Has anyone encountered a target that is ESOP owned, or can anyone comment on what acquiring an ESOP owned company would look like? I met a founder/owner who is retiring, and is gradually moving his ownership to employees in an ESOP model. I'm interested in the company, but unsure how the ESOP structure may hinder my efforts to acquire. Advice appreciated!

OnCourse CRM should be on this list (tryOnCourse.com)

Good post, interested in seeing the results. I'd be interested in a follow up survey on b2b databases such as zoominfo, data.com or others.

We did an evaluation about two years ago and looked for a blend of price/operating cost (for our entire organization), functionality, extensibility, and developer strength to ensure the offering can be maintained to current technology and business needs and standards. Having had a lot of CRM experience, it was interesting to see the landscape again and narrow it down from the 400+ credible CRM's to the few that pass the litmus test. The CRM can be an adjunct to your ops or it can be centric to ongoing operations on multiple fronts. Depending upon how you view it and what you want from it will influence your view of potential candidates. I answered your survey too. Look forward to your results.

On the other front for B2B, include uplead.com. Another DB that is robust, has AI routines to narrow focus and integrates with CRM systems.

Thanks, ^[redacted]‌, for updating your post to reflect the data and visualizations. Very interesting.

Do you find that these CRM tools are as useful for target companies as searchers/PE firms? We have had several of our portfolio companies ask for assistance choosing a CRM (or asking advice on whether they even need a CRM), and I'm curious as to whether you think a CRM for an operating company (say, a manufacturing firm) would need different capabilities.

This is incredibly helpful! Thanks!