david pope - Would You Move Your Family to Buy a Business? Inside the KAYTECH, INC. Journey

The pathway to business ownership doesn't always begin with a startup. For Dave Pope, it meant purchasing an existing operation after 14 years in technical sales, a decision that would transform his professional trajectory and uproot his family of six.

Dave opens up about what drove his mid-career pivot: the nagging feeling he was capable of more, despite having stable employment with a good company. "I just don't want to live with regret," he explains, capturing the motivation that pushed him past initial hesitations. The conversation reveals how he methodically approached the search, beginning with two crucial books: Buying a Small Business from Harvard Business Review and Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is Dave's transparency about the entire acquisition process. He details how he narrowed his search criteria (no hospitality, no retail dependent on foot traffic), built a network of contacts through cold calls to accountants and attorneys, and eventually found Kay-Tech Inc., a surface preparation company in South Carolina. Dave walks us through the ten-month journey from initial interest to closing, including financing strategies combining SBA loans with seller financing.

The most compelling insights come from Dave's first year of ownership. He shares the delicate balance of respecting what made the business successful while implementing incremental improvements, the challenges of managing employees who didn't know the business was being sold until after the fact, and handling unexpected crises like power outages during Hurricane Helen. His candid discussion about hiring for his weaknesses rather than trying to handle everything himself offers practical wisdom for aspiring business owners.

For those considering a similar path, Dave's advice is refreshingly actionable: start with small steps like attending networking events, speaking with business brokers, and having exploratory conversations with no pressure to commit. "The commitment doesn't even come when you've made the offer," he explains. "It comes when you're starting to enter the financing phase."

Ready to explore business acquisition as your path to entrepreneurship? This conversation will give you the real-world perspective you need from someone who just completed his first year as an owner-operator after making the leap.