Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
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In this episode of The Exit Podcast, host Steve sits down with Lee Smith, an acquisition entrepreneur at Verdani Capital with 12 years of M&A experience. Lee shares hard-won lessons from acquiring 20+ businesses and reveals what buyers really look for when evaluating companies for acquisition.
KEY TOPICS COVERED:
The #1 Red Flag Buyers See (And How to Fix It)
Lee reveals why owner-dependency kills deals and how to build transferability into your business 2-3 years before exit
Inside the Valuation Process
Real multiples for blue-collar businesses (2-4x true profit, not EBITDA) and why adjusted earnings can backfire
Deal Structure That Works
How Lee structures acquisitions to align incentives: buying 60-80% stakes with future upside potential that often doubles the founder's payday
The Biggest Deal Mistakes
From buying distressed companies to discovering hidden equity agreements 30 minutes before closing—lessons learned the hard way
The £1 Business Acquisition Strategy
How Lee has purchased 20 businesses for just one pound, including a remarkable turnaround that saved a founder from £500K in debt
When Concentration Risk Isn't a Deal-Breaker
Strategic approaches to handling clients that represent 60-70% of revenue, including key customer clauses in SPAs
Building Trust in M&A Deals
Why "two ears, one mouth" matters more than spreadsheets when structuring successful acquisitions
The EOS Framework for Integration
Using simple systems to manage acquired businesses without disrupting teams or culture
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Lee Smith is a values-driven entrepreneur and dealmaker with more than 25 years of experience and a respected track record in UK M&A. After completing his first acquisitions in 2014, he went on to buy and turn around nine underperforming companies before founding Verdani Capital, where he continues to acquire and scale larger UK businesses. To date, Lee has completed 26 acquisitions across sectors such as Manufacturing, Professional Services, Construction, HVAC, and IT Services, supported by training from leading M&A mentors in the UK and US. His current portfolio generates over £2M in annual profit with a clear path toward £10M, strengthened by three strategic exits in 2024. Grounded in spirituality and conscious leadership, Lee combines substance, strategy, and long-term thinking in every partnership.
Website - https://www.leeasmith.co.uk/
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The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
All content for The Exit - Presented By Flippa is the property of The Exit - Presented By Flippa and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
--
In this episode of The Exit Podcast, host Steve sits down with Lee Smith, an acquisition entrepreneur at Verdani Capital with 12 years of M&A experience. Lee shares hard-won lessons from acquiring 20+ businesses and reveals what buyers really look for when evaluating companies for acquisition.
KEY TOPICS COVERED:
The #1 Red Flag Buyers See (And How to Fix It)
Lee reveals why owner-dependency kills deals and how to build transferability into your business 2-3 years before exit
Inside the Valuation Process
Real multiples for blue-collar businesses (2-4x true profit, not EBITDA) and why adjusted earnings can backfire
Deal Structure That Works
How Lee structures acquisitions to align incentives: buying 60-80% stakes with future upside potential that often doubles the founder's payday
The Biggest Deal Mistakes
From buying distressed companies to discovering hidden equity agreements 30 minutes before closing—lessons learned the hard way
The £1 Business Acquisition Strategy
How Lee has purchased 20 businesses for just one pound, including a remarkable turnaround that saved a founder from £500K in debt
When Concentration Risk Isn't a Deal-Breaker
Strategic approaches to handling clients that represent 60-70% of revenue, including key customer clauses in SPAs
Building Trust in M&A Deals
Why "two ears, one mouth" matters more than spreadsheets when structuring successful acquisitions
The EOS Framework for Integration
Using simple systems to manage acquired businesses without disrupting teams or culture
--
Lee Smith is a values-driven entrepreneur and dealmaker with more than 25 years of experience and a respected track record in UK M&A. After completing his first acquisitions in 2014, he went on to buy and turn around nine underperforming companies before founding Verdani Capital, where he continues to acquire and scale larger UK businesses. To date, Lee has completed 26 acquisitions across sectors such as Manufacturing, Professional Services, Construction, HVAC, and IT Services, supported by training from leading M&A mentors in the UK and US. His current portfolio generates over £2M in annual profit with a clear path toward £10M, strengthened by three strategic exits in 2024. Grounded in spirituality and conscious leadership, Lee combines substance, strategy, and long-term thinking in every partnership.
