Do I have to sell 100% of the company?

No. Partial sales, equity rollovers, and phased buyouts are all on the table if you want to stay involved and keep upside as the business grows.

Will I have to carry the whole deal on paper?

Not by default. We use a mix of seller financing, earnouts, and our own capital depending on the deal. The goal is a structure where risk and reward are actually shared — talk to us about what fits your situation.

Is this private equity?

No. We're operator-led, not a rollup theater with a fund timeline to satisfy. We're small enough to move fast and involved enough to actually run what we buy.

What if my business needs cash just to keep the lights on?

Then an acquisition isn't the right conversation yet. We buy real, operating businesses from sellers who are ready — we're not a bailout lender.

What if I just want a valuation, not a sale?

That's a real starting point. See Deal Diligence & Valuation — plenty of owners start there before deciding whether to sell at all.

Pillar 04 · Acquisitions

Buy, sell, and grow trades businesses after close.

Catalyst acquires trades and home-service companies from owners who are actually ready to sell — and structures the deal so growth, not just cash, does the heavy lifting.

I want to sell my company I want to buy or partner

Operator-led, not a private-equity rollup. We only work with sellers who actually want to sell.

Who we target

Which trades businesses fit the Catalyst acquisition thesis?

We look for trades and home-service businesses with real revenue and an owner who is genuinely ready for a change — not distressed operations that need a cash bailout to survive.

A strong fit looks like

Trades and home-service operators — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and closely related fields
Real, provable revenue — not a story about revenue
An owner who is tired, ready for what's next, or has no clear successor
A defensible local reputation and demand that doesn't depend entirely on the owner's personal relationships
A seller who wants the business — and the people in it — to keep going

Not a fit

Businesses that need an emergency cash infusion to survive — that's a turnaround conversation, not an acquisition
Owners who aren't actually ready to sell, or are just curious about a number to compare against a competing offer
Hostile approaches, cold pressure campaigns, or “buy it whether they like it or not” situations
Businesses where the value walks out the door with one irreplaceable person and there's no path to change that

The part most buyers won't explain

How can a trades acquisition use creative deal structure?

Most acquisition pitches assume a buyer wiring millions on day one. That's not how we work, and it's not the only way real deals get done in small business M&A. Here's what's actually on the table:

Seller financing

You get paid over time out of the business's own cash flow — not out of a check we don't have on day one.

Earnouts & performance-based consideration

Part of the price is tied to results after close. If the growth plan works, you get paid for it — aligned incentives instead of empty promises.

Equity rollover / partnership

You keep a stake in the business and stay aligned with the upside as we grow it, instead of taking one lump sum and walking away from the value you built.

Phased or staged buyouts

We can start with a partial stake or a management agreement and step up ownership over time as trust and performance build.

Growth stack as currency

Instead of a bigger check at close, we bring web, marketing, consulting, and operator coaching for portfolio leadership that raise enterprise value — including CI Web Group to evaluate, brand, and market after close — so more of your price gets funded by what the business becomes, not just what it was.

These are structures commonly used in small business acquisitions — not guarantees, and not a one-size-fits-all offer. Every deal is shaped by your numbers, your goals, and the legal and financial advice both sides bring to the table.

What we bring to the table

What Catalyst installs after a trades acquisition closes

The combination is the point: we don't wait for the business to grow before it pays you. We build the growth in as part of the deal. Catalyst stays the brand hub and operating system — specialized web, branding, and marketing for newly acquired companies is delivered with CI Web Group.

Web

A modern site and digital foundation built to convert — not a WordPress theme from 2014. Delivered with CI Web Group when a newly acquired business needs a real web rebuild.

Marketing & brand

Evaluate the brand, then market the business so demand fills the schedule — SEO, paid, local presence, and the systems behind them. CI Web Group is how Catalyst runs that evaluate / brand / market stack after close.

Consulting

Growth strategy, AI, and ops work inside businesses we acquire or partner with — applied where Catalyst holds equity, not sold as open-market coaching.

Leadership

Operator coaching for portfolio leadership — one-to-one and cohort work for CEOs and COOs at companies where we hold equity. A benefit of the partnership, not a standalone consult.

Post-acquisition growth stack: CI Web Group helps contractors evaluate, brand, and market businesses after close — so the deal has a real demand engine, not a slide deck.

See how this plays out after close →

How we work deals

One practice, four entry points.

Whether you're selling, buying, sizing up a deal, or already past the closing table — there's a lane for where you are right now.

Buy-Side Advisory

How Catalyst sources, screens, and structures acquisitions — and how we help other buyers run the same playbook.

Enter →02

Sell-Side / Exit Advisory

For owners who are ready — or getting ready — to exit on their own terms, with the business intact.

Enter →03

Deal Diligence & Valuation

What the business is actually worth, what's really driving it, and what to fix before anyone signs.

Enter →04

Post-Close AI Integration

The web, marketing, ops, and leadership stack we install after close — the part that pays for the deal.

Enter →

Two doors in

Which side of the table are you on?

I want to sell my company.

A confidential, no-pressure conversation. Bring your real numbers when you're ready — not before.

Start a confidential conversation

I want to buy or partner.

Tell us what you're looking at. We'll tell you honestly whether it fits how we structure deals.

Talk deal structure

Learn the trades acquisition lifecycle before you transact

Start with the Acquisitions & Exit Planning learning pillar, compare the broader nationwide trades consulting practice, or read operator perspectives on the trades business blog.

FAQ

What do owners ask before buying or selling a trades business?

Do I have to sell 100% of the company?: No. Partial sales, equity rollovers, and phased buyouts are all on the table if you want to stay involved and keep upside as the business grows.
Will I have to carry the whole deal on paper?: Not by default. We use a mix of seller financing, earnouts, and our own capital depending on the deal. The goal is a structure where risk and reward are actually shared — talk to us about what fits your situation.
Is this private equity?: No. We're operator-led, not a rollup theater with a fund timeline to satisfy. We're small enough to move fast and involved enough to actually run what we buy.
What if my business needs cash just to keep the lights on?: Then an acquisition isn't the right conversation yet. We buy real, operating businesses from sellers who are ready — we're not a bailout lender.
What if I just want a valuation, not a sale?: That's a real starting point. See Deal Diligence & Valuation — plenty of owners start there before deciding whether to sell at all.