---
title: The Simple Way To Buy Successful Businesses With Carl Allen
description: Buy businesses to create a life by design with Carl Allen who has done over $50 billion in 250+ deal over more than 100 capital fund-raising projects.
image: https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hubfs/How%20An%20Entrepreneur%20Buys%20Successful%20Businesses%20With%20Carl%20Allen.png
---

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[Get The Daily](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/daily)

 May 29, 2018

# The Simple Way To Buy Successful Businesses With Carl Allen

![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer)

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## Learn how to buy a successful business with no cash of your own

![How An Entrepreneur Buys Successful Businesses With Carl Allen](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/How%20An%20Entrepreneur%20Buys%20Successful%20Businesses%20With%20Carl%20Allen.png?width=1348&height=730&name=How%20An%20Entrepreneur%20Buys%20Successful%20Businesses%20With%20Carl%20Allen.png)

**[\[ LISTEN NOW ON APPLE PODCASTS \]](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sales-whisperer-wes-schaeffer-hosts-the-sales-podcast/id655310847?mt=2)**

**Stream**  **the episode below or right-**[**click here**](http://traffic.libsyn.com/whisper/How_An_Entrepreneur_Buys_Successful_Businesses_With_Carl_Allen.mp3) **to download it** **.**  

<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4IUdwbwLlnNPn3TOLEdJjq?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="152" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>

 

## Sales Tips you'll learn in [The Sales Podcast](https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/podcast)...

[![Listed to The Sales Podcast on Spotify](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/443614/interactive-185369604869.png)](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLI%2FnRe%2B2qtRcMxQlSRxnQO3yV3mdXkbRenq8O7NPgYmH%2FE5RkHXCd347HRqgKMAXcj%2FP%2BEIaOTGmCSK%2FT8%2B4fZ6R11nrrX%2BiAlTp47DoNnx1mjdcVbCFcGIoVXHkVmiaG%2B7NT2G%2FKXgVN6ZGWkxLw6FPco%2BSIeSrJxt%2Bx8qZbWjtwbackBGQJEV2VcoeMdflFL0GfnutrUjxMMRmFr79cyU&webInteractiveContentId=185369604869&portalId=443614)

- What [recommended action steps](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/ipa) do you have for the first 100 days as a business owner?
- What is the value of buying a business rather than founding one?
- What criteria do you recommend people have when deciding what kind of business to buy?
- Why do some business partners thrive while others tear their businesses apart?
- How can you evaluate whether a business is worth buying?
- How much of buying a small business is based on psychology vs. numbers?
- When selling your business, what is the main criteria owners look for?
- How did teaching others help you refine your own business buying systems?
- Grew up on Wall Street in corporate mergers and acquisitions in 1992
- Did private equity
- Invested in a software company and sold to HP and went with the sale
- 10 years ago, his wife went into labor 4 weeks early while he was in Moscow, and he almost missed the birth of his child

> Small deals are where it's at. There are over two million businesses for sale in North America. Only 1 in 13 will actually sell."

[![Score My Pipeline](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/443614/interactive-178194433547.png)](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLI2odxIQMQN1kjRhdTXa2yeDZb%2FEFyvQmdpuKT7%2BQU5tKlUmMIYw1R6v%2BKtp0ZqDMAw%2FWJiF6CmT2CZ4r62IuNjNw2qZvUPzmxCN33CNqIRtpjFm3eReYcuy0s1SSbK%2FyJjn%2BtJ0g25g77Pze5NKbDvRX4Xqxl3jmWAxJjq14ksT6QDnRW7d2YhKul77jiOrOHq%2FyGsFN%2FR&webInteractiveContentId=178194433547&portalId=443614)

- In 2017, more than six million entrepreneurs started a business, but 96% will fail within 10 years.
- The Leveraged Buyout—LBO—use financing against the business itself.
- The best deals are off-market, i.e., without using brokers.
- Brokers are trained to sell businesses to competitors to get more money for the seller.
- He owns whole or part of 17 businesses.
- Find a business that is a good business but the seller is in some form of distress.
- He targets businesses between $1 to $3 million in revenue so individuals usually target those types of businesses.
- 80% of small business owners won't list their business for sale so their competitors and staff don't know about what's going on.
- Entrepreneurs think it's cool to go start something from scratch.
- Around 2016, people encouraged him to teach his processes.
- He prefers asset-based lending, so the bank doesn't look at my creditworthiness.  
    - [Real estate](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/lisa-forss-goran-forss-real-estate-experts)
    - Plant and resources
    - Receivables are key
- Lately the SBA is stepping up with a $1 trillion fund and they'll loan you 90% of the deal and you can use the 10% cash from the business 
    - Your credit score must be at least 690
- How to find these businesses 
    - Social media 
          - LinkedIn groups
    - Networking 
          - Spouse
          - CPA
          - Attorney
          - Banker
    - Attend events 
          - Research attendees and build rapport
          - Ask for advice on how to buy a business like yours (wiggle the bait)
          - They may want to sell their business or they may give me referrals
    - Direct approach 
          - Use Hoover's for free at your library to get a list
          - Message the targeted businesses
    - Brokers...eventually 
          - They overprice deals
          - Let it sit for some time—nine months or more
- According to Biz Buy Sell the average multiple was 1.94x earnings 
    - EBITDA
    - Free cash flow or SDE—Seller's Discretionary Earnings
- Buy what resonates with you 
    - Experience
    - Passion
- Sales can and does apply across all industries
- NinjaAcquisitions.com/free
- Be an owner/manager or an owner/investor
- Give the GMs a percent of ownership so they have some skin in the game

**Related Podcasts & Articles:**

- [Ace Chapman: Why Start a Business When You Can Buy a Business](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/ace-chapman-buys-businesses)
- [10 Ways To Reach Your Sales Goals In The Age of AI](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/10-ways-to-reach-your-sales-goals)

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[The Sales Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/topic/the-sales-podcast)

## Related posts

## [Rapport-Building Is Overrated In Selling](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/rapport-building-overrated)

![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer) 

 Jun 13, 2025

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[![Get Your Billion Dollar Body With Nicholas Bayerle | The Sales Podcast with Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/_Podcast_Images/Nicholas%20Bayerle%20on%20The%20Sales%20Podcast%20254.png?height=200&name=Nicholas%20Bayerle%20on%20The%20Sales%20Podcast%20254.png)](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/nicholas-bayerle)

[The Sales Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/topic/the-sales-podcast)

## [Get Your Billion Dollar Body With Nicholas Bayerle](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/nicholas-bayerle)

![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer) 

 May 27, 2017

The key...is knowing how to sell! \[ LISTEN NOW ON APPLE PODCASTS \] Entrepreneurial Tips you'll...

[Read more](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/nicholas-bayerle)

[The Sales Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/topic/the-sales-podcast)

## [The Boss, Heather Havenwood, Shares How To Get It Done](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/sexy-boss-heather-ann-havenwood)

![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer) 

 Oct 17, 2016

Sell The Sizzle & Package Yourself To Win The Sale Sales Tips you'll learn in The Sales Podcast......

[Read more](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/sexy-boss-heather-ann-havenwood)

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