Don’t have the capital… but want to own 22% of the business 12 months later?

I get the privilege of coaching a lot of aspiring business buyers. I've got a student that didn’t have the capital… but he owned 22% of the business 12 months later. He came to me frustrated. The guy was a smart operator. He had a consulting background. Knew how to scale businesses, but just didn’t have capital to acquire one of his own. Tried traditional ETA ("Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition") channels. Almost closed a small deal, but lost financing at the last minute (as many do...). He was to the point where he was feeling burned out, discouraged, and sidelined. Until we reframed the question... “What if you could earn your way into the deal instead of raising your way in?” That was the unlock: Consulting for Equity. And you may see a lot of other coaches pivoting their clients that way as well... Basically, instead of hunting for financing, he found a $5M HVAC business with a tired owner and an operational mess. Instead of coming in as a buyer, he came in as a coach. Built trust (can't skip this step), fixed a few key levers (proof of ability), and drove 37% net margin growth in 9 months (not bad). The smart move.... we helped him negotiate equity into his contract. 12 months later? He’s a 22% equity holder, full seat at the table, on a glide path to majority buyout. Having the right tools like ACQYR.me makes all the difference....