Dealmakers Podcast

How to Buy Businesses for a Living

Nathan Winch explains how he moved from biology into acquisitions, why he targets retirement sellers directly, how he funds larger deals, and what first time buyers must control before and after completion.

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Episode 230  |  Runtime: 27:38  |  Audio Episode

Listen to the Episode

Hear Nathan Winch discuss off market acquisitions, seller motivation, acquisition finance, larger deals, SPV structures, and post completion control.

Episode 230
Runtime 27:38
Topic Off market business acquisitions
Format Founder interview

Key Takeaways

Three acquisition lessons from an entrepreneur who buys and sells businesses as a core strategy.

Direct Seller Outreach Gives the Buyer Control

Nathan prefers speaking directly with retirement sellers because it removes broker pressure, improves rapport, and allows the buyer to shape the commercial narrative.

Larger Deals Can Be More Efficient Than Small Deals

Legal work, lender processes, due diligence, and deal team time can be similar across deal sizes, making larger acquisitions a stronger use of capital and attention.

Risk Is Managed Before and After Completion

SPV structures, careful due diligence, deferred consideration, warranty offsets, access control, and bank handovers can protect the buyer when the transaction closes.

Episode Breakdown

In this episode, Jonathan Jay interviews Nathan Winch, a former molecular biologist who moved into entrepreneurship after winning a major NHS supply contract while still at university. Nathan explains how selling his early businesses revealed where real value was created, then shares how that experience led him into buying and selling companies across sectors such as consumables, warehousing, distribution, infrastructure, and commercial property.

The conversation focuses heavily on acquisition criteria, off market deal flow, seller motivation, and financing. Nathan explains why his team targets retirement sellers directly rather than relying on brokers, how seller expectations can be shaped through a collaborative valuation discussion, and why acquisition finance, asset backing, freehold property, deferred consideration, and lender relationships can reduce the buyer's cash requirement.

Jonathan and Nathan also discuss the harder parts of acquisition entrepreneurship, including over leverage, weak due diligence, personal guarantees, warranty enforcement, insolvency risk, and the small post completion details that can create major operational problems. Nathan closes with practical advice for first time buyers: get good advice, question professionals when needed, structure risk properly, and take action instead of remaining on the fence.

Best For

  • First time buyers planning their first off market acquisition.
  • Acquisition entrepreneurs targeting retirement sellers.
  • Buyers weighing direct outreach against broker led deal flow.
  • Operators considering acquisition finance, asset finance, deferred payments, and lender backed structures.
  • Dealmakers who want stronger SPV structures, due diligence discipline, and post completion controls.

Questions Answered In This Episode

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