The Opportunity Podcast

Empire Flippers
  • 4.6 (25)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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Welcome to the Opportunity Podcast, where entrepreneurs come to learn from real buyers, sellers, and industry experts, the lesser-known growth opportunities to build their online business empires. This podcast series will help you uncover tactics veteran online business entrepreneurs have used to build, buy, flip, and sell their way towards personal wealth. Learn from tech insiders and digital business owners the secrets they've used to achieve their personal & financial goals.

  1. Using Business Credit to Fund Growth and Acquisitions

    3D AGO

    Using Business Credit to Fund Growth and Acquisitions

    Many entrepreneurs leave huge sums of money on the table because they don't understand business credit. In this episode, Ty Crandall, CEO of Credit Suite, breaks down how business credit really works and how online business owners can use it as a serious growth and acquisition tool. We start by unpacking the key differences between business credit and personal credit, and why separating the two is critical if you want to scale responsibly. Ty explains the types of business credit you can access without personal guarantees and what actually goes into a business credit score. From there, Ty walks us through how to identify which business credit cards truly count as credit lines, the four credit tiers businesses move through as they build credibility, and how tradelines function specifically for online businesses. We also dig into how entrepreneurs can qualify for 0% interest cards and when it makes sense to use them. Finally, we tackle how to use creative financing and business credit to acquire companies. We compare SBA loans and revenue-based financing and discuss when each option makes sense for acquisitions. If you're an online business owner thinking about scaling, buying your first company, or simply becoming more fundable, this episode is packed with insights you can apply immediately. Topics Discussed in this episode: How business credit differs from personal credit (04:00) The types of business credit you can get without personal guarantees (06:02) What makes up a business credit score (09:44) How to know which business credit cards count as credit lines (12:43) The four business credit tiers for building credit (15:32) How tradelines work for online businesses (21:25) How entrepreneurs can gain access to 0% interest cards (28:47) Is using business credit risky? (30:47) Using creative financing to acquire businesses (36:48) SBA vs RBF for business acquisition financing (48:39) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter CreditSuite Ty's LinkedIn Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to fund growth and acquisitions without risking your personal finances.

    53 min
  2. Why Founder-Led Sales Kill Growth and How to Scale

    FEB 3

    Why Founder-Led Sales Kill Growth and How to Scale

    No one works harder than a founder, but at what point does being the main salesperson for your business stop being a strength and start becoming a liability? In this episode, remote sales expert Kai Law breaks down why founder-led sales often become a bottleneck and what to do before it hurts your revenue and eventually your valuation. Drawing on his experience building and leading remote sales teams across multiple industries, Kai explains why you need to improve your own sales skills and processes first before expanding your team. Kai then explains which roles founders should hire first to remove themselves from sales, how communication directly affects client retention, and how to reduce friction between lead flow and fulfillment. He also explains compensation models that drive real sales performance and the common hiring mistakes that cause sales teams to struggle. For founders thinking about scale, Kai compares building an in-house sales team versus using a sales agency and explains when each option makes sense. He also shares what to look for when hiring sales reps and how to onboard them so they add momentum instead of slowing deals down. If you want a business that can grow, operate, and hold value without the founder closing every deal, this episode gives you a clear place to start. Topics Discussed in this episode: Boost your own sales skills and process before outsourcing (04:09) The hidden risks of founder-dependent sales (05:48) Communication is key to client retention (08:53) Early warning signs that a founder has become a revenue bottleneck (11:53) The first hires that help founders step out of sales (15:24) The best compensation models for your sales team (17:04) Common mistakes founders make when hiring sales teams (19:44) In-house sales team vs sales agencies (25:26) Mistakes people make when trying to get a sales job (31:56) The biggest habit that will make you a better salesperson (39:49) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Kai's website Kai's LinkedIn Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to build a sales team that will skyrocket your growth.

    48 min
  3. SEO in the Age of AI: What Still Works and What Doesn't

    JAN 27

    SEO in the Age of AI: What Still Works and What Doesn't

    Everyone is rushing to "optimize for AI." Most are doing it wrong. In this episode, Tim Soulo, the Chief Marketing Officer at Ahrefs, cuts through the noise around AEO and GEO and explains why business owners are massively overcomplicating what visibility really means today.  While AI-powered search feels new and unpredictable, Tim argues that the same core SEO principles still apply. Create genuinely useful content for your audience, and the algorithms tend to follow. We dive into how traditional SEO compares to AEO and GEO, and where AI actually changes the game. Tim breaks down how large language models decide what to surface and answers a question many founders are asking right now: how much should you realistically invest in boosting AI visibility before the returns flatten out? Tim explains why creating content purely for AI is a mistake, and how updating existing content, improving clarity, and leveraging social media can increase AI visibility without risking long-term trust. He also challenges the idea that SEO has to be slow, showing how AI can help businesses move faster when used correctly. If you want a practical, hype-free take on AI and SEO, this episode delivers. Topics Discussed in this episode: How traditional SEO compares to AEO and GEO (03:44) Overcoming the pitfalls of AI overviews (06:44) Understanding LLM algorithms (09:42) Analysing how well you rank in ChatGPT (12:46) How much should you invest in boosting your visibility? (19:33) Creating content for people, not for AI (25:34) Using social media to improve your AI visibility (27:34) How to update your existing content to make it more AI-friendly (30:02) Using AI to help you rank faster (38:47) Will traditional SEO remain relevant or fade away? (42:51) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Ahrefs Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to optimize your brand's visibility in the age of AI.

