Ep 552: What to Know Before Selling to an ETA Buyer | Built to Sell Radio

Ep 552: What to Know Before Selling to an ETA Buyer | Built to Sell Radio

June 26, 2026 · 55 min · Episode 552

About this episode

This episode discusses key insights for business owners considering selling to ETA buyers, featuring insights from Will Smith of Acquiring Minds.

What do you need to know before selling your business to an ETA buyer? Most owners have received the email. It usually starts with something flattering: "I love what you've built…" Then comes the ask: a quick call to learn more about your business. Increasingly, those emails are coming from ETA buyers — entrepreneurs using entrepreneurship through acquisition as their path into business ownership. Instead of starting a company from scratch, they look to buy an existing business and run it themselves. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio , John Warrillow talks with Will Smith , host of Acquiring Minds , one of the leading podcasts covering entrepreneurship through acquisition. Will has interviewed hundreds of ETA buyers and brings rare insight into how they think, how they finance deals, and where deals fall apart. What You'll Learn in This Episode Whether you're actively considering selling your business or just exploring your options, this conversation covers what every owner should understand before entertaining an offer from an ETA buyer: How to tell the difference between a funded searcher and a self-funded buyer — and why it matters for your deal structure Why some ETA…

People in this episode

Host: John Warrillow

Guest: Will Smith

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Organizations: Acquiring Minds

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