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Fast Sales Wins + Buying a Business Story
Fast Sales Wins + Buying a Business Story
Why ___ matters in sales and lessons from buying a service business
Delia Ursulescu
Oct 4, 2025
Growth Playbook: Insights, Tactics, and Tools |
Call Leads Back Within 5 Minutes & Win Big
Want an easy way to grow sales? Call new leads right away. Not tomorrow. Not in an hour. Within 5 minutes of them signing up.
Harvard found that this one move boosted sales by nearly 4x. No new ads. No extra meetings. Just faster follow-up.
If you don’t have the staff, you might consider using an AI agent or hiring someone. The extra sales will cover the cost.
One tip. One minute. That’s it. |
Local Business Spotlight |
What We Learned from Buying a Hood Cleaning Company
These two entrepreneurs found ProClean the way many people do—on a site like BizBuySell.
The numbers looked workable: the cash flow could cover an SBA loan, and the business had steady clients.
But buying a business is never as simple as the spreadsheet.
“The seller was asking 3.5x profit,” Delia remembers. “But he was still pretty involved in the business, so I wasn’t willing to pay that much. We negotiated down to a 2.2x multiple. That’s about where I’m comfortable if the owner is still involved in the business (doing 15-25+ hours a week of work).”
The seller gave them 60 days of training, which was a big help. But the transition wasn’t smooth.
Within weeks, accounts started slipping away because the manager wasn’t showing up for client meetings or keeping the schedule. One account with 5 locations walked away completely.
In the first week, a crew mistake cost the business $5,000 and another client.
And because customers were slow to pay, cash flow became tight.
“There were days in those first 90 days where payroll and bills felt like a mountain,” Sandu said. “It took several months before we finally felt like we could breathe.”
The hardest decision came around the 90-day mark: firing the manager. “We were afraid,” Delia admits. “What if we couldn’t do this without him? But keeping him was costing us accounts. In the end, it was the right move.”
They took over scheduling, estimates, inventory, and finances themselves. At the same time, Delia joined a community of other hood cleaners and even got certified. “If you’re buying a business in an industry you don’t know, find a group of owners and join it. There’s a group for everything now. Those relationships saved us,” she says.
Today, ProClean is on firmer ground. There’s still plenty of work to do, but one thing has become clear: customers care that they show up, do the job right, and fix mistakes when they happen.
“Restaurant owners just want to know you’re legit,” Delia said. “They want to trust you’ll take care of them. That’s what we’re building.”
If you’re starting or buying a business, don’t overlook insurance costs, especially for more dangerous jobs (like getting on the roof).
“Our insurance for this type of specialized service is much higher than what the previous owner paid. Rates have gone up, and fewer companies cover hood cleaning in California," Delia shared.
Lessons & Tips for Business Owners
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Local Metrics |
In a new study by Clarify Capital, Sacramento County, CA just ranked as the #1 county in America for small business growth in 2025.
The report, called the SMB Surge Index, analyzed the 100 most populous U.S. counties using Census and BLS data.
Sacramento stood out with a 250% increase in business applications over the past 10 years.
Takeaway: Our area isn’t just growing—it’s leading the way in entrepreneurship nationwide. |
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Pause Coffee House: a place where people can pause, reflect, connect, or work, in a warm and inviting environment.
Check out their three locations: Fair Oaks, Rocklin, or Loomis.
They serve craft coffee, teas, and a selection of breakfast and lunch bites (think: avocado toast, bagel sandwiches, pastries, and more).
(Btw, the seasonal crepes are our favorite items. Check them out!) |
Growth Mindset Corner |
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Helpful perspective on life and business! |
Local Happenings | ||
Upcoming Events |
Networking Event: BizLink Alliance with OsteoStrong |
An evening of connections and collaboration, hosted by BizLink Alliance and sponsored by OsteoStrong Rancho Cordova. Meet entrepreneurs, business leaders, and community professionals in a relaxed setting to build relationships, share ideas, and discover new opportunities.
Cost: Free, but registration required Date/Time: Thursday, October 9, 5-7pm
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October 17: Placer Valley 2025
Placer Valley, the region’s largest business summit, returns on October 17, 2025 at Bayside Church (10000 Alantown Dr.). The full-day event runs 8:00am–4:00pm and brings together South Placer’s business and economic leaders.
What to expect:
Tickets: Member $95 | Non-Member $125
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October 22: Rising Stars Showcase Sacramento’s Next Big Startups
An afternoon of startup pitches, spotlights, and networking at UC Davis Aggie Square. Founders will compete for $50,000 in funding, with features from WindHarvest International, LiCap Technologies, and CleanStart’s latest Deep Dive Accelerator cohort.
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Highlights:
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