Most acquisition stories are polished fairy tales. This isn’t one of them.
What you’re about to read are the real entries from a business owner’s journal—the kind of brutal honesty that never makes it to LinkedIn posts or conference stages.
From $40K hiring mistakes to celebrating when you DON’T get new business because you can’t afford the deposits, this is what actually happens when you buy a company.
Table of Contents
Early Struggles
February 13th – Just three weeks after closing the second acquisition, the reality is setting in. The team is struggling to see projects as “ours” instead of separate entities, and cash is burning faster than anticipated. Despite a strong backlog, managing the cash cycle has become the primary concern, though there’s still hope if liquidity can be stabilized.
The honeymoon period ended abruptly. What seemed like straightforward team integration revealed deeper challenges, while cash flow management became an urgent priority that overshadowed everything else.
Crisis Mode
March 6th – Operational disasters struck simultaneously. Two major projects were executed incorrectly—one oversized, one undersized—requiring complete reworks that eliminated over $10,000 in expected profit. The first workers’ compensation claim added further delays, and working capital reached zero. The situation became so dire that missing out on a large project actually brought relief, as there wasn’t enough cash to cover the required deposits.
This period exposed the harsh mathematics of business ownership. When you’re capital-constrained, even good opportunities become threats. The gap between revenue potential and cash reality can paralyze growth completely.
Tough Decisions
March 27th – Made the difficult decision to terminate an underperforming employee whose poor fit had already cost approximately $40,000. A replacement was hired to start April 7th, representing both a financial reset and renewed optimism about team building.
Cutting losses quickly proved essential. While the immediate cost was painful, allowing dysfunction to continue would have been far more expensive. Sometimes the best business decision feels like the worst human one.
Finding Rhythm
April 17th – The new production hire appears to be an excellent cultural and technical fit. Equipment relocation to the new facility also began, marking the first significant operational progress in months.
May 8th – Personal challenges complicated business operations, but several high-margin projects provided much-needed financial breathing room.
The right personnel decisions began paying dividends. Progress felt incremental but meaningful, though the constant interplay between personal and professional pressures remained a persistent challenge.
Breakthrough Moments
May 29th – Personal and business conflicts are slowly resolving, with May tracking to become the best month to date for both sales and profit.
June 19th – Transition discussions have begun as improved financial performance becomes evident. Cash flow continues strengthening gradually, with May officially confirmed as the strongest month yet.
July 10th – June surpassed May as the best month ever, though progress still feels like “two steps forward, 1.99 steps back.” The transition work continues with cautious optimism.
Success came in waves. Each “best month ever” was hard-fought, and even victories felt incremental—two steps forward, 1.99 steps back perfectly captures the grinding nature of business growth.
Conclusion
This journey shows what acquisition stories usually hide: the sleepless nights, cash crunches, employee disasters, and personal sacrifices. But it also shows the breakthrough moments that make it all worthwhile.
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