- Chief Rebel
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- You're buying a job you can't do
You're buying a job you can't do
⏱️ Read time: 4 minutes
🔍 Deals analyzed: 1 (+awesome tool)
💣 Knowledge bombs: 3
Everyone's telling you to buy boring businesses.
Local service companies.
"Recession-proof" industries.
A client just walked away from what looked perfect on paper:
Plumbing company doing $350K SDE (take home income as owner)
20 years in business
Owner wants to “retire"
5 trucks on the road
Steady commercial contracts
Sounds like that "boring business" dream, right?
THE REAL DEAL: The Perfect Business That Wasn't
Here's the reality check that nobody talks about:
The owner isn't just the owner. He's:
The only master plumber (required by law)
The only one who knows how to price jobs
The only one general contractors trust
The only one who knows where all the money's made
The only one who can train new hires
Translation: This isn't a business. It's a highly-skilled job with employees.
You'd be paying $1.05M to buy yourself:
A job you're not qualified to do
A team you can't legally manage
Relationships you can't maintain
Knowledge you don't have
Certifications that take years to get
And that "attractive" $350K SDE? Watch it vanish when you:
Hire a master plumber ($144K+)
Add proper systems ($36K)
Lose key customers (???)
Face employee turnover (???)
Deal with license transitions (???)
The Real Question: Are you really buying a business, or are you buying a really expensive job you can't even do?
DEAL DETECTIVE:
Exposing the "Boring Business" Myth
Everyone's pushing the same story:
"Buy a boring local business!"
"Take over from a retiring owner!"
"Instant cash flow!"
But here's what they aren't telling you:
The "Perfect" Target Checklist:
✓ Local service business
✓ "Recession-proof" industry
✓ Long-time owner retiring
✓ Steady customer base
✓ Proven cash flow
The Reality Checklist
✓ Skills you don't have
✓ Licenses you can't get quickly
✓ Relationships you can't transfer
✓ Knowledge that walks out with the owner
✓ Problems only they know how to solve
This isn't about numbers, Rebels. It's about identity.
Ask yourself:
Can this business exist without its owner?
Can you step into their role immediately?
Will customers trust you like they trust them?
Can you do what they spent 20 years learning?
VALUE VAULT: The Real Freedom Framework
Before you chase that "perfect" deal, ask:
Owner Dependency Test:
Can the owner take a 2-week vacation?
Are prices standardized or "in their head"?
Do customers ask for them specifically?
Who handles escalations?
How many decisions need their input?
Systems Reality Check:
Written processes vs. tribal knowledge
Technology vs. owner's memory
Team autonomy vs. constant guidance
Client relationships: business or personal?
Growth: systematic or owner-driven?
Sometimes the most rebellious move is walking away from a "perfect" deal. Your freedom isn't measured by what you own - it's measured by how you live.
Later this week: I'll show you how one corporate rebel found more freedom in their W-2 than most business owners I know.
Stay rebellious,
kinza
p.s. Know someone trapped in the "I must own a business" mindset? Forward this to them.
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