📡 SMB Signal: Off-market childcare business, general contractor and architecture firm

Hello, and welcome to SMB Signal by Mainshares! Each week, we spotlight high-quality small business deals, operator insights, and tactical playbooks for buying, running, or investing in Main Street businesses.

🔍️ This Week’s Featured Deals

If you are interested in one of these featured deals, create a Buyer Profile and request access by getting in touch at [email protected].

🔑 National General & Electrical Contractor

Deal Type: Acquisition Opportunity
Location: Winter Garden, FL (with operations across multiple states)
Founded: 2010
Revenue (2024): $12.5M
Cash Flow (2024): $1.6M
Forecast Revenue (2025): $15M (pipeline-driven)

Overview: A nationally recognized general and electrical contractor with a strong foothold in federal and commercial projects. Certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) with 8A status, the company has built a $47M contract pipeline, including work with USPS, the Veteran’s Administration, and national retail brands such as GAP, Hyatt, and Marriott. With high bonding capacity ($20M single / $50M aggregate), lean staffing, and a subcontractor-driven delivery model, the company is positioned to continue its double-digit growth trajectory. The seller is flexible on deal structure to preserve federal contracting advantages. This business is ideal for a veteran with an engineering, electrical, or federal contracting background.

 Why is this interesting?

• Explosive growth trajectory: Revenues grew from $1.9M in 2021 to $12.5M in 2024, with $15M projected in 2025.

• Federal contracting edge: Certified MBE, SDVOB, DBE, CBE, SBE, and 8A status; preferred contractor for multiple federal agencies.

• Large, sticky client base: National relationships with USPS, VA, GAP, Hyatt, Panera, and YUM Brands.

• High bonding capacity: $20M single project / $50M aggregate bonding supports large-scale work.

• Flexible transaction options: Seller open to structured deals to maintain certification advantages or outright acquisition.

• Strong backlog & pipeline: $47M in secured contracts with an additional $22M pending bid.

🔑 Off-Market Established Childcare & Early Learning Center

Deal Type: Acquisition Opportunity
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Founded: 2002
Revenue: ~$2.5M or higher
Earnings: ~$1.5M or higher

Overview: A long-standing childcare and early learning business serving families in the Phoenix metro for 20+ years. The center generates consistent revenue and strong cash flow, supported by an established reputation in the community and decades of operating history. Tax returns show significant earnings with further upside potential for a buyer to modernize operations, refresh marketing, and expand enrollment.

Why is this interesting?

• Established brand: Operating since 2002 with a strong community presence.

• Essential service: Resilient childcare sector with steady demand.

• Prime location: Phoenix MSA is one of the fastest-growing metros in the U.S.

📈 Scalable Architecture & Design Firm Poised for Expansion

Deal Type: Acquisition Opportunity
Location: Texas
Founded: ~35 years ago
Revenue (2024): $5.9M
Adjusted EBITDA (2024): $3.2M

Overview: A highly profitable, asset-light architecture and design firm with a 35-year history of public sector excellence. The company serves municipalities, counties, hospitals, and school districts through recession-resilient contracts and repeat engagements. With strong AR, backlog, and secured future proposals, performance has remained consistent year-to-date. The second-generation owner will remain post-transaction to ensure continuity and leadership stability.

Why is this interesting?

• High-margin, capital-light model: $3.2M EBITDA at a 54% margin with low capital requirements, enabling rapid debt paydown and value creation.

• Sticky public sector relationships: Several clients with 10+ year tenure, providing visibility into recurring revenue and resilience through cycles.

• Platform potential: Strategic opportunity to build a Texas- and Southwest-wide A/E platform through organic growth and tuck-in acquisitions.

• Proven operator: The operator brings 25+ years of executive leadership in technology, software, and A/E industries, with multiple exits and PE-backed growth experience.

• Deal security: Debt term sheet secured and early equity investor commitments in place, with a seller aligned through meaningful financial and contractual incentives.

Deal summaries above are for informational purposes only. Detailed financials and confidential information are shared only with vetted buyers under an executed NDA.

🎥 Upcoming events

🗓️ Thursday, September 11
👤Hosts: Christi Loucks, Howdy Sales
🕛 1 PM CT / 2 PM ET
👉Register now

Building a strong deal flow doesn’t happen by chance—it requires a repeatable outbound system and messaging that resonates with owners. In this session, ETA entrepreneur and founder of Howdy Sales, Christi Loucks, shares practical strategies for designing an outbound sales process that connects with sellers and brokers, fills your pipeline, and sets you apart from other buyers.

What you’ll learn:

• How to structure an outbound process tailored for small business acquisitions

• The key drivers that matter most to business owners and how to frame your outreach around them

• Ways to build trust by showing you’ll preserve their legacy, not just their numbers

🎙️ Interview With an Owner-Operator: Distillery Owner

From $2M worth of equipment bought for just $265K to building a team around veterans and experienced distillers, Jordan Griffie’s story isn’t your typical spirits launch. In this episode, Jordan shares how Valor Peak Distillery came together out of a bankruptcy auction, and the systems, culture, and discipline that keep it running like a business instead of a hobby.

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