Questions owners ask us
Plain answers, no jargon. If your question isn’t here, just ask.
What is a search fund?
A search fund is a small group of people, led by one person, formed to find, buy, and personally run a single company. An entrepreneur partners with experienced investors, searches for one great business whose owner is ready for what’s next, and then steps in to run it day to day for the long term. It is one of the most personal ways a business can change hands: the person you meet during the process is the person who shows up to work in the business after.
Is 11 Point Partners a private equity firm?
No. Private equity firms typically buy many companies at once, hold them in a portfolio, and manage them from a distance. We are doing the opposite: buying one company, and running it ourselves. Our founder, Jake Humphries, intends to lead the business personally. There is no portfolio, and your company would not be folded into one.
How is selling to you different from selling to a larger company in my industry?
A corporate buyer usually buys for synergies, which means the overlapping parts of your business get folded into theirs. Roles can disappear, systems change, and the name over the door often goes away. Your payout is also commonly tied to an earnout or an employment agreement that keeps you there while it pays out. We are buying one company and keeping it as one company. There is nothing to fold it into, and there is a side-by-side comparison of all three kinds of buyer on our home page.
What kind of company is 11 Point Partners looking for?
One profitable, established business with a good team and a good reputation, most likely in insurance services: captive managers, loss control services, temporary housing, or other services that are mission critical to underwriters, brokers, and carriers. Culture and reputation matter more to us than any single number. Just as important is the owner: someone who cares about what happens to their company and their people after the sale.
What happens to my employees after a sale?
A good team is one of the main things we are looking for, not something we plan around. We are buying one company to run it, which means the people who make it work are the whole point. This is not a consolidation play; there is no other company to merge into.
Do I have to leave the business right away?
No. The transition gets shaped around what feels right to you. Some owners sell the whole thing and move on. Some keep a stake and grow alongside the business they built. Some stay on for a season or a year to see the handoff through. All of those work for us.
What does the process look like?
Four steps, at a human pace. First, a brief conversation, kept confidential, to see if we are a good fit for one another. Second, if it is a fit, we put a genuine, investor-backed offer on the table. Third, we work through diligence together, which is as much about getting to know each other as it is about the numbers. Fourth, we work hand in hand on a transition that works for both of us.
Who is behind 11 Point Partners?
11 Point Partners was founded by Jake Humphries, a CPA who grew up working in his family’s bike shop in St. Louis and spent a decade across Deloitte and Ryan Specialty before studying at Kellogg. He is backed by a group of aligned investors who have committed capital to the search. You can read his full story on the About page.
Why is it called 11 Point Partners?
The name comes from the Eleven Point River, which runs through southern Missouri into Arkansas. Jake grew up floating and fishing it, and now lives in Northwest Arkansas, close to where it flows. It is a reminder that this is a personal endeavor, rooted in a real place.
Is a conversation with you confidential?
Always. A first conversation is confidential and never an obligation. Many owners who reach out are just exploring, and that is a perfectly good reason to talk.