Richard Wilson: defining the daycare search before contacting owners

Richard used a hypothetical search for daycare centers in Idaho to explain how a buyer could define a finite research universe.

The geography was only the first limit

His example narrowed the search to selected cities and added criteria such as operating history and customer reviews. A researcher could then identify the businesses meeting those conditions. The list followed a definition of the desired asset.

The research supported a later conversation

He described gathering company names, relevant executives and contact details before sending a concise expression of interest. The point is the order of the work: define the candidate business, build the list, then contact its owner. The module does not identify real daycare businesses as acquisition targets.

In Richard C. Wilson's words

"you create a database of those, let's say, 49 daycare centers." (Richard C. Wilson, How to Start a Family Office mini-series)

How to use this

Write the geographic and business criteria before compiling a target list.
Mark Richard's daycare example as hypothetical when discussing its candidate count.

Questions and answers

Was Richard identifying actual daycare targets?

No. He introduced the niche as a hypothetical example.

What came before the list?

Criteria covering geography and characteristics of the desired businesses.