Sarah Moore: From Zero to Eggcartons.com - A Masterclass in Business Acquisition

Podcast Profile

Guest: Sarah Moore
Host: Shaan Puri (My First Million podcast)

About the Guest:
Sarah Moore embodies the ultimate underdog story. With a troubled childhood that included stints in foster care and juvenile detention, she defied all odds to eventually attend Harvard Business School. The kicker? With zero business ownership experience and not a penny to her name, she bought eggcartons.com—a multi-million dollar specialty packaging company—using nothing but creative financing, relentless hustle, and unconventional tactics that would make even the most seasoned entrepreneurs take notes.

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT

This episode is the business acquisition equivalent of finding a $100 bill on the sidewalk and turning it into a mansion. Sarah Moore reveals her step-by-step blueprint for buying a multi-million dollar company with no money down, no fancy connections, and no prior experience. Her raw honesty about both the tactics and the struggles delivers a masterclass in how grit and creativity can trump privilege and capital in the business world.

💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Money Myth Debunked: Contrary to popular belief, you don't need capital, connections, or an impressive resume to buy a profitable business—Sarah proves that persistence and creative problem-solving are the real currencies of acquisition.

• Industry Agnosticism Wins: Forget chasing "sexy" industries or developing complex theses—established, boring businesses with consistent profits are goldmines hiding in plain sight.

• Volume Trumps Perfection: Success in business acquisition is fundamentally a numbers game—Sarah reviewed 100,000+ businesses and faced countless rejections before finding her winner.

• Free Resources Are Everywhere: From unpaid interns recruited through Craigslist to fake student IDs for library access, Sarah demonstrates how to build an acquisition machine on a shoestring budget.

• Simplicity Closes Deals: Complex jargon and elaborate structures scare away sellers—clear communication and straightforward deal terms build the trust needed to get to the finish line.

🛠️ TOOLS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Eggcartons.com: The specialty packaging business Sarah acquired and grew; sells egg cartons and packaging solutions to both traditional egg producers and unexpected markets.

• Bulk Email Checker: Essential tool Sarah used for validating mass email outreach campaigns when contacting potential business sellers.

• Craigslist: Sarah's secret weapon for finding hungry, talented interns willing to work for experience rather than pay.

• Google Docs: Simple but effective tool Sarah used to organize her outreach campaigns and collect information from business owners.

• Proves you do not need expensive tech stacks to start - STARTING is the key.

💼 BUSINESS IDEAS & OPPORTUNITIES

• Boring Business Gold Rush: Look beyond flashy tech startups to unsexy but profitable industries like specialty packaging, pest control, or cleaning services—where competition is low but margins remain healthy.

• Intern Ecosystem Building: Create genuine learning opportunities with radical transparency to attract ambitious unpaid talent who can supercharge your business search or operations.

• Communication Channel Arbitrage: While everyone else floods email inboxes, stand out by using "forgotten" channels like fax machines or physical mail to reach business owners in traditional industries.

• Cross-Industry Applications: Sarah discovered 40% of egg carton revenue came from non-egg uses—look for products with unexpected applications in adjacent markets for instant growth.

• Crisis Opportunity Mapping: Identify businesses that could experience growth during economic disruptions, as eggcartons.com did during COVID-19 with 5-6x expansion.

📊 STATS & TRENDS WORTH NOTING

• The 5% Reality Check: Of the 100,000+ businesses Sarah's team reviewed, only about 5% were both established and consistently profitable—highlighting why volume in your search is non-negotiable.

• Zero Money Down: Sarah structured her acquisition with a 25% seller note and 75% bank loan, requiring absolutely no personal capital and proving that creative financing can replace cash.

• The 40% Hidden Market: Post-acquisition analysis revealed that 40% of revenue came from non-egg-related uses—a reminder that businesses often contain unexpected growth verticals hiding in plain sight.

• Pandemic 5-6x Multiplier: The business experienced explosive growth during COVID-19, capitalizing on increased demand for specialty packaging—showing how "boring" businesses can have surprising resilience.

• 20+ Bank Pitch Marathon: Sarah approached more than 20 banks before finding one that would count the seller note as equity—illustrating that persistence trumps perfection in acquisition financing.

🔑 ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES

1. Build Your Business Target Database

• Use available databases to generate lists of private businesses within your geographic radius

• Filter out obvious mismatches but resist the urge to over-filter by industry

• Accept that roughly half the information will be outdated or incorrect—it's a starting point, not perfect intelligence

2. Create Your Free Workforce

• Write compelling Craigslist ads highlighting transparency and real-world experience

• Offer flexible hours and meaningful work to attract hungry students and career-changers

• Get creative with resource access (Sarah used fake student IDs to access university resources)

• Set clear expectations and deliverables rather than micromanaging hours

3. Execute High-Volume Outreach

• Generate likely email patterns for business owners ([email protected], etc.). You can also use AI to do this today.

• Validate addresses with tools like Bulk Email Checker before sending

• Create templates that feel personalized but can be mass-deployed

• Don't ignore traditional communication channels—fax machines and physical mail can cut through digital noise

• Use branded items (Sarah used company-branded sweatshirts) to stand out in person

4. Structure Straightforward Deals

• Avoid finance jargon that intimidates non-corporate sellers

• Offer clear price ranges early in discussions to qualify serious opportunities

• Position seller notes as win-wins: they get their price, you minimize upfront cash needs

• Approach multiple banks (Sarah tried 20+) to find one that accepts your unique structure

• Shop the loan as an SBA loan with the seller note counting as your equity

5. Maximize Post-Acquisition Growth

• Resist making sweeping changes in your first year—observe and learn the business fundamentals

• Analyze customer behavior and order history to identify untapped market segments

• Prioritize "sticky" proprietary products that customers can't easily find elsewhere

• Explore adjacent markets where your products could solve different problems

📝 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sarah Moore's journey from troubled teen to owner of a multi-million dollar business isn't just inspiring—it's a practical blueprint anyone can follow. By ignoring conventional wisdom about needing money, experience, or industry expertise, she built an acquisition machine through creative resource gathering, massive outreach, and simple deal structures. Her story demolishes the myths that typically keep would-be entrepreneurs on the sidelines. The episode provides a step-by-step playbook for buying established businesses with no money down, while demonstrating that hustle, creativity, and persistence matter far more than pedigree or capital. For anyone dreaming of business ownership but feeling constrained by limited resources, Sarah's approach proves that the barriers to entry are far more psychological than practical.