Jeremy Ecker, CEO of Rest Easy Pest Control, describes growing his business through 16 acquisitions over 12 years in the New York Metro market. Recorded at Pest World 2024, he covers how he sourced deals, built seller relationships, and integrated small acquisitions (roughly $60K–$600K in revenue), including challenges like pricing mismatches, customer retention, and a hard-learned lesson about non-solicitation agreements for technicians. # Channel Identity Observations — Video: "Scaling Through Small Acquisitions: 16 Deals in 12 Years" ## Format & Presentation - **Interview/conversation format**: The video is a two-party dialogue, with the host interviewing an acquisition-focused business owner. Evidence: repeated host prompts like *"what are some of the learnings you've had from do and deal some of the dos and don'ts"* and *"what are some other lessons you might have learned."* - **Prior relationship with guests**: The host references a past interaction: *"I remember the first time we ever chatted some years ago the first thing you said to me was..."* — suggesting a returning-guest or industry-network format. - **Focus on home-services / trade businesses**: Discussion centers on technicians, trucks, service jobs (e.g., Amazon Local jobs for "$29.99"), and geographies like **New York Metro, Long Island, Westchester, and the Poconos**. ## Intended Audience - **Small business owners and acquisition entrepreneurs**, particularly in service industries: - Deal-sourcing advice is discussed at a peer level: *"do your technicians your employees have non-solicit agreement[s]..."* - Topics like non-solicitation clauses, transferability, and customer retention assume an audience interested in **buying or selling small service businesses**. ## Claimed / Demonstrated Scope - **Guest's claims (not channel claims)**: - *"I think we've done 16 in 10 years"* / *"16 and 12 years"* of acquisitions, with revenue ranges *"anything from 60,000 to 600,000."* - *"I've only done great deals"* — a self-assessment, followed by a counterexample he then describes. - **Host's demonstrated expertise**: The host contributes M&A advisory knowledge: *"what we would typically do in order to get a client prep for a sale..."* — indicating the host works with business sellers (broker/advisor positioning), though no explicit channel self-description appears in the transcript. ## Key Content Themes (Observable) - **Deal-sourcing via word of mouth**: *"everyone that I know that I talk to and I speak to knows that I love Acquisitions it's how I grow my business."* - **Lessons learned through deal experience**: - Non-solicitation gap: a technician *"didn't take the deal"* and *"stole business because [we] did not have a non-solicitation with the other companies."* - Integration difficulty scaling: *"even integrating the smaller companies are getting more difficult."* - **Valuation and pricing evolution**: *"How do you value them today versus 10 years ago is a lot different for us."* ## Notes on Evidence Limits - No curated metadata was supplied, so **no channel-level self-description** is available; all identity signals are inferred from this single interview's content. - The transcript contains transcription artifacts (e.g., *"I was offering ,000"*), so exact figures in those passages cannot be verified. # Delivery Observation: Scaling Through Small Acquisitions — Interview Subject ## Overall Format - **Conversational interview structure**: the host asks short questions, the subject answers in extended anecdotes — e.g., "what are the size ranges of these deals in terms of a revenue." - The subject opens the substantive content by recalling a personal history: "I'm glad I did some research cuz I thought about I can never remember." ## Tone - **Candid and self-critical** when discussing mistakes: - "he didn't take the offer and I didn't up my offer... I Pennywise pound foolish he stole business" - "it hasn't come to bite Us in the ass but this time it did so learn" - **Confident about track record**: "I've I've only done great deals" — contrasted immediately with one failure story. ## Vocabulary & Recurring Language - **Deal/acquisition terminology used naturally**: "non-solicitation non compete," "transferability clause," "dollar for Dollar," "house in order." - **Repetition as a verbal habit** (repeated words/phrases within sentences): - "just just trying to grow my business" - "in the old old days" - "smaller smaller companies" - "as we're as we're getting to that next level" - **Conversational fillers and hedges**: "um," "yeah," "let's say," "depends," "kind of raise them as you can." - **Granular dollar specificity** as a teaching device: "$29.99," "$15 bucks," "60,000 to 600,000," "$1,200 take home," "$150 $180,000." ## Teaching Habits - **Story-first, lesson-second structure**: gives a concrete deal anecdote (the technician who refused the offer), then extracts the general lesson: "even in the small businesses... they get their kind of uh their house in order a little bit before we buy." - **Then-vs-now framing** to explain changing practices: - "in the old days it was really simple I would take anything" - "how do you value them ver today versus 10 years ago is a lot different for us" - **Hypothetical figures instead of exact ones** when approximating: "let's say $1,200 take home and I was offering ,000" *(note: one number is inaudible/garbled in the transcript)*. - Uses **geographic specifics** to ground points: "Poconos," "Pennsylvania," "Long Island area the Westchester area." ## Communication Patterns - **Back-and-forth affirmation**: frequent "yeah," "yeah 100%" responses to the host's points, showing engaged turn-taking. - **Self-correction mid-sentence** while refining numbers: "I think we've done 16 in 10 years so 2012 12 years it's about 16 and 12 years." - Host mirrors and validates lessons before moving on: "that's a great lesson actually to learn... unfortunately you learned it the hard way." ## Stability vs. Isolated Moments - **Stable patterns** (repeat across multiple answers): repetition of words, "old days vs. now" comparison, dollar-figure