Join Joel Palathinkal as he chats with Sam Mahmood, an expert in small business investments. They discuss investment selection criteria, the importance of building a board, and learning about new industries. Discover support services vital for growth, lessons in deal-making, and opportunity spotting. The episode covers creative financing, ideal founder profiles, and strategies for addressing business gaps. Learn about the role of fractional CFOs, advanced staff roles, and best practices in analytics. Explore emerging sectors, employment trends, and compare holding company structures with funds. Wrap up with insights on exit strategies, wellness advice, and final investment tips. (0:00) Introduction and guest background (1:26) Investing in small businesses and selection criteria (7:13) Building a board and learning new industries (10:34) Support services for business growth (12:52) Lessons in deal-making and identifying opportunities (17:34) Creative financing and founder profiles for acquisitions (24:05) Gaps and expansion strategies in business acquisitions (29:26) Fractional CFO services and advanced staff roles (32:25) Analytics, reporting, and roll-up best practices (37:31) Emerging sectors and successful model replication (42:23) Employment trends, holding company structure, and fund comparison (46:23) Exit strategies for holding companies and wellness advice (49:20) Final investment tips and closing remarks