Hi everyone, I'm Jonathan, 20, based just outside Philadelphia. I don't come from money or a finance background. I grew up in a lower income household and I'm starting from zero: no family capital, no MBA, no investor network. What I do have is a clear plan, a long runway, and a willingness to learn from people who've done this. Any advice at all would be appreciated. My goal is a self-funded, SBA-backed acquisition of a fire-protection or building-compliance business (sprinkler, alarm, inspection and testing) in the Philly metro and wider Mid-Atlantic. What I'm looking for: a business with $800K+ EBITDA, 60%+ recurring service and inspection revenue, and no customer over 10% of revenue. I expect a total project cost of around $2.9M. I plan to buy alongside an experienced operator or GM, with a seller transition period, rather than run it solo on day one. Long-term plan: The first acquisition is meant to be a platform. Over the following decade I want to build a multi-company life safety and compliance group through tuck-in acquisitions across the region, adding services and territory around a strong core business. Right now I'm building my equity injection through full-time CDL-A trucking income. I plan to start active sourcing around $300K saved and keep building toward roughly $500K, which would cover the injection, transaction costs, and a reserve for deals that fall through. Here's where I'd love advice from people who've been through it: 1. Lenders review tax returns. What should I be doing now with my income, entity setup, and filings so I look strong to an SBA lender down the road? 2. How much did you set aside for dead deals (QoE, legal, travel)? How many attempts did it cover? 3. When did you start sourcing: before hitting your capital target, or only once you were fully funded? Did starting early help or hurt? 4. What relationships should I start building now, years before I'm ready to buy? Owners, trade associations, lenders, a future operator or GM? 5. I would greatly appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave behind any advice for me on this journey. Thanks, Jonathan