San Francisco Bay Area · Business Acquisition

Brent
Looney

Operator & Acquirer · San Francisco, CA

I've spent 25 years running and building businesses — medical devices, restaurant tech, small business lending. Now I'm looking for one good Bay Area business to buy and operate myself. Not to flip. Not to hand off to a manager. To actually run.

Operator first. Buyer second.

Brent Looney

A family looking for the right business to call our own.

My wife Livia and I live in San Francisco with our two boys, Lucas and Teo — BLLT, if you line up our initials. This isn't a portfolio play or a side project. We're looking for one business to own and run together, long-term.

Before this search, I spent a decade at SmartBiz Bank — eventually as COO. We were the largest SBA lending marketplace in the country. I ran a team of 80 across sales, origination, and marketing and helped put more than $2 billion in loans in front of small business owners.

That job gave me a close-up view of what running a small business actually looks like — the good parts and the hard ones. I watched a lot of transitions over those years. Some went well. Some didn't. I have a pretty clear sense of why.

Now I want to be on the other side of that table.

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We're not looking for something to flip in five years. We want to own a business, run it well, and take care of the people in it.

What we are not

We're not private equity. We're not a search fund. This isn't something we're going to sell in a few years. We're looking for a business to own and run — full stop. Your trucks keep driving. Your team stays. Your name stays on the door.

Livia and I are excited to come see your business, meet your team, and figure out whether there's a real fit. If there is, we want the people who built it to feel good about where it's headed.

On price — we want to pay something fair. Not the lowest number we can get away with. We want you to feel like you got a real deal, because that's the right way to start.

What we're looking for.

01 — Geography

Bay Area, close to home

San Francisco, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Alameda, San Mateo, and Contra Costa counties. We're Bay Area natives and want to be close to the business we're running.

02 — Business Size

$2M – $15M revenue

Annual revenue depending on the industry. We're flexible — what matters most is a healthy operation with room to grow.

03 — Business Profile

Established & structured

10+ years in operation. An established position in the local market. A team that plans to stay. Enough structure that it doesn't live entirely in the owner's head.

Industries we're interested in

Click to expand

Don't see your industry listed? Reach out anyway — the list above isn't exhaustive.

The Owner We're Looking to Meet

Someone who built something real.

Someone who is starting to think about what comes next. Someone who cares about their employees and wants to know they'll be looked after. Someone who wants their business to keep going — not just be sold.

We're familiar with CSLB licensure and comfortable navigating RMO and RME transition structures.

What to expect, step by step.

Direct, honest, and built for continuity.

Straight talk from the start

We'll tell you what we think the business is worth and how we got there. If something doesn't add up in the numbers, we'll say so. If there's no fit, we'll tell you quickly and not waste your time.

A fair price — not a lowball

We want to pay a number that reflects what you've actually built. We're not going to come in low and hope to grind you down in negotiation. That's not how we want to start a relationship.

Serious, ready capital

We're putting in $500K–$1M of our own money, depending on the deal. The rest comes from bank financing and sometimes seller participation. We're not waiting on anyone's approval to move.

One decision-maker

There's no committee, no fund to report back to. You deal with me. When we say we're ready to move, we mean it.

A team already in place

Our transaction attorney, Mark Dittrich of Groundswell Law, specializes in small business acquisitions and has been through this many times. We're not figuring it out as we go.

Continuity — full stop

Your trucks keep driving. Your team stays. Your name stays. We're not coming in to shake things up. We're coming in to run what you've built — carefully.

"Long-term owner-operators. We show up, we do the work, and we take care of the people who built this alongside you."

Brent Looney · BLLT Ventures

Things sellers often ask us.

Get in Touch

Let's start a conversation.

If you're thinking about a transition — even if the timing isn't clear yet — we'd welcome a call. Early and informal is fine. No pressure, no commitment, no broker in the middle. Everything we discuss is confidential.

Reach us directly

Prefer a call or LinkedIn? Use whatever channel feels easiest — we read everything.

Phone 650.759.5142 LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/brentlooney
Everything you share is confidential. We don't disclose anyone's interest in a sale — before or after an NDA.

NDA & Personal Financial Statement available upon request.