How Jaryd Krause Became a Location-Independent Acquisition Entrepreneur
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Jaryd Krause started a travel blog more than 10 years ago with the hope of making enough money to quit his job as a plumber and travel the world. Like most people who try to make money online, Jaryd’s first attempt was unsuccessful. However, the desire for freedom and flexibility led him to try another approach, buying an existing online business that was already profitable.
In this interview, Jaryd shares the details of his story and how he became a location-independent acquisition entrepreneur. He also explains his approach, which is excellent insight for anyone interested in buying an online business.
Key Takeaways:
- Jaryd takes a buy-and-hold approach. He doesn’t buy businesses with the intention of flipping them.
- After an acquisition, Jaryd gathers data and focuses effort on doing more of what’s already working and less of what’s not working.
- He doesn’t buy based on opportunity alone.
How and when did you get started buying online businesses?
Back in 2013, I first started trying to make money online by starting a travel blog. My goal was to be able to not need to go back home to my plumbing job that I hated and travel around the world surfing instead.
This blog led me to start an e-commerce business because I wasn’t making much money from the blog. I thought Iโd do better selling travel products. Truth is, I knew nothing about SEO and paid marketing when I started and I sold only a handful of products.
Then I came across the statistic that โ90% of startups fail,โ which led me to think: I need to start eight more businesses to get one that will work. No thanks!
So then I thought, โWhy donโt I buy a business thatโs passed that 90% failure rate, run it, and grow it?โ
So I did, and it worked out. Then, I bought three businesses in three years, quit my job as a plumber, and traveled around the world surfing. Everyone I met was fascinated by my story and life and wanted me to teach them how they could buy an online business, too.
This is how my business of Buying Online Businesses started.
Please tell us about the business you bought.
The first business I bought was a membership business for $15,000. It was a database of wholesalers and suppliers that people who owned or were starting a drop shipping business used to source suppliers and products to sell on their e-commerce businesses.
What are some of your go-to methods for improving the businesses you buy?
My biggest go-to method is not something youโd learn like a marketing strategy or tactic. I like to gather data about the business and the market and lean into doing more of what has already worked well for the business and less of what hasnโt.
Once that strategy is set up with a system that consistently produces a result, then itโs better to move into experimentation mode with a few different strategies to see which works best and then again lean into more of whatโs working and cut off what isnโt working.
The way I think about it is like opportunity cost: Am I spending my resources on the things that are producing the best results? If not, how can I adjust things to make sure I am always getting the best ROI on my resources spent? This even includes my own time working on the business.
Where do you typically find businesses to buy?
Both from brokers and off-market.
Do you buy businesses with the intent of reselling them?
Personally, I havenโt bought businesses with the intent of flipping or reselling. I like to play longer games and reap the benefits of compounding, which also means I look to buy businesses that arenโt short-lived or in non-evergreen niches.
Why do you prefer buying online businesses rather than starting from scratch?
Simple, because 90% of all startups fail. Even the best people I know who are great at starting online businesses say that their failure rate of businesses is around 85%, and they are some of the best in the business.
If my goal is to make money (which is what it was only about when I started), why would I bother starting something when my chances of failing and losing time and money would be so high?
If you just want to make money online, buy an online business. But if you know of a product or service that the world desperately needs and does not yet exist and you are so passionate about serving that audience for 10+ years (and money is secondary), then it might be a good idea to start that business.
Otherwise, buy great businesses, make them better, and turn over a nice profit.
Do you have specific criteria that you look for when evaluating possible acquisition opportunities?
No, not really. It changes for every business and each strategy that’s to be employed for the particular acquisition.
Google algorithm updates during the year have had a big impact on many sites. Whatโs your advice for buyers in the current state of SEO?
Firstly, I want to be clear that I am not a professional SEO. While I have an SEO business and we help scale businesses with SEO, I donโt consider myself an SEO.
That said, most people think SEO is about getting ranked in Google, but thatโs not it. SEO is about creating valuable content (for and on any platform) that leads people to want to stay on your website longer and/or purchase a product or service from you.
For buyers in the space right now wanting to buy a business that has or does rely on organic traffic from Google, they must understand how to properly value that website based on its current traffic and revenue to ensure that if they do buy, they acquire at a fair price, they know what risks they are or are not taking on, and they have a plan theyโre confident in that will allow them to run and grow the business to achieve what theyโre after.
Economic factors have also impacted the market for buyers and sellers. Whatโs your advice related to current opportunities and the associated risks?
Opportunity is infinite. I never buy based on opportunity alone and suggest that other acquisition entrepreneurs do the same.
I feel itโs better to first understand the risks and have a risk mitigation strategy for those risks youโre worried about and then seek to execute other growth opportunities.
Of course, this is my philosophy. I know other investors who buy on opportunity alone. That said, they invite more stress and work into their life and my goal is less work, less stress and a little bit of money.
What advice would you give to someone whoโs interested in buying an online business but has limited funds to invest?
Seems simple, but get funding.
Earn more money, and work out how you can get financing.
Please tell us about BuyingOnlineBusiness.com and what you offer.
BuyingOnlineBusinesses.com is a business that helps people replace their income so they can spend more time doing what they love with the people they love.
We do this by teaching people to acquire online businesses that allow them to live better lifestyles and create wealth at the same time.
Interested in being featured on Flip My Site? We’re always looking for entrepreneurs with great stories. If you’ve bought or sold a website or online business, please contact us about being featured.