You know how opportunity always seems to knock when you least expect it—and often at the most inconvenient time? Well, that’s exactly how this deal went down. On Monday, February 27th, I received a call from Jeff VanDrimmelen, a friend and owner of Van’s Websites. Jeff had some big news: he was getting a promotion at his day job with the University of North Carolina. At the university, he manages a massive network of websites, and his new role meant he would have even more responsibilities. Because of this, he wouldn’t be able to continue running Van’s Websites on the side, and he wanted to know if we were interested in buying his business.

This opportunity was both exciting and daunting. Jeff had built a solid reputation with Van’s Websites, offering hosting services and one-time website projects for various clients. I knew right away that this could be a great chance to grow our own business, but there were some key things to consider before jumping in.

A Smooth Transition for Clients and the Team

Jeff had two main concerns when he approached us about the acquisition. First, he wanted to make sure that his clients—both hosting clients and those with one-time projects—would be well taken care of moving forward. His reputation for delivering high-quality service meant a lot to him, and he didn’t want his clients to feel abandoned or experience a decline in service. Second, he was concerned about his developer, Anas, who had been a valuable part of Van’s Websites. Jeff wanted to ensure that Anas would continue to have regular work and not be left in limbo.

Because of the similarities between our company and Van’s Websites, it made sense for us to take over. Our values aligned, and we already had the infrastructure to support the additional clients. Plus, I knew that having Anas on board would be a great asset to our team, allowing us to continue providing top-notch service to all clients.

Evaluating the Business and Moving Forward

Before making any decisions, we took a close look at Van’s Websites. We went over the books, learned about the client base, and reviewed the assets that would come with the acquisition. Everything seemed to align perfectly. The clients were well-established, the financials looked strong, and Jeff had built a business that reflected our own values and mission. It felt like a natural fit.

So, after careful consideration, we decided to move forward with the acquisition. We put together the necessary contracts and started the process of transitioning the business. However, as life would have it, this opportunity came at a time when I was dealing with my own personal upheaval. My family and I were in the middle of moving four hours south to St. George, UT. It was one of those “worst possible timing” situations where everything happened at once. But given the opportunity, it was a “now or never” kind of deal. We had to move fast.

Juggling Business and a Personal Move

While transitioning Van’s Websites, I was also in the middle of packing up my family and preparing for the move. As anyone who has gone through a move knows, it’s a stressful and time-consuming process. Add in the responsibility of taking over a business, and things got hectic, to say the least. For several days, I was trying to juggle both the move and the acquisition, handling as much as I could from my phone while on the road.

It wasn’t easy, but we made it work. The day we finally arrived at our new home, the cable guy came to set up our internet. That’s when reality hit—I opened my business inbox to find over 70 emails waiting for me! And that was despite my best efforts to monitor and respond to urgent emails throughout the move. As much as I had tried to stay on top of things, there were just too many moving parts to manage everything seamlessly.

Moving Forward with Patience and Persistence

Now that we’re settling into our new home, we’re also working hard to complete the transition of Van’s Websites into our business. There’s still a lot to do, and we appreciate the patience of both our new and existing clients as we manage this process. It’s been a whirlwind, but we’re committed to making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

If you’ve reached out to us recently and haven’t heard back yet, please know that we’re working around the clock to get through the backlog. We’ve been putting in 12-hour days to ensure that all our clients are taken care of, and we’re hoping to be back to a more manageable pace soon. Within the next week or two, we should have everything running smoothly and be fully on top of things.

A Bright Future Ahead

Despite the chaos of the last few weeks, we’re excited about the future. Acquiring Van’s Websites is a big step forward for us, and we’re confident that this expansion will allow us to serve even more clients and continue growing. Jeff’s clients will be in good hands, and we’re thrilled to have Anas as part of our team. The timing may not have been ideal, but sometimes the best opportunities come when you least expect them. We’re ready to take this new challenge head-on and continue providing the exceptional service our clients have come to expect.

Thank you for your support and patience during this transition. We look forward to serving you even better in the future!

I want to thank Jeff and Debbi VanDrimmelen for giving us this opportunity and working so closely with us on the transition. I also owe a lot to Kurt, for keeping the FiddlerStudios (now rebranded to wpXPRESS) fires burning while I moved, and to our awesome new developer Anas, for supporting Van’s Websites clients during that same time. My wife Jill has been amazing, being supportive in-spite of not seeing me for 14-plus-hours each day.

I’ll post more information on what his means for all our clients, both from FiddlerStudios and Van’s Websites, soon.