Advice on whether I actually want to be a searcher

February 16, 2026

by a searcher from Princeton University in New York, New York, USA

Curious how others approached evaluating why they actually wanted to be searchers. I come from a private equity background and am 30 now. I've felt for years that I've wanted to be an entrepreneur. The idea of owning a variety of small businesses excites me but the path to getting there is scary. I've been running a search for 6 months but now I'm finding my self worried about what the actual day to day will be like in the small business world, especially for the first###-###-#### months Is this just standard cold feet? Curious if others feel / experienced the same

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Reply by a lender
from Eastern Illinois University in 900 E Diehl Rd, Naperville, IL 60563, USA

I have been in lending for almost 30 years working primarily with small to mid-sized business owners, and have been one of the partners of Commercial Lending X for over 16 years. I can tell you, both from what I have seen as well as my own personal experience, that running a business is not for everyone. No transaction ever goes completely smoothly and there are many ups and downs in business and things that can happen unexpectedly. You need to have confidence in yourself and your ability to handle what comes your way as well as a mindset that allows you to shift directions and make changes quickly if the market adjusts. The business world is not linear, it is always changing. Whether it is economic changes, industry changes, or new periods such as the AI boom we are currently in, you need to be prepared to adapt. What I would recommend doing is talking to existing business owners and find out what they do and whether you are confident you can replicate what they do. If after those conversations you do not feel you have the confidence to do it or the nerves at this point in time, then I would recommend holding off. If you are still ultimately interested in being an entrepreneur, I would try to get a job in management in a small business so you can gain the experience necessary and revisit acquiring a business at a later date when you have more experience and more confidence. You are still very young and you have plenty of time to make the switch. Do not force it now if you are not comfortable. If ultimately you do get comfortable now after talking with other business owners, then I would move forward. Keep in mind, you do not have to do it fully alone. You can partner with someone or you can find a strong team of advisors to help you. Just be sure you realize that there will be very stressful days. In the end it is very rewarding, but that reward does not come without risk, stress, and everything that goes along with that. If you need to chat, you can reach me here or directly at redacted I would be happy to share my experiences as a business owner.

Reply by a searcher
from Columbia University in Cleveland, OH, USA

This is such a personal decision. ETA is not for everyone - and that is okay. I started this journey with a strong drive to tackle all of the challenges related to running a business. Having experience as an intrapreneur inside a big company helped me realize I could do this. There were nerves at each stage - and that is normal, but the support of my team and the work I did educating myself on the process and what to expect helped keep me focused and calm when challenges were encountered. In the process I fell in love with finding and doing the deal and worried that perhaps I would rather focus on that. The transition to operator took a bit more adjusting than I initially expected, because of the shift in gears from searching to operating. But now 9 months later, I have settled into the business and the challenges that come with it (and there are lots) - I am loving every minute of it. You are probably up to the challenge, you just have to decide if it is something you will enjoy and no one else can answer that question for you.

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