Discussion
Bought a business 18 months ago, already thinking about selling — am I crazy?
LaundryMogul✓March 20, 2026
I bought a small appliance repair business 18 months ago for $180K (2.5x SDE of $72K). It was my second acquisition, done partly to learn and partly because the price was right.
In 18 months I've:
- Increased revenue 35% by adding a simple Google Ads campaign
- Improved margins by renegotiating supplier contracts
- Built SOPs and hired a part-time office manager
- SDE is now around $105K
At current SDE I could probably sell for $260-300K. That's a $80-120K gain in 18 months plus the cash flow I've pulled from the business.
My question: is it too soon to sell? I feel like there's more juice to squeeze but I'm also sitting on a nice return and I have my eye on a bigger acquisition that would need the capital.
Part of me thinks selling this early looks bad — like I'm a flipper not an operator. But the other part of me thinks that's ego talking and the smart move is to take the win and redeploy the capital into something bigger.
Anyone sold a business within 2 years of buying it? How did it go?
6 replies44 views
Replies (8)
MikeBuysBusinesses✓just now
You're not crazy — this is literally the private equity model. Buy, improve, sell, redeploy at a higher level. Nothing wrong with it.
That said, a few things to consider:
- Capital gains tax on an 18-month hold is short-term (ordinary income). If you wait until month 24, you get long-term capital gains rates. That could save you $15-20K in taxes depending on your bracket.
- The buyer will ask why you're selling so soon. Have a clear, honest answer. "I'm redeploying capital into a larger acquisition" is perfectly acceptable.
- Make sure the SDE increase is sustainable without you. If the Google Ads stop and the revenue drops, the new owner will come after you.
LaundryMogul✓just now
The tax point is huge. I hadn't thought about short-term vs long-term gains. Might be worth waiting 6 more months just for that. And the Google Ads are fully systematized — office manager handles them now. Revenue isn't dependent on me.
AlllIn✓just now
I sold a business after 14 months once. No regrets. The capital I freed up let me buy something 3x the size. Don't let ego or optics drive the decision — let the numbers drive it. If the return on that capital is higher in a new deal than keeping this one, sell.
DanTheOperator✓just now
Only thing I'd add: make sure the bigger acquisition you're eyeing is real and not theoretical. Selling a performing asset to have cash sitting around "looking for a deal" can be expensive. I'd line up the next deal first, then sell this one.
LaundryMogul✓just now
Fair point. I have two deals in early conversations — one at LOI stage — so it's not purely theoretical. But you're right that I should have more certainty before pulling the trigger on selling.
EcomEric✓just now
In ecom we flip businesses all the time and nobody blinks. Don't know why there's a stigma in SMB. You bought it, added value, and now someone else can take it further. That's how markets work. Sell it and go bigger.
ecom_manjust now
Do you think its because Ecom has less physical presence ?
ecom_manjust now
not sure why you would sell... is this taking up too much time? seems like a good hold IMHO