100 Small Business Deals in 2 Years: Why Main Street Summit 2025 is a Must-Attend Event

Two years ago, I attended one of the most fun conferences I've attended – Main Street Summit in Columbia, Missouri. Columbia isn't the most common destination for a conference, which is part of the reason, in my opinion, that it attracts a special type of person. Main Street Summit attracts a special type of person… the type of person who is truly passionate about small business in America and has the grit that you need to be able to win in the space.

I have found myself at other conferences being bombarded by software providers and having superficial conversations with folks who are only there because their boss told them to go. At Main Street Summit not only did I meet truly engaged folks, but I also caught up with all the people in the space that I had been talking with or following online for years leading up to the event from Mathias Smith, Eric Pacifici, Reg Zeller, Chris Williams, Clint Fiore, and a bunch of other great folks.

When I was in Missouri two years ago, Baton was still in its early stages. While our mission to make small business ownership accessible to all remained unchanged, we were still refining our approach. I was managing around 60 deals personally, and we had just started developing the software that would eventually enable us to be closing 1-2 deals per week now and many more in the future. Today, Baton boasts a remarkable team and advanced software that is ready to scale.

Last time at Main Street, while I might have had some interesting opinions about how we use technology to improve the process of buying and selling a business, I didn’t have as much to offer in terms of battle-tested experience and as much success as some of my other friends and speakers. 

Returning as a speaker this year is a goal achieved for me not because I want people to listen to me talk (which I admit, is always fun) but because we learned a lot in the past 2 years and I want to share it with folks who are setting out on the journey of operating a small business with an exit in mind or buying businesses. We work with hundreds of business owners each month, even if they aren’t actively selling, and have some fascinating insights that I can’t wait to share. 

If you have questions about Main Street, let me know and or if you’re already convinced, you can sign up to attend here! Drop me a line if you're going to see you there.