Many local businesses are run day to day by the people who own them. The Owner-Operator Course is for people who want to buy one of these businesses when the owner retires, and run it for the long term.
Over eleven weeks, you work one-on-one with a Q&R partner to decide what kind of business to buy, why you’re the right owner for it, and how you’ll find it.
What you’re prepared to give to it, and what your life needs from it.
Where your experience gives you an edge as an owner, and who you’ll want around you to cover the rest.
Which industries fit you, what makes a business worth buying, and what could go wrong after you own it.
How local businesses change hands, how deals get paid for, and why finding one locally runs more on relationships than listings.
You finish with a written plan: the kind of business you’re looking for, and how you’ll go find it.
A short application about your background and why you want to own a business.
A conversation with our team about your goals and timing.
We let you know whether you’re in. Each start takes up to 10 people.
An hour one-on-one with a Q&R partner each week, with reading and work in between on your own schedule. Drop-in office hours each week if you get stuck between sessions.
You walk through your plan with Q&R partners. If you’d like an outside read, we can bring in an experienced owner or operator you’re comfortable with.
You leave with a plan to act on, on your own timeline. We stay available for support as you start looking.
Leads the Course and works with each participant every week. At Q&R, he sources and evaluates local businesses for acquisition. Before that, he co-founded INVANTI, a venture studio and investment firm, where he worked closely with founders to start and grow companies.
LinkedInJoins participants at key points along the way. She has spent 20+ years in Fortune 500 operations, executive search and private equity, assessing and placing senior leaders.
LinkedInNo. All of your work with us is one-on-one, and we don’t share who’s in the Course.
No. It’s built for people working full-time. Plan on a few hours a week outside your session.
No. You’ll finish knowing what you’d buy and how you’d find it. When you act on it is up to you.
$5,000.
Yes. Use the “Talk first” form below.
Applications close December 11, 2026. Up to 10 people per start. Everything you send us stays confidential.