Guidance and Realistic Expectations for Path to ETA with no MBA (currently)

I've recently joined this community as part of a growing desire to pursue ETA as my life's work. A little about me, I live in Minnesota, and I turned 29 a few weeks ago. I've always had a desire to go into entrepreneurship since I was about 10 years old. I've always thought the only path to having a business was building and scaling from scratch, but I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across Will Smith's Podcast "Acquiring Minds" last fall. I am so fascinated by this entire world of business ownership that I never knew existed. After hearing stories of people who worked hard to buy a business, I realized that I want to do the same. But my desires are kept in check by the reality of the difficulty, learning curve, and funds needed to venture into this avenue of business ownership. Currently, I have the patience and fortitude to endure the difficulty of this path, but I do not have a degree (some college, but considering going back if necessary), nor do I have access to the funds necessary to search or cover the cost of pursuing and closing a deal. With that said, I have a few questions: - Is obtaining a degree necessary for me to be thoroughly equipped for ETA? - What are realistic ways I can raise funds to fund a search, and the cost to pursue and close a deal? Or should I wait until I have the funds directly before seriously pursuing this path? - I'm currently reading Buy Then Build, HBR Guide to Buying a Business, and a few other business-related books. Are there any others recommended for comprehensive learning of business buying? - Is there anyone who'd be willing to connect with me directly who's closed deals successfully to give me advice on steps to move forward? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!