When Codie Sanchez worked in finance, she wasn't planning to buy a laundromat. But facing 60-70 hour workweeks and realizing she didn't want her boss's job, she started looking for an exit strategy. Instead of buying a fancy car during her "midlife crisis," she purchased that first laundromat - a decision that would lead her to acquire multiple laundromats, car washes, and other local businesses.
Codie joins us to break down how regular people can buy and run profitable local businesses, even without previous ownership experience. These "Main Street" businesses - think laundromats, car washes, landscaping companies, and other local services - often generate steady cash flow without requiring complex technology or massive scale.
She shares eye-opening stats about business ownership in America: while 80 percent of Americans owned a business in the 1800s, today that number has dropped to just 6 percent. Meanwhile, private equity firms have increased their ownership of small businesses from 4 percent in 2000 to 20 percent by 2020.
But there's good news for aspiring business owners. Codie breaks down 21 different ways to finance a business acquisition, from seller financing to equipment loans. She explains that 60 percent of businesses sell with some form of seller financing, making ownership more accessible than many realize.
Want to avoid common pitfalls? Codie introduces her RICH framework:
- Research: Define what type of business fits your goals and skills
- Invest: Get skin in the game, but never risk bankruptcy
- Command: Use systems and metrics to avoid accidentally buying yourself a job
- Harness: Build toward bigger goals if desired
She emphasizes starting small — master one business before attempting to build an empire. A successful acquisition requires understanding the "roadmap to making money" - the 5-7 key steps that drive profit in any business.
The numbers tell an encouraging story: while 90 percent of startups fail within 10 years, small business acquisitions have a 75-95 percent success rate. Codie attributes this to buying proven business models rather than starting from scratch.
Perhaps most importantly, she challenges the notion that "boring" businesses can't generate serious wealth. From a roofing company founder becoming one of the world's wealthiest women to a garbage collection entrepreneur building a billion-dollar enterprise, Main Street businesses have created numerous millionaires and billionaires.
Want to learn more? Check out Main Street Millionaire.
Timestamps:
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0:00 Introduction
2:54 Codie shares story of buying first laundromat while in finance career
10:42 Defines main street businesses as local services like landscaping and car washes
17:11 Breaks down private equity's growing acquisition of small businesses since 2000
34:31 Reveals why successful owners keep "boring" but profitable businesses quiet
41:58 Lists creative ways to finance business acquisitions
48:20 Emphasizes importance of dealmaking education before buying
55:45 Introduces "cheetah vs house cat" framework for identifying operators
1:03:05 Compares in-person vs remote work effectiveness
1:06:45 Warns against accidentally buying a job instead of a business
1:18:38 Shows power of metrics and dashboards in business management
1:27:41 Outlines strategies for building business empires
1:34:55 Highlights wealth potential in basic service businesses
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