Listen "He Bought 4 Small Businesses with ZERO Finance Experience (Nikolai Dimitrov Interview)"
Episode Synopsis
Nikolai Dimitrov went from pro football to building Unity Investment Partnership, where he buys small, reliable, everyday businesses, paying 3–4× cash flow with seller-aligned structures, and has closed 4 acquisitions so far.We cover his rocky start (including a Facebook group against him), four acquisitions, why “terms more important than price,” post-acquisition reporting, incentives, and how culture and a real CEO will power Unity’s next stage.CapitalPad: the SMB investment platform for accredited investors & searchers. Join now: https://capitalpad.com/ (Not investment advice.)Spacebar Studios writes your company newsletter—strategy, writing, design, distribution. Try it free for 2 weeks. Go to: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquireWe'll cover:00:00 Intro: Who is Nikolai Dimitrov & Unity Investment Partnership00:26 From pro football to acquisitions: quitting and what came next02:04 Why buying companies: passion, team skills from sport06:22 First strategy: veterinary roll-up09:51 Sponsor: CapitalPad (SMB investor ↔︎ searcher platform)10:36 12-18 months with no deal: iterate, don’t quit11:50 First acquisition: 4× cash flow; 25% down, 75% seller-financed13:35 Year 1 reality: building reporting from scratch in a mom-and-pop14:53 “Terms over price”: negotiating when you’re the only buyer17:34 Closing the first deal: proof the model works in CEE18:34 Seller pipeline tailwind: retiring baby boomers in small business19:17 Sponsor: SpaceBar Studios (done-for-you newsletters)21:35 Raising from LPs: doctors, lawyers, real estate pros22:50 Second acquisition; time allocation across businesses23:33 Third deal: dental clinic25:15 Incentives and the shift from deal-making to asset management26:58 What a “good deal” looks like; buying right at low multiples32:31 Growing the portfolio: sector differences, ops cadence33:59 Diversified vs focused holdco: trade-offs in reporting & speed35:10 Holdco vs fund: why avoid a limited-life vehicle (for now)37:55 Best advice: a few winners drive returns (Buffett lesson)Support our Sponsors:CapitalPad: https://capitalpad.com/SpaceBar Studios: https://www.spacebarstudios.co/inquireSubscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5gSubscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.
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