Family offices find direct deals through four routes: introductions from the family's network, brokers and M&A advisors, deal networks, and their own company research. The offices that see good deals write a short brief first. It says control or minority, who runs the company, and how much capital is committed. They also name one person who answers every opportunity.
Write a brief a stranger could act on
Answer three questions on one page. Will the family buy control, take a minority stake, or invest beside a sponsor? Who runs the company after closing? What can the investment team approve without going back to the family?
Suppose the family already owns a distribution company and wants service businesses that sell to the same customers. That is an add-on search, and the add-on acquisition guide covers it. A family that wants passive minority stakes needs a different brief and different sources.
Say how much capital is committed and how much you would still need to raise. Separate the two. A broker who cannot tell them apart will not send you the deals that fit.
Know which sources find companies and which find deals
A company database answers "Which businesses fit?" A deal network answers "Which businesses are for sale?" You need both, and neither replaces the other. A great company may never sell. A live deal may miss your brief.
Axial matches opportunities to buyer preferences and delivers them by email and in the member account. That is deal distribution. Company research is different work: your team finds the owner and starts the conversation.
- Company research: find businesses by activity and location, then confirm each one on its own site.
- Deal networks: screen deals from brokers and advisors against your brief.
- Relationship tracking: log introductions, calls, and promised follow-ups.
- Data rooms: organize documents once access is agreed.
Ask for introductions the right way
Accountants, attorneys, operators, and advisors in your target sectors make the best referral sources. Ask each one for a specific introduction. Write the request so it can be forwarded as is, without exposing anything private about the family.
Axial's 2023 list of active family offices shows which offices were using its network that year. Use it to see how peers source deals, not as proof of who is buying today.
Tell the same story everywhere. Your profile, your emails, and your calls should state the same capital, control, and operating role. A broker who hears two versions sends fewer deals. The broker deal-flow guide covers what to send intermediaries.
Name who reviews each deal before you add sources
The common failure is not too few deals. It is deals that sit in a shared inbox because nobody owns the reply.
Name the person who reads new opportunities and the person who approves the next step. They can be the same person, but write both names down. Set a reply deadline.
Direct deal log (one row per opportunity)
- Source: advisor, referral, own research, or network, plus the contact
- Deal type: control, minority, or co-investment
- Reviewer and approver: two names, even if they match
- Capital: available, conditional, or still to raise
- Decision date: when you will say yes, no, or send questions
After a quarter, look at what each source produced. Do that before you add another subscription or ask for more introductions.
Where PrivSource fits: qualified buyers, including family offices, apply for buy-side access and receive lower middle market deals matched to their brief. Say in the application whether you will run the company, keep management, or build a platform. Then screen those deals with the same log you use for every other source.
