Self Funded Search w/ geography-specific challenges. Best practices?

Hey there searchfunder.com community, we are self-funded searchers looking for the perfect acquisition. Our approach is business agnostic, and we're targeting businesses with an EBITDA of $500k to $1.4M, with a deal size ranging between $1M and $5M. Unfortunately, we've hit some roadblocks with our geographic-specific challenges, which is why we need your help finding deals off the beaten path.

We know all about BizBuySell and the popular brokers' platforms, but we want to explore other avenues for finding off-market deals. How have you done it? We'd love to hear about your experiences and insights on the following topics:

Building local networks: Have you had any success in building relationships with business owners or community leaders who know about businesses that are not actively listed for sale? What tactics worked best for you?

Cold outreach: How have you found and reached out to businesses that aren't actively looking to sell? What's the best way to approach these conversations without sounding too pushy?

Industry networks: Have you joined any industry-specific organizations or networks to find off-market deals? How did you identify and connect with these organizations?

Referral networks: Have you had success in building referral networks with attorneys, accountants, or business brokers who have access to off-market deals? What's the best way to approach these professionals and build a working relationship with them?

We're eager to hear your thoughts and experiences on finding deals off the beaten path. Let's support each other in our search for the perfect acquisition!