    56 min
  4. Sell Your Business at a Premium by Understanding Buyer Financing

    JAN 20

    Sell Your Business at a Premium by Understanding Buyer Financing

    When many entrepreneurs go to sell their business, they're more focused on their business than on the buyer. Understanding how buyers approach an acquisition, particularly when it comes to funding and deal structure, can help you position your business for the most profitable exit. In this episode of The Opportunity podcast, Greg breaks down how buyers actually think when evaluating an acquisition and why financing plays such a critical role in deal outcomes. While sellers often fixate on valuation, buyers are just as focused on how they will pay for the business and how much risk they are taking on. Greg walks us through how SBA loans can allow buyers to bring more cash to the table, and why small mistakes with these loans by sellers often cause deals to fall apart. He also explores alternative funding options like revenue-based financing and how buyers use leverage and other people's money to acquire businesses more efficiently. The conversation dives into seller financing and earnouts, not as compromises, but as powerful deal-making tools that can expand the buyer pool and unlock higher overall valuations. Greg also shares why setting up a US entity can make your business more attractive to buyers, especially for international sellers. If you're thinking about selling in the next few years, this episode will help you start positioning your business as a scalable, buyer-friendly machine that buyers can confidently finance and pay a premium for. Topics Discussed in this episode: Thinking like a buyer and understanding buyer financing tools (00:52) SBA loans and how they dramatically increase money upfront (03:21) The biggest SBA mistake sellers make and how deals fall apart (04:31) Alternative funding options like revenue-based financing (06:31) How buyers use leverage and other people's money to acquire businesses (08:19) Seller financing and earnouts as deal-making tools (09:53) Why setting up a US entity can dramatically improve exit outcomes (14:34) Positioning your business as a scalable, buyer-friendly machine (16:03) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to make your business 'funding friendly'.

    22 min
  5. Acquisition Entrepreneurship for Digital Businesses

    JAN 13

    Acquisition Entrepreneurship for Digital Businesses

    In this episode, we're joined by Alexander Kelm, an acquisition entrepreneur and founder of a micro private equity firm focused on buying, growing, and scaling digital businesses across Europe. Alexander shares his unconventional path into acquisitions, including how he sold a business before he had even fully started it. He explains why acquisition entrepreneurship can be such a powerful strategy for digital business owners and how focusing on your strengths, rather than chasing every opportunity, dramatically improves your odds of success. For first-time buyers, Alexander offers practical, no-fluff guidance on getting started. He breaks down the most common mistakes new acquirers make, how to find quality acquisition opportunities, and what his due diligence process looks like in practice. The conversation also dives into the European acquisition landscape, where Alexander explains the funding options available to entrepreneurs and the real-world challenges of setting up and operating businesses in the EU. If acquisitions are on your radar as a growth strategy, learning from someone actively sourcing deals, closing acquisitions, and scaling real businesses can save you years of trial and error. Topics Discussed in this episode: Alexander's background and how he sold a business before even launching it (01:42) Why acquisition entrepreneurship is so powerful for digital businesses (09:35) Avoid failure by playing to your strengths (12:24) Alexander's advice for a first-time business buyer (15:58) Common mistakes first-time buyers make (18:09) Finding and vetting business acquisitions (21:25) Alexander's due diligence process (26:50) European funding options for entrepreneurs (30:23) Alexander's post-acquisition growth playbook (34:09) The challenges of setting up a business in the EU (36:44) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Buyout Diary newsletter Alexander's LinkedIn Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn the ins and outs of acquisition entrepreneurship in Europe.

    47 min
  6. Are Conferences Worth Your Time as a Business Owner?

    JAN 6

    Are Conferences Worth Your Time as a Business Owner?

