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In this episode, Henry breaks down why he left real estate private equity at 29 to buy a 21-year-old HVAC company making about $1.8M a year in cash flow, how he won the deal without being the highest bidder, and what his first 2 months as an owner actually look like.

◼️ The pitch that won over the seller, built around what was on the table over 6 months versus 6 years

◼️ Why his $4.7M loan was too big to be simple for a government-backed small business loan and too small for most big banks, and what he'd do differently

◼️ How he bought a business in a trade he can't get licensed in anytime soon, and the question every lender kept asking him

◼️ Why maintenance plans that bring in just $175 to $350 a year are the key to making his company worth more

◼️ The 2 things that mattered more to him than the industry, and the one kind of business he'd never buy

Follow Helen:
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/

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In this episode, Irving and Evgeniia break down how they bought a physical therapy clinic earning $1.3M a year in East Texas, why neither of them had to be a therapist to own it, and what it took to rebuild it in their first year.

◼️ The 3 weeks they had to replace the seller, their only therapist, after he walked out, and how they found the one who's still with them today

◼️ How revenue fell 50% in their first 6 months, and what they changed to grow it 15% past the previous owner's numbers

◼️ The paychecks written by hand and the referrals stuffed in drawers, and why Irving's 20 years of corporate habits became their biggest advantage

◼️ How a husband and wife take turns between the clinic and the kids, 4 hours apart

◼️ What they'd check before closing if they did it again, and why Irving tells new buyers to ask the seller to carry more of the loan

Follow Helen:
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/

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In this episode, Alex breaks down how he went from 10+ years in corporate finance to buying a $1.1M/yr tent rental business with his wife, how they came up with the 10% down, and what his first 2 months as an owner have actually looked like.

◼️ Why he spent 2 months spinning his wheels with brokers, and what finally got him unstuck

◼️ Why the sellers picked him over another event rental company that made a similar offer

◼️ The 50-year-old printing business he got serious about first, and why he walked away

◼️ How a tent bought once for up to $100K can bring in about $15K in a single weekend

◼️ Why he's holding off on paying himself, even though the business can already cover his old salary

Follow Helen:
Twitter: https://x.com/HelenGuo_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/

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In this video, I break down how to actually get an SBA 7(a) loan to buy a business in 2026: the 9 steps from having no lender to closing, plus every rule that just changed.

◼️ The one step where almost every first-time buyer loses their deal, and how to avoid it

◼️ How little of your own cash you actually need to put in now

◼️ The question a lender will ask that ends your call on the spot if you get it wrong

◼️ What one buyer did when her bank killed the financing the seller had agreed to, a day before closing

◼️ The rules that changed on October 1st, and which deals they now stop from ever happening

Follow Helen:
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/

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In this episode, Justin breaks down how he went from losing his job to owning a $425K/yr landscaping company, why he first passed on it as too expensive, and how he bought it for $1.2M after his first deal died at the finish line.

◼️ How the business he couldn't afford came back on the market the same day his first deal fell apart

◼️ How he kept his paycheck after handing in his notice for a deal that never closed

◼️ How he bought a 40-year-old company with 10% down, and got the seller to wait 2 years for his first payment

◼️ How he fit 15 to 20 hours a week of searching around a full-time job and being a single dad half the week

◼️ Why he isn't paying himself yet, and the businesses he wants to add over the next 10 years

Follow Helen:
Twitter: https://x.com/HelenGuo_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/

Want help buying a business? https://smbdealhunter.link/pro-yt

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In this episode, Victoria breaks down why she left in-house roles at Airbnb and Twitter behind to buy a 30-year-old stove and chimney business near Lake Tahoe, how she got the seller to finance most of the deal, and what happened when she modernized a business that still ran on paper.

◼️ Why the seller's contractor license scared off most buyers, and how she solved it

◼️ What made her willing to buy a business she calls "super high risk" at a price under 2x what it earns in a year

◼️ The list of 5,000 past customers the old owner never advertised to, and what happened after one email

◼️ The interview with another business buyer that convinced her to hire a technician on day 1

◼️ How she and her wife split the work while she keeps her film production company running

Follow Helen:
Twitter: https://x.com/HelenGuo_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/

Want help buying a business? https://smbdealhunter.link/pro-yt

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In this episode, Michael breaks down how he went from losing his job to buying a marketing agency he'd never worked in, closing an off-market deal, and using AI to make the business more profitable.

◼️ Marketing agencies weren't even on his list, so what did he see in the books that convinced him to buy one anyway?

◼️ One seller was sure he'd never have the money. Hear the deadline he gave them that finally got the deal done.

◼️ He bought a $1.6M business with about $70K of his own cash down (much harder under today's SBA rules), and the sellers agreed to wait 2 years to get paid. He explains how the deal came together.

◼️ His team said one website job would take 2 more weeks. The accountant finished it in 2 days with AI.

◼️ Revenue is down, but profit is up 35% to 40% this year. He walks through what changed inside the agency.

Follow Helen:
Twitter: https://x.com/HelenGuo_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/

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In this episode, Chris breaks down why a tech CEO in his late 50s bought 2 territories of a hydraulic hose repair franchise, how he walked away from a $9M-a-year company at the 11th hour, and what it takes to launch a franchise from scratch.

◼️ The 4 banks that backed out of that deal, and why he walked even after the price dropped by $2M

◼️ Why he turned down 3 territories of a different franchise within 48 hours of visiting them

◼️ How he checked a franchise's real numbers when it wasn't allowed to show him its financials

◼️ What his $120K bought, and how it got him over the bar for an SBA loan

◼️ His 10-year plan to grow from 2 territories to ideally 3 or 4, then renew or sell

Follow Helen:
Twitter: https://x.com/HelenGuo_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-guo-06674523/