital
Income Diversification
Trust/Asset Protection
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Financial Readiness & Deal Financing
What is your acquisition budget?
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Cash Available: $_________
Access to investor capital:
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Yes
No
Willing to pursue financing (e.g., SBA loan, seller financing, private investors):
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Yes
No
What is your risk tolerance with debt (e.g., personal guarantee, leveraged buyout)?
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Comfortable with moderate debt
Prefer low/no debt options
Open to exploring options
What’s your ideal deal structure?
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All cash
Seller financing
Earn-out
Equity roll
Combination of the above
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Deal Criteria Prioritization
Rank "Recurring revenue" by importance to you (1 = most important, 5 = least important):
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Rate 1 out of 5
Rate 2 out of 5
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Rate 5 out of 5
Rank "Professional management in place" by importance to you (1 = most important, 5 = least important):
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Rate 1 out of 5
Rate 2 out of 5
Rate 3 out of 5
Rate 4 out of 5
Rate 5 out of 5
Rank "EBITDA range" by importance to you (1 = most important, 5 = least important):
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Rate 1 out of 5
Rate 2 out of 5
Rate 3 out of 5
Rate 4 out of 5
Rate 5 out of 5
Rank "Low CapEx requirements" by importance to you (1 = most important, 5 = least important):
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Rate 1 out of 5
Rate 2 out of 5
Rate 3 out of 5
Rate 4 out of 5
Rate 5 out of 5
Rank "Location/Proximity" by importance to you (1 = most important, 5 = least important):
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Rate 1 out of 5
Rate 2 out of 5
Rate 3 out of 5
Rate 4 out of 5
Rate 5 out of 5
Would you consider a business that does not meet all your criteria but has high potential for value-add post-acquisition? Why or why not?
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Are you open to relocating or managing remotely if the business is not local?
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Yes
No
Depends on deal
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Deal Sourcing Strategy
Have you contacted any brokers, used marketplaces (e.g., BizBuySell, MicroAcquire), or reached out to sellers directly?
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Yes
No
If yes, which ones?
Do you have a deal sourcing strategy (e.g., direct outreach, broker relationships, inbound leads)? If yes, please describe.
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Would you like help crafting a direct outreach strategy to “off-market” sellers?
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Yes
No
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Due Diligence + Deal Execution
Do you have experience with business due diligence (financial, legal, operational)?
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Yes
No
Need support/guidance
Do you have an attorney and CPA experienced in M&A lined up to support your deals?
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Yes
No
Need referrals
Have you written or reviewed a Letter of Intent (LOI) or Purchase Agreement before?
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Yes
No
Next
Post-Acquisition Planning
What’s your plan for operating the business post-acquisition?
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Hire/retain management team
Operate directly (initially) then delegate
Bring in outside COO/GM
What’s your 100-day plan for integrating and optimizing a newly acquired business?
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What is your plan for integrating the business in the first 100 days?
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People
Processes
Finances
Customer communication
How will you measure the success of your first acquisition after 6 and 12 months?
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Have you considered key hires you may need post-acquisition (COO, sales leader, finance lead, etc.)?
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Are you planning to rebrand, change systems, or keep operations intact initially post-acquisition?
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How do you plan to increase the business value post-acquisition (e.g., margin improvement, customer growth, new contracts)?
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Exit Strategy + Long-Term Goals
Do you have a clear exit strategy for your acquisitions?
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Build and hold long-term
Build to sell (private equity, strategic buyer)
Not sure yet
Are you building a portfolio (roll-up) or aiming for one strong acquisition? Why?
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What’s your long-term goal for wealth creation through acquisitions (e.g., personal income, family legacy, investor returns)?
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Personal Capacity + Commitment
How much time per week can you dedicate to acquisition activities (search, due diligence, management)?
What’s your timeline for acquiring your first business?
0-3 months
3-6 months
6-12 months
What’s your biggest fear or concern about acquiring a business?
Next
Would You Like Help With…
Identifying businesses that can transition to recurring revenue models?
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Yes
No
Evaluating a business' readiness for professional management?
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Yes
No
5 Deal to
Understanding how to value businesses beyond EBITDA (e.g., growth potential, asset value)?
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Yes
No
Next
Decision-Making & Deal DNA
You come across three businesses for sale. Which one do you pursue first?
Business A: $1.5M EBITDA, 25 years old, zero online presence, steady contracts
Business B: $900K EBITDA, 15 years old, brilliant branding, owner-managed
Business C: $600K EBITDA, 20 years old, team-managed, recurring utility contracts
Why did you choose this one? What stood out to you most?
When evaluating a business opportunity, which 2 of the following matter most to you?
Management team quality
Growth potential
Cash flow stability
Customer retention rate
Exit upside
Brand strength
IF "exit upside" selected:
What is your natural role in business?
Visionary – I generate big-picture strategy and direction
Operator – I bring discipline and execution to day-to-day ops
Connector – I build teams and broker deals
Builder – I create systems and scale things
Analyst – I dive into numbers, models, and metrics
IF "Visionary" or "Connector":
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Risk Psychology & Entrepreneurial Behavior
You’re 3 months into owning your first acquisition, and revenue drops 25%. What’s your first move?
