I’m the co-founder of a company, based in Portugal. We help construction and maintenance companies increase revenue capacity without having to grow overhead at the same rate. In practice, that means the existing team can pursue more bids, carry more jobs, spend less time on admin and get completed work billed faster. The goal is more revenue, lower operating costs and better margins. We operate from quote to cash. I have more than eight years of experience in construction and maintenance. My co-founder is a software engineer who has developed systems for companies across construction, pharmacy and logistics. Things are going well in Portugal, and we want to expand into the US. We’re considering two routes: 1. Sell and implement our systems for existing businesses. 2. Acquire an SMB in an industry we understand, run it ourselves and use our technology to increase its capacity and profitability. The acquisition route interests me because we could put our operational experience and technology to work in a business we own. But we would need to find a business worth buying on its existing fundamentals, with improvements as upside. Over the past week, we’ve been approaching US commercial roofing companies. Getting through to owners has been difficult. Most calls stop at the gatekeeper before we can discuss what this could mean for their business. We’re also offering a few companies the opportunity to prove the value on one specific workflow at no cost. Even then, getting the conversation has been challenging. I know a week is too early to judge the market. What I’m questioning is our route into it. For those who have sold to traditional SMBs or acquired and operated one: How did you get your first conversations with owners? With our background, would you build a US customer base first or explore an acquisition? I’d appreciate practical experiences, especially what worked, what failed and what you would do differently.