How are folks acquiring targets they do not have direct field experience in, such as the ever popular HVAC, or Landscaping, etc?

August 31, 2025

by a searcher from Boston University - Questrom School of Business in Newton, NH, USA

I have been looking for 3 months now and I am essentially at the end of my rope. My feed is loaded with probably 100+ people that have bought home service businesses, but I must be missing something. When I look at something like that, I think "ok, I have to hire a manager for day to day operations, but what do I know about business development in this industry?" How are these people not getting blown out in the first few months of ownership? I work in financial services, and I can model and run debt projections better than anyone in my industry that I've run in to. But that only covers a limited portion of owning my own business. I have thought about hanging my shingle out as a financial DD provider for folks in the SBA space, but my ultimate goal was originally ETA, which feels farther away than when I started. It also brings up questions of how is the SBA program viable? If you work in HVAC, then you are probably qualified to purchase an HVAC business. But where are you getting capital? Also, if only people with direct industry experience can purchase a target, it seems like there should be a vast shortage of potential buyers in any industry. I say that, since an overwhelming majority of people in any particular field do not want the ultimate responsibility and risk of owning. Am I missing something here?

Reply by a searcher
from Emory University in Tucson, AZ, USA

You’re not missing anything. You are asking the right questions as you navigate practicalities and risk tolerance. Also some searchers in your feed may over-index on hubris. A lot of people chase the same buy box because that’s the prevailing ETA narrative. If home services doesn’t feel right, but you’re a strong financial modeler, ask yourself: what traits specifically makes you good at modeling, and where else could those skills be applied? At the end of the day, self-employment means waking up ready to sell, every single day. To succeed, you have to believe in both yourself and what you are selling - and the have the ability to deliver to customers - or it becomes a terrible grind. Three months in is still early in ETA. As you continue explore, it will be easier to identify opportunities that fit your narrative. Give yourself some grace as an acquisition is a serious commitment with implications not only for your career and finances but also for your physical and mental well-being. (One random idea to consider: there’s a niche industry of companies that conduct third-party audits for re-certification across a range of standards. Highly detailed, process flow driven, etc.)

Reply by a searcher
in Monroe, WA, USA

My own approach is to learn as much as possible about the trade while searching, leveraging the skills I already have. I'm currently in the closing phase on an HVAC business. I'm an IT manager with quite extensive experience managing remote teams (IT often deals with precision AC in computer rooms, so here's the relevance besides ops experience). An engineer by education (MS Engineering physics). I spent 2 weeks shadowing a friend who owns a small HVAC business, I took an EPA 608 certificate course online (that gives both industry info and a certificate I'll need anyway) and an online HVAC trade school course to understand the skill level of technicians I'll be managing. After closing I plan to enroll in an HVAC associate degree course to get more current industry knowledge and to shorten my path towards getting a license in my own name. While I do not have a license, I'm contracting with a license holder to provide one. The drawback is that path made me focus on one trade, narrowing the buy box.

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