We purchase best-in-niche, service companies within 150 miles of Lafayette, Indiana. We have closed 12 of 14 signed LOIs. We are presently looking for teams of 25-100 people to join our company. We strive to run the company in such a way that the seller is welcome remain involved indefinitely. This is our home, too.
Selling is a big deal. The last thing you need is an unprepared buyer.
FOUNDERS
Daryl Starr
Mikel Berger
Latest Blog Posts
Words Have the Power to Create
An often repeated, Little Engine Ventures’ value is “confront the facts.” And, one of the facts of life is that integrity is the consistency across word, thought and deed. What is rarely confronted is the power of words to create. As children, we learn that when we cry we often get our way. We polish Read more about Words Have the Power to Create[…]
Develop the Right Kind of Stink
My mother is an artist. My father is a farmer. My father likes to say, “The only thing I can draw is flies.” I like to say, “A wise businessman ought to develop the right kind of stink.” He wants to repel the misfits and attract those that will lay eggs in his pile. The Read more about Develop the Right Kind of Stink[…]
Work-Life Balance Is Wrong
Lots of people say they need work-life balance. They are wrong. People need congruence throughout the various areas of their life. This is not about “balance” on a hanging scale, where “life” dangles from one chain and is equally proportioned to work. These two things are not even the same thing. Are you not alive Read more about Work-Life Balance Is Wrong[…]
Management’s Critical Functions
If a group of people want to achieve something special they require a boss who sets the pace, enforces standards, and demands focus. Let’s break this down a bit. A company is a group of people gathered around an idea. I like this definition because it reminds me of the old saying, “We are having Read more about Management’s Critical Functions[…]
On Being a Serial Obsessor
I have been called a “serial entrepreneur.” I have recently been describing myself as “an entrepreneur turned investor.” This morning, I read a descriptive phrase that better fits the present phase of my life and doesn’t negate my historical experience. I am a “serial obsessor.” I am a serial obsessor. I have recently been obsessed Read more about On Being a Serial Obsessor[…]
2022 Annual Meeting
The partners of Little Engine Ventures are invited to gather. We will confront our progress and blunders over the last 12 months and try to explain how our thinking has evolved since launch and where that may take us on our journey ahead. No questions are off limits. Come early. Stay late. Enjoy our city Read more about 2022 Annual Meeting[…]
Net Promoter Score (NPS) in Baby Boomer Businesses
I have yet to meet a Baby Boomer Business Owner who references their NPS score as passionately as they ought. Why is that do you think? Is it a fad? Is it common sense? I used to think so. For 10 years I assumed it was tech-speak for something I already had and understood. That Read more about Net Promoter Score (NPS) in Baby Boomer Businesses[…]
Onboarding New Employees
In small business land, we make all sorts of errors. The greatest among them is probably our onboarding “processes.” Most of us stink at executing systematically. Why is that? In my 20 years of small business, the number one issue is the leader. Me, myself and I. Today, I consider myself an entrepreneur turned investor. Read more about Onboarding New Employees[…]
Whitepapers at Little Engine Ventures
I have habit of sending long emails from my iPhone. There is a joke that goes, “I didn’t have time to write a short message.” I have started placing in BOLD, the main points. My justification for the barrage is that I want people to be able to plumb the depths of my thinking as Read more about Whitepapers at Little Engine Ventures[…]
Consistency Versus Change
There is tension in business. One of those subtle challenges is determining when to stay the course in the face of opposition and when to change. Also, when do you stay the course when it’s working well, and not change faster (even when it’s really tempting!) I once described myself as an “addict of change.” Read more about Consistency Versus Change[…]