In this week's issue...
What I saw at the SEETA Conference
As I mentioned this morning on LinkedIn, I just got back from SEETA... the Southeast Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Conference at Duke Fuqua
If you have not heard of ETA: it is the world of buying an existing small or mid-sized business instead of starting one from scratch. In attendance were Searchers (those who look for business to purchase), Operators (those who run the actual business) and Investors (who can back Searchers and/or provide capital for the business purchase)
What struck me: the second you say what ERC does, the room gets it
In that world a dollar saved is not a nice-to-have. It is a dollar of profit. That dollar can:
grow the business
pay down debt and/or
go out as a dividend
And when the company exits, that profitability often rides a multiple... think 5x to 8x on earnings. So lowered costs not just help this year's P&L… it compounds into enterprise value
If you are in the ETA orbit... or you work with people who are... and you want to talk expense reduction in that frame, grab 15 minutes. I am curious what you are seeing 😊
Catch up: John Barrows on LinkedIn sales
No new recording this week, but worth a revisit:
John built JB Sales after years training teams at places like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Google, and Amazon. On this episode we dug into:
ICP first... before the tools
AI for research and personalization, not spam
Sequences that earn a reply
Content that builds trust before you ask for the meeting
Cold outreach got harder. Buyers got pickier. This one is still the playbook I send people
More of the series: ERC Podcast: Grow Smart, Run Lean
Bring Your Bill Soft Launch this Thursday!
One more push 😊
This Thursday, Sept 24, 2026 · 6–8pm… come anytime!
@ THE GALLERY · 2 N Passaic Ave, Chatham, NJ
Co-hosted by Michael J Design
Come have a drink. Bring a bill. See what you are overpaying.
Drop a statement, contract, or service agreement. You’ll get our feedback in 2–3 days. Free. No obligation 👍
Soft launch of a cadence... Chatham is night #1
Can't make it to Chatham?
You can still get eyes on that bill and claim your free review 😊. Upload your document at bringyourbill.com/upload.
Onwards and Upwards,
Joe Lapscher
Partner, ERC
Why you're getting this:
You're receiving this because we've met at a networking event, worked together, or signed up for my newsletter online, which I really appreciate.
I send 2-4 emails a month with practical thoughts on expense reduction, plus the occasional heads-up on something like this webinar. I respect your time and inbox.