specificity, anecdote-then-lesson structure. - **Isolated moments**: the garbled figure "offering ,000" and the idiom "Pennywise pound foolish" appear once each; insufficient repetition to call them habits. ## Uncertainty Notes - Speaker attribution is inferred from turn-taking (host vs. guest); transcript lacks speaker labels, so some quotes could be misattributed. - Only ~5 minutes of dialogue — patterns like the "then-vs-now" framing appear twice, which is suggestive but a small sample. # Position Record: "Scaling Through Small Acquisitions: 16 Deals in 12 Years" ## Speakers - **Interviewer** — hosts the conversation, asks questions, shares deal-prep advice. - **Acquirer** — small-business buyer (service/home-services company, Long Island/Westchester areas) discussing 16 acquisitions since 2012. > Note: No speaker names are given in the source; identification relies on conversational roles in the transcript. --- ## Deal History and Sourcing - **16 acquisitions in ~12 years** (since 2012), per the acquirer's own recollection: "I think we've done 16 in 10 years... so it's about 16 and 12 years." - **Revenue range of deals:** roughly **$60,000 to $600,000**. - **Sourcing method:** primarily **word of mouth**, not mailed outreach ("I did not" send postcards like his uncle). He signals interest openly: > "Everyone that I know... knows that I love acquisitions. It's how I grow my business... I'm not looking for anything expensive, just trying to grow my business." - He confirms to the interviewer that his opening approach to them years ago was: if New York Metro acquisitions seem too small for you, "don't throw them away... call me." ## Lessons Learned: Deal Protection ### The "biggest burn" — missing non-solicitation agreements - One acquired company had **two technicians**; one refused the acquirer's employment offer (he wanted ~$1,200 take-home vs. an offer of ~$1,000 — figure partially garbled in transcript). - The acquirer calls his own refusal to raise the offer **"pennywise pound foolish."** - That technician **"stole business"** because the acquired company lacked **non-solicitation agreements** with its prior customers. - **Stated corrective:** in future deals, sellers must **"get their house in order"** — including non-solicits — *before* closing. ### Interviewer's corresponding advice - First prep question for sellers: **do employees have non-solicit agreements?** - **Non-competes are "a little bit more complicated"** nowadays, but **non-solicitations of employees and customers** should be signed as early as possible. - Ensure a **transferability clause** so agreements can be assigned to the buyer at closing. - Interviewer adds: it's far easier to get these signed **in advance, before the technician has leverage**. Acquirer: "100%." ### Acquirer's qualification > "The deals have been so small and we've been so successful... it hasn't come to bite us in the ass, but this time it did." ## Lessons Learned: Integration and Valuation Over Time ### Early era — take anything - In the early days, integration was easy because the business had little volume; he even cites doing **Amazon Local jobs at $29.99, keeping ~$15**, just "to get my truck in someone's driveway." ### Current era — integration is harder - As the company has grown, small acquisitions are **more difficult to integrate**. - On a **$150,000–$180,000 revenue** acquisition, he estimates **~20% could be very low-revenue-generating** customers. - **Valuation shift:** ten years ago he could offer **dollar-for-dollar** on revenue; now he must discount because low-value customers churn sooner ("I'm just going to be wasting money"). ## Pricing Observations on Acquired Customer Bases - **Mixed picture — varies by seller:** - A Poconos (Pennsylvania) acquisition had a **different business model** (seasonal/eOM-type work) but pricing **"completely in line with today's pricing."** - Long-standing **one-man shops** (e.g., ~50 years old) tend to be **"significantly underpriced,"** which must be **factored into the deal valuation**. ## Unresolved Tensions / Qualifications Preserved - Deal count is stated imprecisely ("16 in 10 years... 12 years") — the speaker corrects himself mid-answer. - The technician salary figures are approximate and partially inaudible ("let's say $1,200... I was offering $1,000"). - The acquirer simultaneously claims **"I've only done great deals"** and describes his **"biggest burn"** — both statements retained as expressed. # Speaker Attribution & Provenance Record ## Video - **Title:** Scaling Through Small Acquisitions: 16 Deals in 12 Years - **Video ID:** `01a168c8-2b81-7153-8a07-a58a7366395f` ## Speakers & Roles ### Speaker 1 — Interviewer / Host - **Role evidence:** Asks questions, references a prior conversation ("the first time we ever chatted"), describes advising clients on sale preparation ("what we would typically do in order to get a client prep for a sale"). - Appears to be a business broker or M&A advisor based on the client-prep framing — **identity not explicitly stated in the source**. ### Speaker 2 — Guest / Acquisition Entrepreneur - **Role evidence:** First-person acquirer: "I think we've done 16 in 10 years... 