In this episode of Private Market Insights, Josh Levine interviews pricing expert Mark Stiving. They discuss the challenges of raising prices and the fear that comes with it. Mark explains that people are afraid to raise prices because they are uncertain about the future and worry about losing customers or facing negative feedback. However, he emphasizes that raising prices can significantly increase profitability if done intelligently. They also discuss the concept of value and how it should be the focus when determining pricing. Mark suggests using a value table to understand what value means to customers and how it can be measured in terms of incremental profit. They also touch on the importance of price segmentation and understanding different market segments. Mark concludes by discussing the impact of inflation on pricing and the importance of annual price increases. He also mentions the concept of predatory pricing and its long-term viability.

In this episode of @privatemarketinsights , host Josh Levine celebrates the 30th episode of the podcast and discusses the trends and challenges in the Canadian small business market. He is joined by Jessica Cullen, a traditional searcher and professional triathlete, and Scott Duke, the founder and lead M&A advisor at OpnRoad, a Canada-focused sell-side advisory firm. They discuss the importance of trust in building strong relationships between the buy and sell sides, the challenges of accessing debt and capital in the Canadian market, and the use of technology in the M&A industry. They also share their perspectives on the future of the Canadian small business market, including the potential for consolidation and the need for industry-specific knowledge and regional expertise. 🔗 Check out the Private Market Labs website: https://privatemarketlabs.com/ 💬 Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/levinejm 🔗 Check out OpnRoad: https://opnroad.io 💬 Follow Tristan Maher on Twitter: twitter.com/thehappydealmkr 🔗 Check out Jessica's search page: https://www.regenerativecapitalgroup.com/jessicacullen 💬 Follow Tristan Maher on Twitter: twitter.com/itsjesscullen

In this episode of Private Market Insights, host Josh Levine interviews Tristan Maher, an expert in international SMB acquisitions. They discuss the topic of international M&A and the challenges and differences compared to deals in the US. Maher emphasizes the importance of being integrated into the local culture and community, as well as understanding the legal and financial landscape of the country.

In this episode of Private Market Insights, Josh Levine interviews Brad Englert, a technologist, leadership expert, consultant, and author of the book "Spheres of Influence." They discuss the importance of building professional relationships and effective communication in leadership and management. Brad emphasizes the need to understand the goals and aspirations of others, manage expectations, and genuinely care about their success. They also discuss the challenges of stepping into a leadership position in an established organization and how to handle key customer relationships during a business acquisition. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of intentional and transparent communication in building successful business relationships.

(00:00) Setting the Stage for Professional Relationship Building and Change Management

(02:49) Exploring the Core of Leadership: Communication

(05:01) Navigating Leadership in Acquired Businesses

(11:52) Redefining Corporate Family

(16:12) Building Formal Relationships and Communication Strategies

(20:29) Adapting Quickly in New Organizations

(25:15) Strategic Planning for New Leaders

(31:32) Managing Expectations in Troubled Organizations

(33:35) Facilitating Smooth Business Transitions

(47:21) Celebrating Success and Concluding Thoughts

🔗 Check out the Private Market Labs website: https://privatemarketlabs.com/

💬 Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/levinejm

🔗 Check out the Spheres of Influence website: https://bradenglert.com/spheres-of-influence/

💬 Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/englertbrad

Buying and operating a small business can be a challenging and lonely experience. People who are successful often find company in tight communities of entrepreneurs going through the same struggles. For this episode of Private Market Insights, I am talking with master community builder Karen Spencer, a founder of Searchfunder and current Managing Partner of Fetch Strategies. We talk about building and sustaining support networks for searchers and operators.

