Why boring businesses beat flashy startups

Ask someone to picture an entrepreneur, and typically, they’ll immediately think of someone like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, or someone else disrupting the tech world.

Almost nobody pictures the owner of a plumbing company or an HVAC business.

And the funny thing is…

Those “boring” businesses are actually a much safer, faster path to successful entrepreneurship.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Over 90% of startups fail within five years.

But when you buy an existing business that's been profitable for 5+ years, your odds of continued success flip to over 90%.

If you want to own a successful business, you’ve got two paths in front of you:

1. Path 1: Start from scratch

Spend years building product-market fit, burning through savings, working 80-hour weeks with no guarantee of profit, and hope you’re one of the 8% who survives.

2. Path 2: Buy an existing business

You can be profitable from day one with proven customers, established systems, experienced employees, and predictable cash flow that you can immediately start scaling.

Which sounds like the better deal to you?

(Inside Acquisition Ace, members learn how to identify and evaluate boring businesses that generate consistent cash flow. Want to learn the process for yourself? Book a call with our team here.)

The Opportunity Nobody Sees

Right now, millions of profitable boring businesses need new owners.

Baby boomers own nearly half of all small businesses in America, and they’re retiring at over 10,000 per day. That represents roughly $10 trillion in business assets changing hands over the next decade.

These businesses have been operating profitably for decades (think HVAC companies, accounting firms, waste management, carpet cleaning, landscaping services).

Essential businesses that will exist regardless of economic conditions.

But there aren’t nearly enough buyers who know these opportunities exist!

Most people still think you need to be wealthy or connected to buy a business, so they never even explore it…

Which means less competition and better prices for those who do.

If you’re making (or close to making) six figures at your W2 job…

And you want to become an entrepreneur without the startup risk, buying a boring business might be your best move.

You can structure deals with little to no money down, keep your day job during transition, and own a cash-flowing asset within 6-9 months.

It’s not flashy.

But it works.

If you’re ready to start exploring boring business opportunities…

Join the Acquisition Ace community where over 2,000+ members are learning to find, finance, and close deals on profitable businesses.

To see if you’re a good fit…

👉 Book a call with my team here and let’s make 2026 the year you finally become a business owner.

Onward,

— Ben Kelly