We ran out of cash... so we bought a $15M business (w/ Tom Shipley)

If you own a business, organic growth may be the longest route to the exit you want. The right acquisition can add scale and raise your company's sale price. It can also bring that exit closer if you buy well and manage the handoff. You may know your company can do more, yet the market you serve feels too small. Cash is tight, and time is short, yet an acquisition may still be within reach. In this episode of Built to Exit, host Jason Sisneros talks with Tom Shipley. Tom is a consumer-brand builder, acquisition operator, and DealCon host. His businesses generated about $2 billion in revenue. One acquisition helped take a $300,000 business to $100 million. In 2021, Tom sold a portfolio of brands to private equity. Jason and Tom cover: - Why a mature company may grow faster through a purchase than through organic growth. Tom walks through the math. - How buyers can find motivated sellers through day-to-day conversations and trusted relationships. - What lenders look for when the buyer's current company is short on cash. - How seller financing and the right deal structure can cut the cash due at closing. - What to protect during the first 30 days and 90 days after you buy a company. - Which culture problems raise risk before and after closing. Learn what to spot before the deal. - How more scale can help you adopt AI, cut costs, and raise output. This episode is for business owners who want to: - Grow beyond what organic sales alone can produce. - Buy another company without harming either culture. - Build a company that can command a higher sale price at exit. Start with a clear acquisition thesis. Complete your due diligence, and work with experienced advisors. Everybody exits. How matters. YouTube Timestamps 00:00 - Meet Tom Shipley, a $2 billion brand builder and acquisition operator 02:54 - How a cash crisis led to buying a larger business 08:01 - The growth math behind a roll-up strategy 11:03 - How to buy a company with no cash and no spare time 15:15 - Scarcity vs. resourcefulness when a business is failing 19:24 - How the right room helps ambitious business owners grow 25:17 - Special Forces lessons for founders and CEOs 33:18 - Why acquisitions fail after the deal closes 42:10 - Culture problems that can break an acquisition 43:42 - How seller financing can fund a business purchase 47:23 - Using acquisitions to accelerate AI adoption 48:48 - The advice Tom would give his younger self #BusinessAcquisition #MergersAndAcquisitions #ExitPlanning