(00:00) Introduction to Private Market Insights with Special Guest

(01:15) Understanding the Importance of Community in Search Operations

(04:34) The Evolution of the Digital Space(06:15) Advocacy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Search Community

(10:52) Collaboration in Deal Searching

(16:16) Transactional vs Relational Approaches in Business

(21:33) Transitioning to Entrepreneurship

(27:40) The Success of Search Funder

(32:42) Choosing Startups Over Established Businesses

(35:58) Reflections and Predictions for 2024

🔗 Check out the Private Market Labs website: https://privatemarketlabs.com/

💬 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/levinejm

🔗 Check out the Fetch Strategies website: https://fetchstrategies.com/

💬 Connect with Karen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenyspencer/

The SMB M&A space has cyclical trends: certain industries become hot, spurring interest, increased activity, and heightened multiples. Longtime market observers can point to trends in dental office and home service M&A rollups as clear examples. Our next guest on Private Market Insights believes that law firms will be the next hot M&A industry due to shifting regulation, spurred by changes in California and Arizona. Watch this latest episode in our M&A series, as we talk with Tom Lenfestey, Founder of the Law Practice Exchange. (00:00) Introduction to Law Firm M&A and Market Trends (01:36) Discussing Regulatory Frameworks and Law Firm Acquisitions (07:06) Innovation in Legal Industry (13:53) Understanding Practice Areas in Law Firms (18:49) Ethics and Regulations in Different Markets (21:52) Understanding Your Niche and Buyer Criteria (25:40) Entrepreneurial Lawyers and Succession Planning (28:42) Innovative Business Models and Strategies (31:27) Successful Business Transaction and Transformation (40:59) Audience Question on Social Capital in Acquiring Firms 🔗 Check out the Private Market Labs website: https://privatemarketlabs.com/ 💬 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/levinejm 🔗 Check out the Law Practice Exchange website: https://thelawpracticeexchange.com/ 💬 Connect with Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomlenfestey/

Our guest for Private Market Insights is entering our space with one of the most interesting angles yet: he’s an active professional football player, most recently as a quarterback with the Cleveland Browns. Jeff Driskel believes that acquiring small businesses can be a meaningful pathway for professional athletes and can serve as a way to help them preserve and build wealth long after they retire. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of searching while playing professional sports, the promise of SMB acquisitions for athletes, and how talented people from any professional background should be thinking about maximizing their professional outcomes over a long-term horizon. 🔗 Check out the Private Market Labs website: https://privatemarketlabs.com/ 💬 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/levinejm 🔗 Check out Jeff Driskel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdriskel/ 💬 Follow Jeff on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/jeffdriskel?lang=en (00:00) - Private Market Insights with Guest Jeff Driskel (04:03) - Athletes and Entrepreneurship (05:15) - Exploring Investment Opportunities in ETA (06:22) - Understanding Private Equity Investments (08:36) - Balancing Business, Family, and Ambition (10:49) - Transitioning a Traditional Financial Services Company (13:17) - Understanding Business Acquisition (17:29) - Transition from Athletics to Running a Small Business (21:36) - Expectations vs Reality in Small Business Ownership (22:49) - The Power of Networking and Self-Education

Even the most experienced investors and dealmakers hire legal counsel to help with their SMB acquisitions. This makes building the right legal team for your search an especially important task when it comes to due diligence. However, things don't always go well: people hire attorneys that are inexperienced with small business M&A or stymie deals with excessive redlining. To shed some light on this topic is Kevin Henderson, Founding Partner of SMB Law Group. We're going to discuss how to build and manage your legal team throughout your acquisition and his experience growing a law firm solely focused on small businesses.

(00:00:00) - Introduction to Private Market Insights with Guest Kevin Henderson (00:05:36) - The Mindset of Successful Small Business Owners (00:11:42) - Understanding Legal Diligence (00:18:52) - The Role of Insurance in Small Business Transactions (00:24:45) - Discussing Standard Exchanges in the Space (00:30:13) - The Personal Nature of Transactions (00:35:20) - Entering Established Business vs Starting New (00:40:53) - Confidentiality Constraints (00:48:46) - Engaging Lawyers in LOI Negotiations (00:56:54) - Discussion on Business Brokerage Practices 🔗 Check out the Private Market Labs website: https://privatemarketlabs.com/ 💬 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/levinejm 🔗 Check out SMB Law Group: https://www.smblaw.group/ 💬 Follow Kevin Henderson on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/KHendersonCo