Many ETA searchers may be capable of running and growing a business, but acquiring the right one requires a different set of skills. Here’s why the right acquisition partner can help strong operators reach the operating phase.

Too many people think buying a business is like buying property. It’s not. It’s a battlefield. If you don’t know the rules, you’ll get eaten alive.

A few years ago, an NDIS business went on the market for sale and was eventually sold for $100 million. Given the size of the deal, the buyer likely had advisors. Everything looked good - "good" financials, good scale (business had hundreds of millions in revenue), and "reasonable" asking price. The deal went through, money changed hands, the buyer was happy... until they weren't. What Happened? Normally when you buy a business, you inherit the staff - as well as all the cont