Self-funded Search Costs

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by a searcher from Queens College
in New York, NY, USA

1yr ago

Self-funded Search Costs

Just getting started exploring self funded search. How much capital should I set aside for search costs and what type of expenses should I expect to incur? I'm keeping my search to my local geographic area, so assume minimal travel costs. Would also appreciate a breakdown of costs incurred to aid in the search (CRM, Virtual assistants, other tools) vs transaction costs associated with going through an acquisition (accounting, legal etc).

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reply by an intermediary 1yr ago
in Miami, FL, USA

If you're keeping your search local and lean, I’d budget around $15K–$40K for the search phase. That covers CRM, outreach tools, a VA if you go that route, and misc. software. You can do a lot without burning too much cash early on. Transaction costs are where it adds up — $40K–$100K+ depending on deal size and complexity. Think legal, QofE, deal structuring, lender fees, etc.

reply by a searcher 1yr ago
from University of Texas at Austin in Dallas, TX, USA

Thanks for the description John. Would you mind breaking down the search budget for each bucket you mentioned? CRM, tools, VA, etc. Always great to get a feel for how others are approaching this. Thanks!