Full time Job and search on the side?

January 13, 2026

by a searcher from Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University Bareilly in Denver, CO, USA

Who here has done search & acquired successfully/still looking while having a full time job For me it has been very heard to keep my momentum going while have a job that provides golden handcuffs. I want to hear about your experience and what systems have you put in place to help you stay focused

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Reply by an intermediary
from The University of Chicago in Chicago, IL, USA

I have sold businesses to many individuals over 40 years. Here are my 2 cents. 1) Do not leave job. 2) DO NOT limit to an industry for first###-###-#### mos. Focus on meeting sellers, brokers, studying financials, advisors, etc. Focus on why the business gets the sales and why the business makes money. Learn how to read and trust the crappy financials. Learn how to judge the character of the seller. Do not walk b/c the seller wants high price. USe that for your learning curve. After 6-12 mos. start narrowing down. In my 40 years, I have yet to sell a business to a buyer who knew the industry. They all have been successful. 3) Buy with your own funds (includes family).

Reply by a searcher
from University of Virginia in New York, NY, USA

This may be more of a tactical answer than you're looking for, but I was in this position... I used the following tools to streamline the process: 1) I used Clay (www.clay.com) to develop my lead lists, and did some lightweight automation for outreach. (This was for proprietary deal sourcing, FYI.) 2) I used ETA IQ (www.etaiq.com) to quickly filter through deals using their financial model. I had strict DSCR and cash flow requirements, so if the financials weren't in the ballpark, I'd pass. It really sped up my understanding of which deals worked / didn't work. 3) I used Kumo (www.withkumo.com) to aggregate brokered listings. You can also do this on your own by setting up deal alerts with all the sites (BizBuyBuild, BizQuest, etc). Aside from the tools, I also set weekly measurable goals (outreach, CIMs reviewed, IOI/LOIs sent, etc). I treated it like a sales funnel. Keeping a job while searching was the right move (for me). It removed the pressure to have to find a deal quickly before savings dwindled. The trade-off is obviously time management, but I'm a firm believer that it's the right way to do it (for me). Hope this helps. Good luck!

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