Investigate customer behavior and team performance
Cut costs quickly to preserve cash
Market aggressively to offset the loss
Call your coach and advisors for a plan
IF "cut costs" selected:
Which scenario makes you most uncomfortable?
Having to lead a team you didn’t build
Negotiating with seasoned sellers or brokers
Being responsible for $1M+ in debt
Firing underperformers post-acquisition
Running a business in an industry you don’t love
Why does this challenge you? How do you plan to overcome it?
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Acquisition Strategy + Intent
Which of these best describes your acquisition goal?
I want a cash-flowing asset that I can improve and scale
I want to build a portfolio of recession-resistant companies
I want to replace my income with business ownership
I want a business that will eventually run without me
I want to acquire then sell for a higher multiple in 3-5 years
IF “portfolio” selected:
If you could only improve ONE area in your first acquisition, what would it be?
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Sales & Marketing
Systems & Automation
Customer Experience
Management/Leadership
Financial Management
IF “Sales & Marketing” selected:
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Business Owner Compatibility Check
The seller is a 73-year-old founder with 30 years in the business. What’s your seller transition strategy?
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6-month consulting agreement + full handoff
Immediate separation after close
12-month earn-out with defined benchmarks
Keep as Chairman for 2 years with phased exit
IF “immediate separation” selected:
What business model excites you most (even if you’re not an expert yet)?
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Recurring services (e.g., janitorial, landscaping)
Compliance-based services (e.g., fire inspection, pest control)
B2B with contracts (e.g., IT support, logistics)
Niche local monopolies (e.g., waste, water, HVAC)
Blue-collar product-based (e.g., manufacturing, parts)
IF selected:
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Money, Metrics, and Management
What’s your comfort level with reading financial statements (P&L, cash flow, balance sheet)?
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Expert – I do this regularly
Comfortable – I understand the basics
Novice – I rely on advisors
I need to learn this ASAP
IF “Novice” or “I need to learn”:
What is your ideal team structure post-acquisition (Year 1)?
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Keep existing staff and replace slowly
Immediately hire key roles (COO, GM, etc.)
Outsource everything possible
Replace owner with internal promote
TBD – I want to assess after close
IF “Immediately hire” or “Outsource” selected:
Which of these “unseen risks” do you most want to avoid?
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Customer concentration risk
Key employee exits
Legal/contract disputes
Operational dependency on seller
Tech/data breaches or IP loss
IF “Key employee exits” selected:
Next
Future Self Check-In
Imagine 12 months after your first acquisition. What has to be true for you to say: “That was one of the best decisions I ever made”?
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If you were guaranteed success in your first acquisition, what kind of business would you boldly pursue today?
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Complete this sentence: “I want to own a cash-flowing business because…”
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Finish this sentence: “A business I would never buy is…”
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If someone gifted you a $2M business today, but you had to run it solo for a year—what kind of business would you hope it is? Why?
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Next
Owner Transition & Seller Psychology
What type of seller do you want to work with?
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Legacy-minded (wants to preserve their business culture)
Profit-driven (cares most about getting a good price)
Checked out (ready to walk away now)
Open and collaborative (willing to stay during transition)
How comfortable are you having sensitive, emotional conversations with sellers about letting go of “their baby”?
Would you be open to a situation where the seller stays on as an advisor or consultant? If yes, for how long?
Next
Geography, Licensing & Regulation
Are there any industries you’re interested in that require licenses or certifications? If so, do you meet the qualifications (or can you partner with someone who does)?
What are your geographic boundaries for acquisition?
Local only
Statewide
National
Open to remote operations
Are you aware of the local or state-level regulations that might affect the business you want to acquire?
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Acquisition Fit & Personal Capacity
What kind of business culture do you thrive in or want to build? Example: Fast-paced? Blue collar? Conservative? Mission-driven?
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How much of your personal time are you willing to commit post-acquisition?
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Do you have the operational chops to step in temporarily if needed—or would you need to hire fast?
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Do you have a backup plan if a key employee quits post-close?
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Strategic Buyer Positioning
What strategic advantage do YOU bring to a business you're acquiring?
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Capital
Network/relationships
Systems/processes
Industry expertise
Marketing/sales capability
Would you consider acquiring a distressed business with turnaround potential if the fundamentals are strong?
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Are you interested in acquiring a business that feeds or supports another business you already own?
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Communications, Negotiation & Reputation
Have you role-played or practiced negotiation scenarios with sellers or brokers?
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Yes
No
Would you like help with that?
Are you building a professional online presence as a serious buyer (LinkedIn, website, email address, acquisition criteria PDF)?
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Yes
No
Helps increase credibility in seller conversations.
Next
Do you have any specific deals you are currently evaluating? If yes, please provide basic info.
Are there any other topics you’d like to discuss or areas we should focus on in our coaching together?
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