Gary MacLeod

Most startups die trying to get what an existing business already has — Customers Cash flow Systems Brand trust Why start from zero when you can buy from momentum? Buy a business doing $500K–$2M in revenue. Leverage seller financing, SBA, or private capital. Keep the team, fix the margins, and scale. It’s not about being an entrepreneur anymore. It’s about being an acquirer. Startups are hope. Acquisitions are math. And math wins. 🦈

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Securing Funding to Buy a Business Without Collateral 1) SBA 7(a) loans allow entrepreneurs to acquire businesses with as little as 10% down payment and longer repayment terms. 2) Seller financing can cover 30-60% of the purchase price, often offering more flexibility than traditional lenders. 3) Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter are suitable for consumer-facing businesses, while equity crowdfunding suits business acquisitions. 4) Peer-to-Peer lending platforms connect borrowers with individual lenders, focusing on quick processing and flexible terms. 5) A comprehensive business plan with financial projections and market analysis is key to building a strong funding case. 6) Highlighting industry expertise and obtaining testimonials can boost lender confidence in your ability to run the business. 7) Demonstrating growth potential through market research can attract more funding and investors. 8) Angel investors provide capital and expertise; connect through startup events, alumni networks, and online platforms. 9) Joint ventures can provide funding and leverage complementary resources for expanded market reach. 10) Business incubators and accelerators offer mentorship, resources, and a higher survival rate for startups. https://lnkd.in/ef-DcZgt

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Very interesting peek into the future (near future) with thanks to Andreessen Horowitz and Invest Like The Best about how, if applied to the construction equipment industry (OEMs, Dealers and Rental companies), one can reimagine the tech stack to cut costs and improve speed (efficiency). Worth listening to throughout, particularly the 1:04 through 1:07 mark. “It's just going to be, to my point earlier about proactive versus reactive, it's just going to be a proactive thing. You a salesperson, you're going to log in to your (CRM) and it's going to be like, hey, these are the five customers that you have business that you should be doing. Oh, by the way, I've been monitoring what they've been doing online.” Certainly BiltData.ai ‘s North Star in adding 10x value with actionable intel and joining workflows to give sales teams a better toolbox to perform.

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Why Your Credit Score Means Nothing if Your Business Has None... Forget 750. If your business doesn’t have a credit profile, your chances of getting funded in 2025 just dropped through the floor. Here’s the hard truth: 👉 Banks are tightening. 👉 SBA loans demand documentation. 👉 Private investors want leverage, not personal risk. Yet 80% of small business owners still rely on personal credit to fund business growth. That’s not just risky, it’s outdated. Here’s why business credit is the new superpower for CEOs: ✅ Separate You From Your Business – Protect your personal assets. No more risking your home or savings to buy inventory or scale operations. ✅ 10x Funding Potential – Businesses with established credit get 10 - 20x more financing than individuals. Think lines of credit, vendor terms, and strategic capital. ✅ Credibility = Cash Flow – Lenders and partners treat you differently when your business has a score of its own. ✅ Access Capital in Tight Markets – As lending slows, businesses with strong credit are first in line, not those with good intentions. ✅ Unlock Growth Without Personal Guarantees – Use your EIN, not your SSN. 🚨 In our “10 Most Impactful Reasons to Build Business Credit” training, we break down how innovative entrepreneurs are unlocking $50K – $250K in funding with no personal guarantee, just strategy, structure, and time. Bottom Line? If you’re scaling in 2025 without business credit, you’re playing the wrong game. Stop being the bank for your business. Build the credit that gets you real funding. #MyBizCoaches #BusinessConsulting #FractionalExecutives #BusinessCredit2025 #EntrepreneurFinancing

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Plaid is built to make it easier for businesses to build and scale financial products that people trust. That trust starts with knowing who you’re working with. As Plaid helps platforms onboard and support millions of businesses, verifying business identity accurately and efficiently is foundational. That’s why Plaid partners with Middesk to automate business verification during onboarding — confirming core business details, reducing manual review, and helping teams make confident risk decisions without slowing down the customer experience. Together, we help Plaid deliver faster onboarding, stronger compliance, and a more durable foundation for growth across the financial ecosystem they power. We’re proud to support Plaid as they help teams move fast while maintaining trust at scale. #KYB #KYC #AML #BEV #businessverification #financialservices #onboarding #compliance #smallbusiness #SMBs

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