My First Business Acquisition: Hardware Store

About This Interview

Alison Roylance-White was crowned New Dealmaker of the Year 2022 — an extraordinary achievement for a female dealmaker in a space often dominated by men. In this revealing interview with Jonathan Jay, Alison shares exactly how she acquired a hardware store in Kent without using any of her own money, and the full strategy behind it.

Alison's journey began with clear motivations: financial freedom, the ability to fund her lifestyle goals, and the flexibility to run a business from anywhere in the world. She shares how she approached sector selection, why she initially considered garden centres before landing on a hardware store, and what the experience of completing her first acquisition felt like in practice.

What You'll Discover

• How Alison acquired a hardware store in Kent without using any of her own money — and the financial benefits of the purchase
• Her motivation for buying an existing business: financial freedom, lifestyle goals, and the ability to operate from anywhere in the world
• How Alison approached sector selection — looking at garden centres first before identifying hardware retail as the right fit for her skills and experience
• The importance of following a proven acquisition system and why deviating from it creates unnecessary risk
• Why using solicitors properly is a non-negotiable part of any successful acquisition
• The case for going bigger — why thinking small limits your acquisition potential and how to change your mindset around deal size
• How Alison found the money to complete the purchase, and the financial structure behind the deal
• Practical inspiration for anyone — particularly women — considering their first business acquisition