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3: M&A Zing (Ep. 3) – Buy, Build, and Broker: Lessons from Charlie Norton’s Journey
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Welcome to Episode 3 of M&A Zing—a weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders in the UK and Europe. In this episode, we’re talking buy-and-build strategies, distressed acquisitions, and the ups and downs of leveraged deals with special guest Charlie Norton, founder of Vamos Business Transfer.
*Episode Timestamps**
[00:00] Introduction & Welcome
[00:44] Meet Charlie Norton (Vamos Business Transfer)
[03:14] Charlie’s Early Acquisition at Age 18 & Jumping into Business Over University
[07:06] A Fully Leveraged Buyout at 22—Successes & Lessons Learned
[13:22] Buying the Same Company Twice (…and Selling It in Between)
[16:35] Ambitious Buy-and-Build: Acquiring 6 HGV Training Schools
[18:50] The Worst Acquisition: A £1 Deal Gone Wrong
[27:40] The Unexpected Group Exit—Turning a Bad Deal into a Good Outcome
[30:25] Transition to M&A Advisory: Why Charlie Founded Vamos Business Transfer
[34:18] Trends in M&A: Deferred Payments, “No-Money-Down” Deals, and Sector Focus
[36:08] The Future of Vamos & Charlie’s Parting Advice
[37:12] This Week’s M&A News
• Astra Holding Group’s 2nd Acquisition
• Vericor Capital’s Fundraise Close
• LBS & IESE’s 6th Annual Student-Led ETA Conference (28 March)
*Guest Bio: Charlie Norton*
Charlie Norton is the founder of Vamos Business Transfer, a sell-side M&A advisory firm based in Essex. With over 14 years of buying, selling, and building companies—from transport training to multiple buy-and-build strategies—Charlie has experienced both the highs of fast growth and the lows of distressed deals. Now, he’s using that experience to help business owners value and sell their companies in a more honest, hands-on way.
---
### About M&A Zing
Hosted by:
- *Gareth Hawkins* – CEO & Co-Founder of BizCrunch (exited founder, M&A investor)
Each week, we dive into the real-world challenges of SMB M&A—especially in the UK and Europe.
---
### Join the BizCrunch Community
If you’d like to attend these livestream recordings (and access our exclusive post-show Q&A), sign up here: [Your Community Link]
As a member, you’ll get:
- Early access to each episode
- Live Q&A with hosts & guests
- Networking with other acquisition entrepreneurs, investors, and operators
---
### Featured News
- *Astra Holding Group* acquires Acorn MPS, marking its second deal after Interdoor UK.
- *Alison Stuckless* closes the fundraise for *Vericor Capital* and kicks off her search.
- The *6th Annual LBS & IESE Student-Led ETA Conference* is coming up on 28 March at Nuffield Hall in London. Tickets just went live!
---
### Thanks for Watching!
If you enjoyed this episode, please *like*, *subscribe*, and turn on notifications. Got questions? Drop them in the comments—or better yet, join our community for the private AMA.
*#MergersAndAcquisitions #SearchFunds #Entrepreneurship #BizCrunch #Dealmakers*
*Episode Timestamps**
[00:00] Introduction & Welcome
[00:44] Meet Charlie Norton (Vamos Business Transfer)
[03:14] Charlie’s Early Acquisition at Age 18 & Jumping into Business Over University
[07:06] A Fully Leveraged Buyout at 22—Successes & Lessons Learned
[13:22] Buying the Same Company Twice (…and Selling It in Between)
[16:35] Ambitious Buy-and-Build: Acquiring 6 HGV Training Schools
[18:50] The Worst Acquisition: A £1 Deal Gone Wrong
[27:40] The Unexpected Group Exit—Turning a Bad Deal into a Good Outcome
[30:25] Transition to M&A Advisory: Why Charlie Founded Vamos Business Transfer
[34:18] Trends in M&A: Deferred Payments, “No-Money-Down” Deals, and Sector Focus
[36:08] The Future of Vamos & Charlie’s Parting Advice
[37:12] This Week’s M&A News
• Astra Holding Group’s 2nd Acquisition
• Vericor Capital’s Fundraise Close
• LBS & IESE’s 6th Annual Student-Led ETA Conference (28 March)
*Guest Bio: Charlie Norton*
Charlie Norton is the founder of Vamos Business Transfer, a sell-side M&A advisory firm based in Essex. With over 14 years of buying, selling, and building companies—from transport training to multiple buy-and-build strategies—Charlie has experienced both the highs of fast growth and the lows of distressed deals. Now, he’s using that experience to help business owners value and sell their companies in a more honest, hands-on way.
---
### About M&A Zing
Hosted by:
- *Gareth Hawkins* – CEO & Co-Founder of BizCrunch (exited founder, M&A investor)
Each week, we dive into the real-world challenges of SMB M&A—especially in the UK and Europe.
---
### Join the BizCrunch Community
If you’d like to attend these livestream recordings (and access our exclusive post-show Q&A), sign up here: [Your Community Link]
As a member, you’ll get:
- Early access to each episode
- Live Q&A with hosts & guests
- Networking with other acquisition entrepreneurs, investors, and operators
---
### Featured News
- *Astra Holding Group* acquires Acorn MPS, marking its second deal after Interdoor UK.
- *Alison Stuckless* closes the fundraise for *Vericor Capital* and kicks off her search.
- The *6th Annual LBS & IESE Student-Led ETA Conference* is coming up on 28 March at Nuffield Hall in London. Tickets just went live!
---
### Thanks for Watching!
If you enjoyed this episode, please *like*, *subscribe*, and turn on notifications. Got questions? Drop them in the comments—or better yet, join our community for the private AMA.
*#MergersAndAcquisitions #SearchFunds #Entrepreneurship #BizCrunch #Dealmakers*
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