They Got Acquired - The long game 🎲

May 30, 2023
​Read on web​

If you’ve been with us for a while, you know we love lean, profitable businesses.

Today’s story is a great example: Julia McCoy sold Express Writers for 7 figures using a contractor-only model.

Over a decade, she grew the agency to $5 million lifetime revenue — without any employees.

She leaned on two full-time contractors and a network of 100 freelance writers to create blog posts, landing page copy, product descriptions and more.

Her advice to founders looking to sell?

Play the long game.

After starting the business in 2011, McCoy knew she wanted to sell around 2017, but she needed a few extra years of solid income to achieve a 7-figure listing price for the agency.

“It was worth the wait,” she said.

Here’s our full story on McCoy's sale:

​How this content agency leaned on a contractor-only model to reach $5 million in lifetime revenue​

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Behind the business (about TGA)

This is the first week of summer in our house! My kids finished school last week.

I was dealing with a lot of anxiety as summer approached. And when I ran the numbers, I could see why...
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Our kids have 12 weeks off.
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We're traveling a lot & have visitors.
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So in total, I'll have 6.5 weeks for work this summer.

We've got some fun adventures ahead! But not much work time. Gulp.

Here are my two strategies for maintaining momentum through the summer:

1. Find extra pockets for work time

This is when it pays to think outside the 9-to-5 box. I'm planing to:

• Take a few days away in a hotel for a a work sprint
• Add a babysitter one evening each week
• Work long days during the week when my parents have my kids (so grateful for that!)
• Tag-team with my husband, who's also self-employed

2. Identify top priorities and let everything else slide

Our content machine is running smoothly, so I'll focus my limited hours on revenue generation: sponsors (give a shout if your company might sponsor this newsletter or our podcast), new reports, and a membership for our community.

My goal is to accomplish *just enough* to feel like the business is moving forward — and then unplug and enjoy the summer months.

I keep reminding myself: we only have 10 summers with school-aged kids!

See you next time,

Lexi Grant
Founder & CEO
​They Got Acquired​
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🙌 How we can help

Here's what we offer for founders looking to sell in the next year:

- A high-level, 1-hour course on how to sell your business​

- Help choosing an advisor or broker you can trust

- M&A coaching if you have a potential buyer or want to approach buyers on your own

- A sounding board (free call) if you're not sure where to start

- Reports full of case studies and data about other founders who sold

- Posts covering the basics of how to sell your business​