Most people buying a business build a strong team for the transaction: an attorney for the documents, a CPA for the numbers and taxes, a lender for the money. What’s usually missing is the person who asks, “Okay — what happens on Monday after you close?”
That’s the gap I fill. I’m an operator. I run my own companies on the BOSS framework, I’ve spent years buying property directly from owners and negotiating across kitchen tables, and I look at businesses to acquire myself. I help buyers see a deal the way an operator does.
Where I help
1. Defining what you should buy
Before the deal flow starts, you need a buy box: the kind of business, the size range in words, the geography, the owner situation, the customer mix and the skills you bring. A clear buy box saves months of chasing the wrong deals. See acquisition criteria.
2. Screening deals quickly
Most opportunities aren’t worth deep diligence. I help you build a short screen — owner dependence, customer concentration, quality of the team, the story behind the numbers — so you spend your energy on the few that matter. See red flags when buying a business.
3. Operational diligence
This is my specialty. Financial diligence tells you whether the earnings are real. Operational diligence tells you whether they’ll survive the owner leaving. Who does the work? What’s written down? Which customers are loyal to the owner personally? What breaks when the owner takes a week off? See operational due diligence.
4. The transition and the first hundred days
The highest-risk period of any acquisition is the first few months. I help you design the seller transition, the employee and customer communication, and a hundred-day plan that protects what works before you change anything. See first 100 days after buying a business.
5. Installing an operating rhythm
Once you own it, the business needs a way to run that doesn’t depend on the old owner — or on you doing everything. I help install a one-page plan, an Ownership Chart, quarterly goals, a weekly scoreboard and a weekly leadership meeting. Then we look at where AI can take over repetitive work. See post-acquisition integration.
Who this is for
- First-time buyers buying their first small business. See how to buy a business.
- Searchers and acquisition entrepreneurs who’ve raised capital or are self-funding. See entrepreneurship through acquisition.
- Owners growing by acquisition — adding a competitor, a new territory or a complementary service. See acquisition strategy.
- Real estate investors who want to own operating businesses alongside property.
What I don’t do
I’m not a business broker, M&A advisor, attorney, CPA or lender, and I don’t represent anyone in a transaction. I don’t value businesses for a fee, I don’t raise money for deals and I don’t give legal or tax advice. My role is an operator’s perspective and practical help with planning and integration — alongside the professionals your deal requires.
How it typically works
Most engagements start with a conversation about what you want to buy and why. From there, it might be a few working sessions on a specific deal, or a longer relationship that covers screening, diligence, transition and the operating rhythm after closing. Every engagement is scoped to the buyer, so I don’t publish prices.
Why an operator’s view matters
Plenty of acquisitions look great on a spreadsheet and struggle in real life. Usually it isn’t because the numbers were fake. It’s because the buyer underestimated how much the business depended on the seller, overestimated how quickly they could change things, or had no plan for leading a team that didn’t choose them. Those are operating problems, and they’re preventable when someone is looking for them before closing.
Next steps
If you’re evaluating a business now — or getting ready to start looking — talk to me about acquisitions. If you’re an owner thinking about selling, start with sell my business instead.
Questions people ask
What does business acquisition consulting include?
Helping buyers and companies define what to buy, screen deals, look hard at operations during diligence, and plan the transition and first hundred days. It complements — never replaces — your attorney, CPA and lender.
Is Ben Lovro a business broker?
No. I don’t represent buyers or sellers in transactions and I don’t list or market businesses. I share an operator’s perspective and, in some cases, look at businesses as a potential buyer myself.