This entrepreneur then sowed the seeds of his engineering superpower and leveraged his background in the culture of manufacturing to make a connection with this owner. In addition to his skills, they shared an underlying bond around shared interests and experiences, in spite of being of different generations and even different races.

Communication and Connection in Acquisition Entrepreneurship

The story you tell about yourself—to yourself and others—plays a key role in your journey to entrepreneurial and leadership success. In the self-reflective process of probing and testing what you really want—what treasure you seek and how to go after it—you may discover that ETA is not just a faster route to getting into business leadership, but is also a better way for you personally to enter into the field where you want to drive innovation and create personal wealth.

And once you’ve told yourself that ETA story, you’re going to spend a lot of time telling that same story to a lot of different business owners as you search for the right one who will sell you the right business at the best price. You also have to communicate your value, your skills, and the opportunity you represent to investors.

Effective communication in ETA goes beyond the transaction and involves creating lasting relationships with potential future employees and teammates, customers, and investors and partners in the business. In many cases, at the point of sale, the original owner will maintain some level of equity or investment in the business for a transitional period of time, which means developing a deep connection in creating a partnership that outlasts the transaction.

Confidence in Acquisition Entrepreneurship

Last but not least, ETA requires the confidence to step out into brave new territory. You may know a lot about your field, but you don’t necessarily know the nuances of this particular business, with its unique employees and customers. You are bringing your skills and background experiences into a new ecosystem, with the goal of creating new value, growing this business, and taking the business and your career to the next level.

ETA is an increasingly appealing option for those who may be looking to launch their entrepreneurial leadership journey. While it presents an opportunity for economic growth and economic empowerment for these individuals, I have also witnessed how, for the successful ETA entrepreneurs—now CEOs in many cases—this success is equally empowering internally as they start to see themselves differently and develop further confidence to keep pursuing their goals.