The Hidden Path to Business Ownership: Why Consulting for Equity Beats Waiting for the Perfect Deal

Often when first-time acquisition entrepreneurs start out, they fall into the same trap that catches most: They become a unicorn hunter. 🦄

You know the type — Searching endlessly for that magical business with $5 million in EBITDA, best-in-class operations, a seller willing to accept 2x multiple, and oh—they'd love to provide seller financing too.

Sound familiar?

And while there’s nothing wrong with that, per se, this type of narrow focus can leave you blind to dozens of real opportunities that could generate immediate cash flow and equity upside.

That's exactly what Chris Moore discovered when he transformed his approach to business acquisition through "consulting for equity." In a recent interview, Chris shared how this strategy helped him become a 50% owner of Dealmaker Wealth Society—a business that grew 17x in just 2 years.

Here's how you can apply the same approach to monetize your acquisition journey starting today ⬇️

What Is Consulting for Equity (And Why Everyone Gets It Wrong)

"Consulting for equity" is actually a misnomer, according to Chris. The real concept is "value for upside" — trading whatever your superpower is for equity, revenue share, or profit participation in an existing business.

You don't need to be a traditional consultant to make this work. Your value could be:

• Operational expertise from your industry background

• A powerful network that opens doors for business growth

• Marketing skills that can double their customer acquisition

• Financial acumen that improves their capital structure

• Strategic planning that positions them for scale or exit

The key insight?

There are far more businesses that need help than there are perfect acquisition targets. While you're hunting unicorns, you could be building equity in multiple cash-flowing businesses.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

Traditional acquisition thinking follows this pattern:

1. Find the perfect business

2. Structure complex financing

3. Close the deal

4. Hope you can operate it successfully

Consulting for equity flips this entirely:

1. Identify businesses with problems you can solve

2. Get paid retainer fees while building equity

3. Prove your ability to create value

4. Gain the option (not obligation) to acquire

This approach addresses what Chris calls "monetizing the journey." Instead of spending months or years searching without income, you're generating cash flow while building equity stakes in multiple businesses.

Consider this: If you contact 50 business owners in your target market, how many could you genuinely help grow — even if they're not ready to sell? That's your real opportunity pool.

How to Position Yourself for Equity Offers (Without Being Salesy)

Here's where most people stumble… They march into conversations asking for equity, which feels pushy and presumptuous, but Chris teaches the opposite approach: Get business owners to offer you equity.

The secret? Stop talking about what you do and start talking about what problems you solve.

Compare these introductions:

Standard approach: "I've been in corporate finance for 15 years."

Value-focused approach: "I help business owners get access to capital for growth and acquire other companies."

The 2nd version immediately positions you as someone who solves problems rather than someone looking for opportunities.

When you consistently demonstrate your ability to solve expensive problems, equity offers become natural. Business owners start thinking: "This person cares about my business as much as I do. How do I get them more involved?"

Deal Origination Methods

Chris teaches 9 different ways to originate consulting for equity deals. Here are 3 you can implement immediately:

1. Convert Your M&A Pipeline

Review your current acquisition prospects. How many have transfer-of-value issues that prevent traditional financing? These become perfect consulting for equity candidates.

Instead of walking away when the bank says no, ask: "What if we structured this differently? I could help you fix these issues while we explore acquisition options down the road."

2. Target Bleeding Problems

Find business owners congregating around specific problems—in masterminds, industry events, or online communities. These owners are already in a "help me" mindset.

Your "buy box" for consulting becomes: Businesses with problems you can definitively solve, where your success would create significant value.

3. Leverage Your Network Differently

Your existing professional network knows businesses struggling with growth, operations, or transitions. Position yourself as someone who helps with these challenges, not just someone looking to buy businesses.

Real-World Structure That Works

Chris's approach creates win-win arrangements with zero risk to either party:

For the business owner:

• Immediate access to expertise they can't afford to hire

• No risk—they only pay for results

• Partner who has skin in the game

For you:

• Monthly retainer fees from day 1

• Equity upside based on performance

• Inside track on potential acquisition

• Multiple income streams from different businesses

The structure typically includes:

• Monthly retainer ($5,000-$10,000+)

• Equity percentage based on value created

• Defined milestones and success metrics

• Option to acquire or exit based on mutual interest

Why This Beats Traditional Acquisition Hunting

Chris identified a critical insight:

Most business owners who've been struggling with growth aren't looking for another employee or contractor. They want a partner.

They've tried hiring before, but it didn't work. So, they need someone who cares about their business success as much as they do. That's exactly what consulting for equity provides.

Meanwhile, you're building multiple equity positions while generating immediate income. Even if only one of your consulting arrangements leads to a full acquisition, you've monetized your journey instead of spending months searching unpaid.

The Post-Acquisition Reality Check

Here's a sobering truth Chris emphasized: Acquisition is only 10% of the journey; the other 90% is integration, growth, and eventual exit.

Too many acquisition entrepreneurs are like lottery winners who go broke—they learn how to buy businesses but have no clue how to operate them. Consulting for equity solves this by letting you prove your operational abilities before making major capital commitments.

Chris shared how his friend recently acquired a pool business with $1.8 million in free cash flow. Despite having seller training and transition support, they're now facing the overwhelming reality of actually running the business.

Consulting for equity gives you this experience in reverse — you learn to create value in businesses before you own them completely (if you ever do).

Starting Your Value-for-Equity Journey

If this approach resonates with you, here's how to begin:

1. Take inventory of your skills, network, and resources

2. Identify problems you can solve that create measurable value

3. Find business owners struggling with those specific issues

4. Lead with value, not with acquisition interests

5. Structure win-win arrangements that align incentives

The most successful acquisition entrepreneurs understand that proprietary deal flow comes from relationships, not just searching. Consulting for equity builds those relationships while generating income and equity upside.

Your Next Move

Whether you're a seasoned acquisition entrepreneur or just starting your journey, consider this:

How many businesses have you walked away from that you could’ve helped grow?

Those aren't failed acquisition opportunities—they're potential consulting for equity deals waiting to happen.

Instead of going straight for unicorns, start creating value. The businesses you help grow today could become the acquisition opportunities you close tomorrow.

Want to dive deeper into consulting for equity strategies? Chris Moore is offering a free training at startgettingequity.com covering his complete framework for finding and structuring these deals.

What's your biggest challenge in finding acquisition opportunities? Hit reply and let me know. We read every response.

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