Website - https://www.leeasmith.co.uk/
--
The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
The Power of Brand and Timing: Rob Basso’s Multi-Million Dollar Exit Playbook
The Exit - Presented By Flippa
36 minutes 13 seconds
3 months ago
The Power of Brand and Timing: Rob Basso’s Multi-Million Dollar Exit Playbook
Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
--
In this episode of The Exit, entrepreneur Rob Basso shares how he built Advantage Payroll Services into a $25M business and exited on his own terms. His journey started humbly, wrapping resumes in deli sandwiches, and ended with a strategic sale to a public company.
Rob planned his exit from day one, focusing on clean financials, employee retention, and leveraging his personal brand to win trust. He urges founders to be visible, not just their company, and to run a business that’s always “sale-ready.”
When it came time to sell, he passed on higher PE offers with earn-outs in favor of a lower upfront deal because he was emotionally done and ready to move on. The decision? One of the best he’s ever made.
Post-sale, Rob struggled with identity loss but rebounded by helping others build personal brands and make better business decisions. His final lesson? Be authentic. Trying to be someone you’re not, whether with staff or clients, can backfire.
Rob’s story is a reminder that successful exits aren’t just financial: they’re personal. And planning ahead, staying true to yourself, and choosing the right buyer can make all the difference.
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Rob Basso is a recognized business coach, entrepreneur & speaker. He is a published author, professional speaker and sought-after media personality. He has operated and sold many businesses in the past two decades including Associated Human Capital Management and Advantage Payroll Services. The most recent two companies were sold to public companies at industry high valuations. Known as The Everyday Entrepreneur, the media frequently calls upon Rob for his insights, opinions and expertise. In 2022 he was a judge for the American Business Awards (division of the Stevie Awards), panelist for the Middle Market Alliance, mentor for the Next Gen Summit and numerous other speaking engagements.
Rob Basso on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbasso/
Website: https://www.robbasso.com/
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The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
The Exit - Presented By Flippa
Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
--
In this episode of The Exit Podcast, host Steve sits down with Lee Smith, an acquisition entrepreneur at Verdani Capital with 12 years of M&A experience. Lee shares hard-won lessons from acquiring 20+ businesses and reveals what buyers really look for when evaluating companies for acquisition.
KEY TOPICS COVERED:
The #1 Red Flag Buyers See (And How to Fix It)
Lee reveals why owner-dependency kills deals and how to build transferability into your business 2-3 years before exit
Inside the Valuation Process
Real multiples for blue-collar businesses (2-4x true profit, not EBITDA) and why adjusted earnings can backfire
Deal Structure That Works
How Lee structures acquisitions to align incentives: buying 60-80% stakes with future upside potential that often doubles the founder's payday
The Biggest Deal Mistakes
From buying distressed companies to discovering hidden equity agreements 30 minutes before closing—lessons learned the hard way
The £1 Business Acquisition Strategy
How Lee has purchased 20 businesses for just one pound, including a remarkable turnaround that saved a founder from £500K in debt
When Concentration Risk Isn't a Deal-Breaker
Strategic approaches to handling clients that represent 60-70% of revenue, including key customer clauses in SPAs
Building Trust in M&A Deals
Why "two ears, one mouth" matters more than spreadsheets when structuring successful acquisitions
The EOS Framework for Integration
Using simple systems to manage acquired businesses without disrupting teams or culture
--
Lee Smith is a values-driven entrepreneur and dealmaker with more than 25 years of experience and a respected track record in UK M&A. After completing his first acquisitions in 2014, he went on to buy and turn around nine underperforming companies before founding Verdani Capital, where he continues to acquire and scale larger UK businesses. To date, Lee has completed 26 acquisitions across sectors such as Manufacturing, Professional Services, Construction, HVAC, and IT Services, supported by training from leading M&A mentors in the UK and US. His current portfolio generates over £2M in annual profit with a clear path toward £10M, strengthened by three strategic exits in 2024. Grounded in spirituality and conscious leadership, Lee combines substance, strategy, and long-term thinking in every partnership.
Website - https://www.leeasmith.co.uk/
--
The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
