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Course Teaser: Why Buy a Business Instead of Starting One? - Matt Uhler

What's Your Deal? - Insights on Business Acquisitions and Management for Smart Investments

Release Date: 05/06/2025

The Family Bank: Building Generational Security with Steve Williams show art The Family Bank: Building Generational Security with Steve Williams

What's Your Deal? - Insights on Business Acquisitions and Management for Smart Investments

In this episode of What’s Your Deal?, Matt sits down with close friend and colleague Steve Williams, CEO of Aspire Family Bank, to unpack a powerful alternative to traditional estate planning: the Family Bank. Steve shares his journey from growing up in generational poverty to climbing the corporate ladder— and then walking away to build a boutique real estate development firm with his wife. Along the way, he learned the hard lessons of leadership, doing hard things, and raising kids who have accountability instead of entitlement. Covering topics like—why whole life insurance are the...

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What's Your Deal? - Insights on Business Acquisitions and Management for Smart Investments

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What's Your Deal? - Insights on Business Acquisitions and Management for Smart Investments

In this episode, Matt sits down with longtime friends Steve and Michele Sullins — two powerhouse restaurateurs who’ve built, bought, and sold multiple restaurants and retail stores over the past 35 years. Michelle started with a coffee cart in Sedona and grew it into a thriving restaurant empire, while Steve worked his way up from dishwasher to opening restaurants for major resort brands like Hyatt and Loews. Together, they’ve mastered the balance of systems, leadership, and partnership — both in business and marriage. From promoting employees into management to scaling multiple...

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What's Your Deal? - Insights on Business Acquisitions and Management for Smart Investments

Matt shares the origin story behind his career in business brokerage and ownership: growing up with a single mom working seven days a week, taking third-shift janitorial work at 13, and starting his first company at 17. A shop teacher’s nudge (“why not start a business doing what you already know?”) led to a janitorial company that scaled from one account to 40 employees across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.   That first exit came with hard lessons—especially around reading P&Ls and not letting the business “run” the owner. The sale also revealed a bigger truth Matt has...

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In part two of our series on preparing your business for sale, Matt is once again joined by Lindsay Denton. Together they dive deep into the often-overlooked details that can make or break a deal: commingled entities, lease negotiations with landlords, environmental and maintenance concerns, and the importance of correctly titled assets. Packed with real-world stories, hard-earned lessons, and practical strategies, this conversation is a must-listen for business owners looking to maximize their exit value — and for buyers who want to understand the hidden risks behind the numbers.  ...

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Part 1 of a two-episode series on preparing your business for sale. Today, Matt is joined by Lindsay Denton (Financing Specialist at WCI Business Brokers) to break down what sellers must have dialed in before they list.   Timestamps:  1:00 – Why seller preparation matters   3:10 – Business financing vs. home financing   5:50 – The importance of organized financials   7:55 – Real-world examples of deals derailed   15:10 – When sellers change their minds mid-process   19:30 – Hidden obligations & underlying debt issues   23:15 –...

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In this episode of What’s Your Deal?, Matt sits down with Cristian Cruz, a former Miami firefighter who walked away from a secure career and pension to pursue entrepreneurship and business ownership. Cristian shares his bold decision to leave behind stability for opportunity, his first steps into startups, and why he’s now focused on buying an established business instead of building from scratch. This candid conversation dives into risk, motivation, family legacy, and how Cristian is approaching his first acquisition with patience, direction, and clarity. If you’ve ever wondered what it...

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In this episode of What’s Your Deal?, Matt sits down with longtime client and friend Chad Cook—a true serial entrepreneur who has started, grown, and sold 12 businesses over the last 34 years. From his humble beginnings running a paper route and selling donuts to owning large-scale Family Fun Centers and a statewide Dippin’ Dots distribution business, Chad shares the real stories behind his business ventures, including the wins, the lessons, and the near-bankrupt moments. Matt and Chad discuss the strategic mindset required to build sellable businesses, the importance of family support...

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What's Your Deal? - Insights on Business Acquisitions and Management for Smart Investments

In this episode of What’s Your Deal?, Matt Uhler sits down with David Davis—an academic-turned-entrepreneur who transitioned from a PhD and professorship in hospitality to launching not one, but three service-based businesses. David shares his real-world startup journey, including the shift away from higher ed, the grit it took to build Fuse Topline Solutions, Boundless Hospitality, and a commercial laundry operation, and the financial realities of building a business from scratch. This conversation is packed with wisdom on balancing family and business, managing investor relationships,...

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More Episodes

Today, I’m flying solo to address one of the biggest questions I get as a broker and educator:
"Why buy a business when you can just start one?"

 

At first glance, starting a business seems cheaper and more exciting — but from experience, I’ve found that buying is almost always the smarter play. Less risk, faster results, and more predictable income. In this bonus episode, I’ll walk you through the real reasons why buying often beats starting.

 

Key Insights from the Episode

 

✅ Financial History Creates Predictability

When you buy a business, you can (and should) look at 3–5 years of financial history. That lets you see how stable the business is and forecast what to expect — unlike a startup, where nothing is proven yet.

 

✅ Trained Staff and Existing Customers = Immediate Revenue

A running business has trained employees and customers on day one. You're stepping into something already working. Starting from scratch means hiring, training, and finding customers — all of which delay profitability.

 

✅ Established Systems and Location Advantage

Businesses come with processes (a recipe) — from opening and closing to customer service — and often locations that are already generating revenue. Even if the location isn’t perfect, you’re not starting from zero.

 

✅ Financeability Makes Buying Smarter

Most buyers use financing. Buying a business means buying an income-producing asset, which lenders often support. Starting from scratch means using cash or borrowing for something unproven — much riskier.

 

✅ Instant Revenue vs. Uncertainty

When you buy right, you make money the day after closing because the business is already running. When you start a business, you don’t know when the first dollar will arrive.

 

✅ Saleable Asset Adds to Net Worth

An existing business, even if not liquid, is a saleable asset — building your wealth over time.

 

Final Thought


Buying a business, if done right, it’s often the faster, smarter, and more reliable path to success. Starting from scratch is exciting — but buying gives you a huge head start and mitigates risk.

 

🎓 This Episode is an Excerpt from an Upcoming Course


This bonus episode is a sneak peek from a full course we’ll be launching in just a few weeks! If you’re interested in going deeper into this subject learning everything you need to confidently buy the right business for YOU, email us at admin@ampedsuccess.com and we’ll make sure you’re on the early interest list.

 

Resources & Links

 

Want to be a guest on the show, or have a deal that you would like for us to evaluate? Apply here

 

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📧 Contact Us: For inquiries, reach out at admin@ampedsuccess.com