Mastering Business Ownership - Strategies for Growth and Exit Multipliers
Business Buying Strategies from The Dealmaker's Academy
Release Date: 03/28/2024
Business Buying Strategies from The Dealmaker's Academy
From First Deal to Big Exits: What Real Dealmakers Are Doing Differently Host: Jonathan Jay Format: Live panel Q&A — Riverside Studios, Hammersmith Guests: Seven Inner Circle members Overview Seven of Jonathan Jay's Inner Circle members — experienced business acquirers — answer unscripted questions from a live audience. This episode focuses on exit strategies, building deal confidence, and how to get a first acquisition over the line. Exit Strategy The panel agree: start with the end in mind, but hold the number loosely. One member is building a £25m technology group by 55, with a...
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We continue our live panel discussion, recorded at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, with Jonathan and his inner circle group of experienced dealmakers. This isn’t about tactics, it’s about mindset. Because the real challenge in business acquisition isn’t finding deals, it’s what’s happening in your head. Most people think success in acquisitions comes down to: • The right sector • The right deal ...
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What’s it really like to buy a business? Not the Instagram version. Not the “Lamborghinis and Dubai” version. The real version. In this episode, Jonathan brings together a panel of experienced dealmakers at Riverside Studios, all of whom have completed multiple acquisitions across sectors including property, construction, accountancy, engineering, and more. What follows is one of the most honest conversations you’ll hear about business buying. Behind the Scenes: Real Deals, Real Numbers This isn’t theory. These are people who have actually done it: 11 deals in 5 years...
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What happens when you stop thinking like an employee… and start thinking like a dealmaker? In this week’s episode, Jonathan talks with Pete, a Masterminder who has gone from earning £50k a year to co-owning a group of businesses generating £6 million in revenue — all within just a few years.  Pete’s journey started as an apprentice engineer. • One day a week at college • Meeting a future business partner • Years of working for other people • A growing frustration that there had to be something more The opportunity came when they explored buying the...
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Buying a business isn’t just about finding the right opportunity. It’s about structuring the deal in a way that works for everyone involved. In this week’s episode of Business Buying Strategies, Jonathan hands the microphone to his dealmaking partner Martin, who shares insights from a live webinar with Dealmakers clients. Martin has been directly involved in hundreds of acquisitions and is currently negotiating multiple deals himself. In this session he explains how real deals are structured, how negotiations actually unfold, and what funding strategies are working in today’s...
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What Kind of Business Should I Buy? If you’re thinking about buying a business, this is the question that determines everything. Not how to fund it. Not how to structure it. Not even how to find it. But what kind of business should you buy? In this week’s episode, Jonathan Jay answers the foundational question every serious dealmaker must get right and explains why choosing the wrong business is the fastest way to sabotage your future success . Start With the End in Mind Jonathan opens with a principle borrowed from Stephen Covey: Begin with the end in mind. Before you even look at...
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In this special episode, you’re invited to listen in on a live panel from one of Jonathan Jay’s recent Mastermind events — featuring experienced Inner Circle members who have collectively bought dozens of businesses. This is real talk from real dealmakers. They’ve battled through first deals, discovered unexpected sectors, failed forward, negotiated smart structures — and now they’re here to share what actually works. Expect candid insights, live questions from the audience, and stories that will challenge the way you think about dealmaking. In this panel episode, you’ll...
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In the second part of our special two-part highlights series, Jonathan Jay dives into more of the most impactful, practical, and inspiring moments from the 2025 season of Business Buying Strategies. Whether you’re brand new to acquisitions or have a few deals under your belt, this curated episode brings together essential wisdom from trusted voices in the Dealmakers community. Here’s what you’ll hear: 1. The Legal Pitfalls First-Time Buyers Must Avoid Top M&A lawyer John Andrews shares critical advice for getting your structure right from day one. You’ll learn: Why a...
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Kicking off the new year in style, this special episode of Business Buying Strategies brings you the best, boldest, and most instructive stories from the podcast in 2025. You’ll hear from real dealmakers—ordinary people doing extraordinary things—who followed Jonathan Jay’s proven acquisition strategies and transformed their lives. Whether you’re starting from scratch or already own a business, this episode will help you understand how growth through acquisition really works. What You’ll Learn in This Episode How complete beginners have bought businesses without risking their own...
