Built by Owners, for Owners: We are Open for Business

Ownly is a new kind of network for business owners, built by owners, for owners. Over the past few months, we have been quietly bringing it to life, taking it from an idea at a coffee shop table to a real company that is ready to launch. It is a joint venture created by a group of business owners who have each built and led companies of their own.

Like many business owners before us, we are hanging our “Open for Business” sign on the door and starting an entrepreneurial endeavor that will undoubtedly be even harder than we expect. There will be early mornings and late nights. There will be good times and bad times ahead, along with many tough decisions, doubts, successes, and failures.

We know what it is like to build a business because we are a company founded by former business owners. Each of our founders has started, grown, and sold a business prior to starting Ownly. We know what you are going through, the weight of every decision, the isolation at the top, and the constant search for trusted advisors. Which is why we might be a little crazy to be doing it all over again, knowing what we know. Here is the thing though, we love being business owners.

We love the possibilities, the drive, the grit, the optimism, the people who become like family, the feeling of landing a big deal, seeing an idea come to life, testing and pivoting, taking ownership, and building something with our own hands. This love of business ownership, and of business owners, is what led us to start Ownly in the first place.

We want to take this moment to memorialize Ownly’s mission and to give you a preview of where we are going and how you can work with us, whether you are looking to grow, borrow, or sell.

The Spark Behind OWNLY

After selling companies, helping guide acquisitions, and spending years working directly with business owners at critical moments, we discovered something unexpected. Our favorite part was not closing deals or hitting revenue milestones. It was sitting across from business owners, hearing their stories, and sharing hard won lessons from our own journeys.

Those conversations about real challenges, sleepless nights, and breakthrough moments revealed a simple truth. Business owners crave honest guidance from people who have actually been there. More than once, partners in transactions told us that we understood the process from a business owner’s perspective and knew what it takes to get things done.

We realized both how much we could help and how much we genuinely loved helping other owners. That realization became the founding inspiration for Ownly.

Our mission

Ownly’s mission is to help small and mid-size business owners succeed on their own terms by connecting them to the right resources at the right time. We're building what we wish we had when we were founding our last companies. 

To do this, we will be building a powerful network of expert service providers for business owners.  100% of our energy, innovation, and focus will be dedicated to making business owners more successful through our network.

We're building what we wish we had when we were founding our last companies

What we’re solving for

Simply put, small and mid size businesses do not have easy access to the expert resources they need, from accounting and lending to marketing, M&A, legal, consulting, and technology development. The service providers that work with SMB and middle market companies are fragmented and difficult to discover, especially if you are looking for specialized industry knowledge or experience with businesses of a specific size.

We know where the pain points are for business owners because we have been there, and we believe Main Street and mid market companies are too often left to figure things out for themselves. Larger companies can call name brand firms for accounting, consulting, or investment banking. Smaller businesses are left relying on personal networks and blind searches to find providers that fit their industry, size, budget, and needs. We know how frustrating this can be, and how expensive it can be when the wrong choice is made.

After more than a decade of building businesses and participating in owner networks like YPO, we have learned that many business owners share the same core needs. We want to provide solutions. Our plan is to leverage our operational experience to make the expertise and services traditionally reserved for large companies more accessible.

Built for Business Owners

Everything we do is designed to create value for business owners. To that end, we will also be launching educational bootcamps, organizing roundtable discussions, hosting networking events, and providing other resources for owners to learn about critical business topics.

We are building the resource we desperately needed, a go to community where business owners can learn from and help each other. We know how challenging and sometimes lonely being an owner can be, especially when the stakes are high. We have had those sleepless nights. How valuable would it be to call another business owner who has already been where you are?

We want to help make that happen. There is no need to constantly reinvent the wheel in each of our own businesses. We should be helping each other overcome obstacles and solve problems. Business owners do not have to build alone. Our community is here to help.

What to expect from us 

As we launch, we will be initially focusing on supporting business owners at three critical inflection points for their businesses:

Grow: Get connected to service providers who can help you with marketing, accounting, or technology development, including A.I. implementation.

Borrow: Work with our lending partner to apply for a loan to fuel your growth or help you manage cash flow.

M&A: Talk with our M&A partner about selling your business.

Our current services are designed to have a high impact for business owners at important moments that will shape the future of their businesses.

As we grow Ownly over time, we will add new service lines and partners, all with the goal of connecting business owners to the resources they need and building a powerful business ecosystem. It will not happen overnight, but over time our network will become a one stop destination for business owners.

Our Partners

We cannot do this by ourselves, and we are not trying to. We are a team of former business owners supported by strong personal and professional relationships. We are building Ownly in partnership with leading industry experts, advisors, and service providers.

This includes more than ten partner companies helping us bring the network to life, with more joining regularly. Together, we are focused on moving the needle for business owners.

If you provide products or services to business owners, we should talk. We're actively building our network of trusted partners who share our commitment to helping business owners succeed. Reach out to explore partnership opportunities.

Ready to Get Started?

If you are a business owner, get in touch. Whether your goal is independence, steady growth, or building a fast growing enterprise, we are here to help.

We are the company for business owners. We know how hard it is to be an owner. That is why we built this.

We look forward to building great businesses together.