Too Good to Be True: Year 1 in a $700k SDE Business
From Acquiring Minds by Will Smith
May 14, 2026 · 1h 25m
About this episode
Zack Mutnik shares his experiences and challenges faced during the first year of owning a $700k SDE electrical contracting business.
Zack Mutnik thought he bought a $1.5m electrical contracting business for 2.3x. The numbers weren't what they seemed. Register for the webinar: Kill It Early: Spot Red Flags Before Spending on Diligence - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4eBVO6E Topics in Zack’s interview: Learning leadership in the Navy Managing chaos with ADHD Undisclosed surprises after acquisition Replacing 8/10 employees Heavy emphasis on company culture Deciding to change the business name Training his employees to be independent Growing revenue despite a rocky start Marketing is not a quick fix Finding employees in a rural market References and how to contact Zack: TikTok Facebook LinkedIn Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta . Download the New CEO’s Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR: From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.com Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program: Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team Connect with Acquiring Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn Follow Will on Twitter Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced…
People in this episode
Host: Will Smith
Guest: Zack Mutnik
Topics covered
- business acquisition
- leadership
- company culture
- employee management
- marketing strategies
- entrepreneurship
Keywords
- business acquisition
- leadership
- ADHD
- company culture
- employee training
- revenue growth
- marketing
- rural employment
Sponsors
Inzo Technologies, Aspen HR, Oberle Risk Strategies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: inzotechnologies.com, Aspen HR, Oberle Risk Strategies, Acquiring Minds, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn
More episodes of Acquiring Minds
- How to Buy a $20m Business as a First-Timer · June 11, 2026 · 1h 31m
- How to De-Risk the Personal Guarantee · June 8, 2026 · 1h 11m
- The Origin Story of a Compounder ($80m and Counting) · June 4, 2026 · 1h 25m
- Started as SBA Searcher, Built to a PE Fund · June 1, 2026 · 1h 46m
- Buying $1.5m of Earnings Without an SBA Loan · May 28, 2026 · 1h 23m
- The Magic of Low Multiple + Growth · May 25, 2026 · 1h 34m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Acquiring Minds podcast page.