Small deals are good if they serve a larger agenda. Let's say you've acquired a business in the IT MSP industry. You could benefit from picking up monetized Youtube channels, relevant Facebook groups, or certain types of event-based businesses (eg annual industry events, roundtable style etc). One way approach valuation for your own negotiation perspective, other than a multiple on earnings, is to look at the cost of the equivalent paid traffic or user/subscriber acquisition. Another way to de-risk these small deals is trying a defined term "joint venture" (using the term loosely here) / collaboration. A single campaign, launch, database reactivation, event, whatever it may be. This will cut through claims one way or the other.

Lots of people get into business this way. If you're going to do it, make sure you have the skills to grow it if your goal is to one day pull back and not be the full time manager. Note that $50K of SDE means you'll be donating free time to this as most full time business manager salaries would pay more than this sum.