    Most online business owners have a complicated relationship with conferences. Some leave feeling energized and full of new ideas. Others leave wondering if they just paid a lot of money for bad coffee and small talk. In this episode of the Opportunity Podcast, Greg breaks down when conferences are actually worth your time and when they're not. He starts by outlining the difference between attending as a practitioner versus a vendor. Practitioners tend to gain the most from learning new strategies, seeing how others operate, and uncovering ideas that can indirectly unlock new revenue. Vendors have a tougher time finding success. Without a clear plan to justify the investment and a proven offer, sponsorship can be expensive and risky. Greg explains why aggressive selling almost always backfires and why trust, education, and long-term relationship building are what actually drive results. Greg also shares practical advice on how to make conferences work without massive budgets. Most importantly, he reveals where the real value of conferences shows up, not in the talks and workshops, but during dinners, drinks, and informal conversations. If you want a clear, honest take on how to approach conferences and actually make them work for your business, this episode is worth a listen. Topics Discussed in this episode: Assessing the value of conferences for sellers vs vendors (01:25) The real cost and risk of sponsoring conferences (03:54) Getting the best ROI as an event sponsor (09:00)  Where the real business happens at conferences (12:44) Final verdict: Are conferences actually worth it? (18:36) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to get the most value out of conferences!

    23 min
  7. How To Win Visibility in AI Search With Sergey Lucktinov [Ep.199]

    12/30/2025

    How To Win Visibility in AI Search With Sergey Lucktinov [Ep.199]

    AI tools are already answering your customers' questions. The real question is, how do you ensure your business is part of those answers? In this episode, we sit down with Sergey Lucktinov, an AI search visibility expert who has spent more than a decade navigating algorithm shifts and rethinking how businesses get discovered online. Sergey breaks down how visibility works in the age of AI and what business owners need to do to make sure their brand is actually being mentioned, not silently skipped. We explore how AI has fundamentally changed SEO. The focus is no longer on keywords and backlinks alone, but on meaning, trust, and whether your content is eligible to be retrieved by AI systems in the first place. Sergey shares how years of surviving major search changes led him to develop Semantic Retrieval Optimization (SRO), a framework built specifically for how AI systems retrieve, evaluate, and surface content today. He explains how to format content so large language models (LLMs) can easily understand and reuse it, and why AI has quietly leveled the playing field, giving smaller companies new opportunities to compete with much larger brands in search. We also break down Semantic Entity Networks (SENs) and how they fit into modern on-page optimization, as well as the biggest mistakes and misconceptions businesses have about LLM optimization. If you want to understand how to increase your visibility in AI search, this episode is a must-listen. Topics Discussed in this episode: How Sergey developed his Semantic Retrieval Optimization (SRO) strategy (02:35)  How AI has transformed SEO and how this affects visibility (06:18) Understanding how to format your content to suit LLMs (08:29) AI has leveled the playing field for smaller companies in search (13:57) Explaining SENs and how they fit into on-page optimization (17:09) The biggest mistakes and misconceptions about LLM optimization (22:11) Cost optimizations you can use to increase your retrieval rate (24:38) Calculating leads and audience size that come from LLMs (30:38) The future of SEO and AI (32:26) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Semantic Vector Sergey's personal site  Sergey's book about semantic SEO, SRO & AI Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to dominate AI search visibility!

    37 min
  8. Can You Buy a Business Without Spending Any Money?

    12/23/2025

    Can You Buy a Business Without Spending Any Money?

    You don't need to drain your bank account to buy a business. In fact, many of the best deals are done with very little personal capital. In this episode, Greg breaks down how buyers structure acquisitions using financing instead of their own money. There are two buckets of money you can draw from when buying a business: your own personal funds and external financing. One of the most powerful external financing tools Greg highlights is seller financing. This approach allows you to structure deals where the seller essentially lends you the money, often interest-free, and can be combined with earnouts to maximize your buying power without draining your personal savings. Debt isn't always the enemy, either. Greg shares how it can be a friend when structured correctly, but he also warns about the dangers of over-leveraging and how too much debt can make a business fragile. Whether you're stepping into acquisitions for the first time or are a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with practical strategies and insights for buying a business with limited upfront capital. Topics Discussed in this episode: Financing the deal with your personal money vs external financing (03:43) Debt is your friend when buying a business (08:05) Seller financing and earnouts (12:04) Combining traditional funding with seller financing and earnouts (18:14) The more debt you put on a business, the more fragile it becomes (22:28) How brokers can help you get the best deal (25:32) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to buy a business without emptying your pockets!

    31 min
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4.6
out of 5
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About

Welcome to the Opportunity Podcast, where entrepreneurs come to learn from real buyers, sellers, and industry experts, the lesser-known growth opportunities to build their online business empires. This podcast series will help you uncover tactics veteran online business entrepreneurs have used to build, buy, flip, and sell their way towards personal wealth. Learn from tech insiders and digital business owners the secrets they've used to achieve their personal & financial goals.

Information

  • Creator
    Empire Flippers
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    226
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Empire Flippers Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Opportunity Podcast