I was setting up my trade-show booth when the exhibitor beside
me—a young guy about my age at the time—started a conversation
with me. Seeing me wrestle with the various poles and staging
needed to erect my booth, he came over to help. Small talk
aside, he started quizzing me about my little marketing company.
At the time (close to 15 years ago now), I probably had two or
three employees and maybe $300,000 in revenue, so I was
surprised by his degree of interest. He seemed overly
complimentary about the modest portfolio of work we had created.
It turned out he too had a marketing agency, but as he soon
revealed, he didn't spend much time creating brochures or wooing
clients. Instead, he focused on buying small companies like
mine.  At the end of the first day exhibiting, my newfound
friend turned to me and offered to buy my company. I couldn't
believe my ears. After all, we had met only a few hours earlier.
What would this guy want with our three-person shop?  How could
he offer to buy my company without any