Acquisitions Anonymous Podcast

TV’s Shark Tank has been giving middle-class incomes and billionaire dreams a chance at success for 16 years. Billions is a complex financial drama about the cutthroat world of New York high finance and power politics. It primarily follows the intense, high-stakes cat-and-mouse game between a brilliant, win-at-all-costs hedge fund billionaire and a relentless U.S. Attorney trying to take him down for financial crimes. Succession is an American satirical black comedy-drama television series that aired for four seasons on HBO from June 3, 2018, to May 28, 2023.

In the U.S., roughly 9,500 to 9,600 small business acquisitions are publicly brokered and finalized annually. However, this figure represents only registered main-street and lower-middle-market transactions. Thousands of additional private family successions, mergers, and internal buyouts occur every year without being listed on public marketplaces.

There are over 3.2 million small businesses for sale at any given time, driven heavily by an aging population of retiring business owners. The transactions are generally split between "Main Street" (under \(\$2\) million purchase price) and the Lower Middle Market (\(\$2\) million to \(\$50\) million).

Acquisitions Anonymous is a popular podcast dedicated to small business Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). In each episode, the hosts break down real businesses that are currently for sale. They analyze the financials, discuss valuation metrics, and share practical insights on how to buy, operate, and grow those businesses.

The show is hosted by a team of industry experts:Bill D’Alessandro, CEO of Elements Brands; Michael Girdley, entrepreneur, investor, and business builder; Heather Endresen, an expert in SBA (Small Business Administration) lending; and Mills Snell, a small-business investor and advisor.

The hosts review actual business listings, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at businesses available on the internet — from mundane niche service companies to quirky, highly profitable lifestyle businesses. The podcast is tailored for entrepreneurs, independent sponsors, and anyone interested in business acquisitions, franchising, or private equity.

The hosts explain: “Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.”

Check out the June 5th episode — How Much Is a Portable Toilet Business Worth? — where the hosts break down a Wisconsin porta-potty rental business discovered by an AI-powered deal-sourcing agent, debating whether its strong cash flow and niche market justify a seemingly overpriced valuation.

In the episode titled: Would You Buy a Flamethrower Company for $2 Million? The hosts analyze a surprisingly profitable flamethrower manufacturing business and debate whether its massive margins, regulatory risks, and robot-mounted flamethrower products make it a brilliant niche acquisition or a liability nightmare.

The hosts explain the show: “Every week we try to bring a new deal from a different industry. We will help our audience identify potential target businesses that align with their objectives. We assist with framing what questions you should ask and what documents you should review when dealing with a business opportunity. Not only that, but we also help the audience find businesses that might be up for sale but aren’t shouting about it. It’s all about finding those hidden gems in the business world before anyone else does.”

The show has an audio and video format with hosts who are knowledgeable in the business acquisition world and can articulate the conditions by which a business acquisition is not only possible but preferable.

I like that the hosts focus on small businesses because those are the acquisitions that often get no media attention but make the business world grow and prosper. We’ve all had enough of the rapaciousness of the private equity industry and its buyouts, which lead to layoffs, closed businesses, price spikes, and appreciably worse customer service.

Acquisitions Anonymous is for business people interested in acquisitions.