16 in 12 years," "it's how I grow my business." - Operates a service business (technicians, trucks, jobs) covering **Long Island / Westchester / New York Metro**; references a Poconos, Pennsylvania acquisition with a different (seasonal) model. - Identity not named in the transcript — **explicit name unavailable**. ## Key Attributed Claims - **Guest:** ~16 acquisitions over 12 years (since 2012); deal revenue range **$60,000–$600,000**; sourcing via word of mouth, not postcards; a technician without a non-solicitation agreement "stole business" after refusing an offer (~$1,000 offered vs. ~$1,200 requested); past reliance on Amazon Local ($29.99 jobs, ~$15 net); low-revenue customers harder to integrate as the company grows. - **Interviewer:** Advises getting non-solicit agreements signed early with a **transferability clause**; notes non-competes are "a little bit more complicated" nowadays. ## Third-Party References - **Amazon Local** — cited by guest as a past customer-acquisition channel. - Geographic markets mentioned: New York Metro, Long Island, Westchester, Poconos (PA). ## Promotional Segments - **None detected** in the transcript. ## Availability & Uncertainty - **Speaker names:** Not provided in transcript or metadata. - **Timestamps:** Not present in the transcript. - **Curated metadata:** None supplied beyond title and transcript. - **Comments availability:** Not stated. I remember the first time we ever chatted some years ago the first thing you said to me was like if you ever see any New York Metro Acquisitions that might be too small for you to deal with don't throw them away yeah call me I want to talk to these guys how many you know since you started that business how many deals have you done so I'm glad I did some research cuz I thought about I can never remember I think we've done 16 in 10 years so 2012 12 years it's about 16 and 12 years and what are the size ranges of these deals in terms of a revenue anything from 60,000 to 600,000 okay so the biggest ones we've done is about 600,000 the smallest one's about 60 yeah and you met these guys by going out to the meetings did you send postcards like your uncle no okay I did not you just raised your hand to somebody who's looking to actually make Acquisitions I did what I did with you right everyone everyone that I know that that I talk to and I speak to knows that I love Acquisitions it's how I grow my business I'm I'm really good at it um the owners that I work with um have great relationships with them so just I think through word of mouth it's it's helped a lot over the years so as as it gets started I think in the beginning was just just talking to people hey do you know anything I'm not looking for anything expensive just just trying to grow my business yeah what are some of the the learnings you've had from do and deal some of the dos and don'ts because I'm sure you you you've seen both sides of it yeah the biggest so I've I've only done great deals and I'd say almost one of the last few deals that I've done was my biggest burn where there was one technician who was they had two technicians so most of the companies are small so they have a few technicians they had two and one of their technicians didn't take the deal I offered them which would have been sign the paper you work for me non-solicitation non compete he didn't take the offer and I didn't up my offer cuz he wanted let's say $1,200 take home and I was offering ,000 and I Pennywise pound foolish he stole business um because did not have a non-solicitation with the other companies so that's something I learned even in the small businesses when the next time I do my deals we're going to make sure that before I go in and before like as we're going through the uh process is that they get their kind of uh their house in order a little bit before we buy so that's one of the big lessons I've recently learned yeah I mean you gra a you raise a really good point I mean what we would typically do in order to get a client prep for a sale is one of the first questions I ask is do your technicians your employees have non-solicit agreement right correct you know nowadays non-competes are a little bit more complicated but if you have a non-solicitation of employees and customers you want to get that thing signed as soon as you possibly can and make sure that there's a transferability clause in it that way ultimately if you sell your business somebody like you buys it you can get that assigned to you right yeah um it's it's a it's a lesson that I didn't know before but now I do know again the deals were have been so small and we've been so successful um with with what we've done done it hasn't come to bite Us in the ass but this time it did so learn yeah it's obviously a lot easier to get the owner to get that signed and advance and when the technician has a ton of Leverage yeah 100% yeah what are some other I mean that's a great lesson actually to learn what are some unfortunately you learned it the hard way but what are some other lessons you might have learned I think again as I as we get bigger some of the what we're learning now is even integrating the smaller companies are getting more diffult in the old days it was really simple I would take anything in the old old days I would of Amazon Local if you remember if you remember that was you do a job for $29.99 and give half of it to Amazon so I'd make 15 bucks to do a job just to get my truck in someone's drive by so we would take anything it was very easy to integrate anything to our company because we didn't have any business now as we're getting bigger what we're learning is a lot of the small you know if you're buying $150 $180,000 r 20% of it could be very low Revenue generating which in the old days was fine you'd go with it and you deal with it and kind of raise them as you can y so as we're what we're learning right now is as we're as we're getting to that next level is it's harder to integrate those customers so how do you value them ver today versus 10 years ago is a lot different for us 10 years ago I could have offered dollar for Dollar on that now on something like that I have to be more careful because I know I'm going to lose it a lot sooner and I'm just going to be wasting money what do you see with pricing on some of these smaller guys versus what you do uh what they're charging yeah I'm talking about customer pricing depends there some of them are really underpriced um we went and did a job in the Poconos that was a completely different business model from us so that's in Pennsylvania and their pricing model was completely in line with today's pricing right different model they do eom seasonal type stuff where we don't do that over in the Long Island area the Westchester area but well I think with a lot of the smaller smaller companies that have been around for let's say 50 years where it's a one if it's a Onan shop the prices are going to be somewhat significantly lower so you have to factor that in