Abe Garver – The latest M&A

1:13 – Abe outlines his plans to discuss three topics in today’s podcast. First is his lunch conversation with an IT Nation member, which he thinks would be very helpful for the listeners. Second, an update on the overall market (acquisition). Lastly, IT Nation on Denver this August 2023. 5:26 – Abe shared a slide of the lunch conversation. He explains that in just 3.5 years, there are already 73 parties now involved and it includes 11 platform investments. 7:46 – The guest talks about the Modes Theory™. Robb does a follow-up to what is the Modes Theory™ about and what it is for. He emphasizes that one best aspect of the Modes Theory is that, you can have your leadership team take the assessment which means you can see and understand where your people are coming from.  12:50 –  “Organic growth is more valuable than M&A growth”, Abe emphasizes. Although he himself is an m&a advisor, he advocates organic growth. The business should have and focus on its secret sauce and grow organically, then later venture into m&a.  He urges that these three should be satisfied: the business core, the best customers, and use m&a to help complement the first two strategies.  17:01 – Brian raises the question about vertical shifting. Abe gives advice and expands on how important having deep expertise in whatever vertical you are in.  20:51– Robb clarifies Abe’s early statement in which the latter says that having 20% growth than a good profit is better. Abe explains further and discusses his previous point. 25:16 – To increase valuation, Abe suggests attending peer groups such as IT Nation every year. Lastly, he emphasized MSPs making a strategy to grow organically.   26:40 – Tim talks about how Sales Maturity helps a lot of MSPs during their pre-peer group stage but in the organic growth phase to get up and make an organic sales model