Searching in Michigan? - Searchfunder

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What is Searchfunder.com?

Searchfunder.com is an online community of searchers, investors, lenders, brokers and other professionals. Over 80% of those involved in searchfunds maintain a Searchfunder account to help them network, hire, and mentor others.

What are the benefits of membership?

In addition to accessing the most active online network of business buyers, Searchfunder licenses research that is simply not cost effective for individuals. Access over 15,000 industry reports and 50,000 transaction financials. You also get monthly credits for contact information for your company sourcing campaign with the option to purchase more at drastically discounted rates. Searchfunder has pre-purchased access from these data providers in order to empower individual buyers and to help searchers level the playing field versus private equity.

Do you have deals?

While we are primarily a buy-side network, we do have hundreds of brokers that regularly post deals to the community.

Can I find an internship on Searchfunder?

Absolutely! We have the industry's largest intern job board. If you are considering a search, the first step is to help another business buyer so you can hit the ground running.

What does it cost?

Searchfunder is a subscription service. We offer flexible monthly, annual and lifetime memberships.

Monthly

$79 / month

Annual

$19 / month

Lifetime

$432 / once

Those who maintain an account with us for over 4 continuous years are permanently added to the community without the need for a membership.

Do I need an MBA to join?

While a large number of our members come from dedicated programs at Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth, and other top programs, searching is no longer reserved for the elite. With the current abundance of dry powder in private equity, and an increasing number of business owners reaching retirement age, good deals rarely go unfunded.

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by Luke Tatone from Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Sloan School of Management
in Portland, OR, USA

2mos ago

Searching in Michigan?

We're working hard to grow the Searchfunder community in Michigan. Please take a moment to introduce yourself below. Some questions to consider answering: Where are you based? What is your background? What is your search type (self-funded, traditional, independent sponsor, holdco, etc.)? Are you solo, partnered, or looking for a partner? What's your buy box? Have you acquired yet? Where do you need the most help right now? Where can you provide help to others? Anything else on your mind? We'll be able to have much deeper discussions if you can provide as much detail as possible. A paragraph or two is perfect. Be sure to tag (@) when replying to comments to make sure your sub-comments are read.

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reply by a searcher 1mo ago
from Baker College of Auburn Hills in Mt Clemens, MI, USA

Hi everyone! I'm Jen from the Detroit area. I recently applied to bETA and am excited to get more involved in the ETA community. I own a digital marketing agency focused on helping local service businesses grow. I'm pursuing a self-funded search and looking for opportunities where I can use my marketing and growth background to scale the business. My interests currently include local service businesses, D2C manufacturing, and e-commerce, but I'm open to exploring other opportunities as well. I'd love to connect with fellow searchers, operators, investors, lenders, brokers, and anyone else in the ETA ecosystem. Looking forward to learning from the group! 😊

reply by a searcher 1w ago
in Shelby Township, MI, USA

Hi everyone, I’m Derrick Kennedy from Shelby Township, Michigan. I’m a builder by nature and an owner-operator by experience. I believe great businesses are built over decades through great people, strong relationships, and continuous improvement. More than 20 years ago, I co-founded District Publishing with financial partners. Although I initially owned just 10% of the company, I served as President from day one and was responsible for building and leading the business. Over the years, I acquired the remaining ownership interests, and today I’m the sole owner. District Publishing is a B2B marketing and print communications company serving industrial distributors, manufacturers, and businesses across North America. One of the things I’m most proud of is the team we’ve built and the long-term relationships we’ve been fortunate to have with our employees. Building a company over two decades has shaped the perspective I bring to my search. I’m excited about the opportunity to build on what another owner has created and help write the next chapter of a great Michigan business. What I’m Looking For I’m pursuing a self-funded acquisition and looking for the right business to own and operate for the long term. My search is focused primarily within about an hour of the Detroit metro area, although I’d consider the right opportunity anywhere in Michigan. I’m generally looking for established businesses with $2–10 million in revenue and $500,000+ in SDE. While my background is in marketing and print, I’m intentionally keeping my search broad. I’m most interested in businesses with loyal customers, dedicated employees, recurring revenue, and opportunities where an owner-operator can create value. I’m self-funded, value straightforward transactions, and believe trust is earned through honesty, transparency, and doing what you say you’ll do. I’ve evaluated multiple opportunities, met with owners, and worked through due diligence. One thing I’ve learned is that analyzing a business is often the easy part. Finding the right opportunity is the real challenge. I’d rather wait for the right business than convince myself the wrong one is good enough. If you know a Michigan business owner who may be considering retirement over the next few years, I’d sincerely appreciate an introduction. Even if they’re not ready to sell today, I’d welcome the opportunity to begin building a relationship. I’m looking forward to getting to know more people in the Searchfunder community. Whether you’re an owner, broker, investor, lender, operator, or fellow searcher, I look forward to getting to know you. One question for the group: For those of you active in Michigan, have you found more success through brokers, direct outreach, or simply building relationships over time?

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