2026 Is Not the Year to “Casually” Search

We’ve officially entered 2026. And if there’s one thing that’s clear going into this year, it’s this: Finding a business to acquire is getting more competitive, not easier. More first-time searchers are entering the market. More corporate professionals are exploring acquisitions as an alternative to traditional careers. More business owners are quietly thinking about exits, but they’re harder to reach through brokers alone. At the same time: • Brokers are overloaded • Good deals move faster than ever • Off-market outreach is no longer optional • Consistency matters more than intensity What worked as a “light” search approach a few years ago is unlikely to work in 2026. The searchers who are building momentum right now are doing a few things differently: • They are treating the search like a business, not a side project • They are setting up systems early instead of reacting later • They are building pipelines, not chasing one deal at a time • They are focused on conversations and relationships, not admin work This shift is important because the real constraint in a search is not opportunity. It’s time and energy. Many first-time searchers underestimate how much of the journey is repetitive work: List building, research, tracking outreach, follow-ups, documentation, CRM updates. These tasks matter, but they shouldn’t consume the person making the big decisions. That’s why more searchers are quietly building small support teams around them, often using a mix of interns and our trained VAs so that they can stay focused on high-value work like conversations, diligence, and negotiations. We’ve clearly seen this pattern over the last few years while working alongside 20+ searchers. As 2026 begins, it might be a good moment to ask yourself: Is your search set up to scale, or is it still dependent on you doing everything yourself? Curious to hear from others here. What are you intentionally changing about your search approach this year?