John Corney explains how he moved from a 25 year internet services exit into buying profitable healthcare practices using direct seller outreach, capital preservation, negotiated deal structures, and a clear group building strategy.
Listen to the EpisodeEpisode 165 | Runtime: 26:10 | Audio Episode
Hear John Corney explain how he sold a long held internet services business, chose a new acquisition sector, found sellers through letters, and began building a healthcare practice group.
Three acquisition lessons from an entrepreneur who sold one business and then used dealmaking to build in a new sector.
John was attracted to acquisitions because they allowed him to pursue growth without placing all of his exit proceeds into one high risk startup or single cash purchase.
His first healthcare acquisition came from a direct letter campaign, with seller motivation driven by a desire to keep practising while stepping away from day to day business responsibility.
John explains why pedantic contract wording can slow completion, why experienced M&A advisers matter, and why buyers must know when to accept practical terms to get the deal over the line.
In this episode, Jonathan Jay speaks with John Corney, a former internet services entrepreneur who sold his company to a large aggregator after 25 years of building. Rather than retire, John wanted a new venture that could grow faster, require less direct operational input, and allow him to use his experience in strategy, people, commercial improvement, and financial engineering.
John explains why he chose osteopathy, physiotherapy, and chiropractic practices as an acquisition sector. The discussion covers local reputation, professionalising markets, seller transparency, direct mail outreach, and the importance of buying established businesses with cash flow, practitioners, customers, and community trust already in place.
The episode also gets into deal execution. John talks through finding his first seller, negotiating a realistic multiple of profit, using share purchases and asset purchases, managing completion accounts, handling legal friction, and building toward a group that could eventually support a management buyout while retaining local brand strength.
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