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This week on Business Buying Strategies, we return to the behind-the-scenes recording of a live seminar where Jonathan Jay walks an audience of ambitious entrepreneurs through his proven approach to buying and growing businesses without using their own cash. Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve tried the “DIY” route with limited results, this is a must-listen for anyone who wants a safer, smarter way to buy businesses. Jonathan breaks down: ✅ Why confidence matters more than cash — and how to build it ✅ What a leveraged buyout (LBO) really means in practical...
info_outlineIn the latest episode of the Business Buying Strategies podcast, business growth expert Andy Hemming explains how to oversee the performance of your business and drive growth without getting involved in the day-to-day operations.
As a business investor, you need to avoid being drawn into daily management. Yet you also need to set the direction and focus on the business while holding the management team accountable.
In this episode, Andy Hemming explains how to get the best from your management team and oversee growth by tracking the right metrics and KPIs, how to use the business cycle to create a loop of continuous improvement and why it is essential to build systems that support growth and guarantee consistent results.
Andy punctuates his presentation – recorded at the last Dealmakers Retreat in Marbella – with real-world success stories and examples.
Whether you are an experienced business owner looking to increase the value of your existing business or you are a new dealmaker looking to acquire your first business, this is the episode to listen to and make notes for practical strategies and tools to grow and scale a business.
Here are the key highlights:
Why most business owners are really technicians in their own business
Why a mindset change is often needed before a business can grow
The 8 key drivers that influence the value of a business – according to John Warrilow
Why reliance upon the owner is a major issue for any business
How one business owner went from working 60 hours a week in his business down to just one hour a week
The four simple steps of the cycle of business
Why it is important to identify causes rather than deal with effects
Why you need to focus on delegation, not abdication
Why systems are so powerful in a business
How accountability plays a role in guaranteeing performance
Why your thoughts create your actions
The value of setting performance standards
The reasons why businesses do need to meet their growth goals
Why the availability of objective information is essential to business growth
How to use a dashboard to monitor operational effectiveness
Why you need to think like an investor - not a manager
Here is what you will discover…
- Why most business owners need to shift their mindset when it comes to growing the business
- Why a business that is reliant on the business owner will struggle to grow (and will never be as valuable)
- What specific metrics and KPIs you should be looking at, as the owner of the business (these are different to what a manager or staff member should be tracking)
- Why it is important to understand the cycle of business (in four easy steps)
- Why most business owners get the cause and effect mixed up (and why most of their time is spent firefighting)
- Why systems are the most powerful tool in a business to create growth
- Why most businesses do not have any systems of any kind (and why that is an opportunity for a dealmaker)
- Why it is important to define – and enforce – performance standards (it’s all about expectations)
- Why owners need to set better goals to achieve the growth they want
- The two primary blockers to achieving growth goals (these are the same for 99% of businesses)
- Why building a dashboard is essential for oversight and accountability
- Why driving your business by your bank account does not give you the full picture
- Why you need to think more like an investor than a manager (and how that impacts the information you need from the business)
- Why better performance for the wider business begins by looking in the mirror (even as an investor, you set the standard)
- Why ownership is key to ensuring everyone plays their role in the business (you need to think like a sports team)
- Why you need to articulate your vision to the wider team (if you want everyone moving in the same direction)
- The simple question that can uncover most of the performance issues in your business (in a matter of minutes)
** Looking for a great acquisition lawyer in the UK? Use mine! **
If you are looking for a lawyer in the UK to help you get the deal over the line, then use my own lawyer, John Andrews. You can phone his office at (0345) 2412494 or email him at johnandrews.deallawyer@jmw.co.uk.
Ready to get started?
Here’s how you can start your business buying journey…
Download our free Business Buying Toolkit
https://dealmakers.co.uk/business-buying-toolkit
Join our Business Acquisition FastTrack programme
https://www.dealmakers.co.uk/fast
Already bought a business?
if you've already bought a business, you should be part of my Inner Circle group where we discuss raising capital, integration management, and exiting. Email Maria on hello@thedealmakersacademy.com for more information.
Connect with Jonathan Jay at:
Website: https://www.dealmakers.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-jay-3556b230/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDealmakersAcademy