Buying a $3m Candle Manufacturer That Had No Books

Chad Hildebrant knew the best deals have hair on them. The trick is finding the right hair, turning red flags green.

Topics in Chad’s interview:

• Buying a business that was not financeable
• Getting a 60% seller note
• Reconstructing 3 years of financial records
• Deal fatigue during negotiations
• Burning himself out in the first quarter post-transition
• 3 explanations for chaos in a business
• Comparing management to parenting
• The 3 types of candle makers
• How he generates new sales
• The importance of having friends who are operators

References and how to contact Chad:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• A candle co.

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