Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin
Why Boring Businesses Are Skyrocketing— And How You Can Benefit
Fri, 22 Nov 2024
PE is obsessed with this one sector right now: boring businesses. We're talking plumbing, pest control, cleaning companies— you know the ones. But this isn't just a move for PE investors; you can do it too. Nicole explains.
Chapter 1: What are boring businesses and why are they booming?
I'm Nicole Lappin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. It's time for some money rehab. There's a hot investment opportunity that private equity has been all over lately. But unlike most private equity ops, this moneymaker isn't just for ultra high net worth people.
For once, the investment market favors the people who like to get their hands dirty and who can see beauty where other people might not. And this big opportunity is boring businesses. I'll start by giving you one cuckoo bananas example that really paints a picture of how red hot this industry is right now. And this example is plumbing.
To really let this sink in, I'm going to give you a little backstory. All of the geniuses from the big MBA programs, we're talking Wharton, Stanford, Harvard Business School, have been gunning for one job, Alpine Investors CEO in Training Program. The acceptance rate is itty bitty. It is 1.6%. And to put that into perspective, Harvard accepts 3.6%, which sounds like a breeze compared to Alpine.
Chapter 2: What is the CEO in Training Program at Alpine Investors?
But the CEO in Training Program is considered an elite fast track to becoming a CEO. At least 55% of graduates go on to helm companies. So what secret sauce does Alpine have to cultivate the leaders that will take over the most important businesses in our world today? Are they telling CEOs in training to go hit the books? To debate founder mode versus manager mode? To pull all-nighters?
No, they're not. According to Alpine's chief talent officer, Tal Lee Anderman, these baby CEOs are learning by doing. As she puts it, quote, you're moving from Yale Law School and Harvard Business School to Jackson, Mississippi to run a plumbing company. So you know how some people say getting an MBA is like throwing money down the drain? It might literally be true.
Alpine didn't create this program out of the goodness of their hearts or because of a passion for plumbing. They had a problem to solve. After snapping up smaller, investment-worthy, boring businesses like plumbing companies, they needed leaders to actually run them. Enter the CEO in Training Program.
Chapter 3: Why are plumbing companies considered a hot investment?
While they've turned it into an employment pipeline, Alpine isn't alone in snapping up plumbing companies. According to data from PitchBook, private equity investors have bought over 800 plumbing, electrical and HVAC companies since 2022. These so-called boring businesses have boomed in popularity because they are gold mines.
You may have seen plumbers are being called the new millionaires next door, which is why I'm really leaning into this case study in this episode. But it's not just plumbing companies. Of course, revenue depends on scale, location, and a bunch of different factors. But on average, cleaning companies make $585,000 in annual revenue. Pest control companies make $402,000 in revenue.
Laundromats generate around $150,000 in revenue. And nail salons can also make in the six figures. These boring businesses are ripe to be scooped up by P.E. because many of these types of businesses are local mom and pop types. There's not an Uber for pest control or an Amazon for cleaning services.
Chapter 4: How can anyone get involved in the boring business boom?
Chapter 5: What are other examples of lucrative boring businesses?
Laundromats generate around $150,000 in revenue. And nail salons can also make in the six figures. These boring businesses are ripe to be scooped up by P.E. because many of these types of businesses are local mom and pop types. There's not an Uber for pest control or an Amazon for cleaning services.
And so because these businesses are often run by the owner, if the owner retires or doesn't have a successor, they'll have no choice but to shut down, fire everyone and auction off equipment. Everything they worked for gets sold off piece by piece. It is pretty bleak. But if a buyer is willing to step in, many owners are happy to train the new boss and assist in financing.
After all, it is their legacy that they want to be preserving. Here's a little secret. You don't need to be a massive PE firm to join the boring business boom. Anyone with entrepreneurial dreams and a little bit of funding can take advantage of this opportunity. And no, it doesn't have to be plumbing. Look around.
Any thriving local business with an owner looking to retire or to move on may be your big opportunity. Does your dry cleaner talk about retirement? Or maybe your nail tuck is pregnant and ready to sell her shop. That's your cue. You could leap over the counter and go from customer to CEO without needing an MBA from Harvard.
Chapter 6: What steps can you take to find a local business to buy?
But of course, still needing to put in the work to get smart on the business. If you don't find these boring business opportunities out in the wild, what are some other options we have? Well, you could start by cold calling plumbers in your area, asking if they'd sell. But there are easier ways.
If you don't know what company you would want to buy, there are national services like Biz Buy Sell or Biz Scout, which function like a Zillow for businesses. There you can look and see what's available and get an idea of pricing and deals. Ideally, you'd identify the sector that you're interested in and learn everything you possibly can about how it works in your area.
So research, research, research. Another option is working with a business broker. These are like real estate agents that specialize in buying and selling businesses. They help you find the right fit and ensure that the seller sticks around to train you instead of taking off as soon as the ink dries.
Many sellers have their own broker, so you could just find your perfect match while you're trying to learn as much as you possibly can about businesses for sale near you. So I mentioned how lucrative these businesses can be, but you're also going to have to throw down some cash to buy the business. The good news is these boring businesses often cost less than a fancy house.
And while they're not cheap, they can create a steady revenue stream for you. In a quick peek online, I found plumbing businesses for sale from $449,000 to $2 million. I found one company for sale by a husband and wife who want to retire, tale as old as time. Indulge me a nerd out on this for a moment. Let's just follow the numbers.
The business is for sale for $850,000 with a down payment of $85K. This business has a revenue of $1,482,000 in 2023, and the owner's profits before taxes were $404,000. So assuming the business follows the historical projection, you'd have enough profit to recoup your initial investment in a little over two years. That's not bad.
This particular business had been pre-approved for a small business loan of up to $787,000 with a 10-year loan term. For this particular company, I was stoked to see that the lease was still good for four years. Sometimes businesses can be at the end of their lease when they go up for sale, which can be a red flag. The owners also offered two weeks at 30 hours a week of training.
I can't say that in 60 hours I would know enough to run a plumbing company, but maybe that would work for you. And if so, I'd love that for you. So maybe there's a company near you offering better terms. Of course, $850,000 is a lot of money, but not all boring businesses go for that much. There are nail salons for as little as $80,000, bookkeeping and accounting companies for under $100,000.
If you don't have a big stack of cash lying around, there are financing options. The seller might finance part of it themselves, allowing you to pay them directly over time rather than taking out a big loan. This can be ideal because it means the seller won't get all their money unless the business stays successful. This keeps them invested in training you and working toward your future.
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