Anchor

Anchor

Roadmap

Scale stages from research to a multi-industry practice, and the risks in front of each one. Dark marks are retired. Gray marks remain. Larger marks sit on or near the frontier. The line is the current scale.

Current position, November 9, 2026

Stage 0: research. Pre-revenue. 4 risks are retired and 10 remain. Retired risks are research work: the thesis, the research record, public listings reviewed, and the Texas universe counted. An owner asking for help, and a closing, are still ahead.

Scale stages

A filled node is a stage Anchor has reached. The dashed line is the current scale. Targets elsewhere on this page are targets, not forecasts.

  1. current scale0ResearchNow
  2. 1First mandateSurvival gate
  3. 2First closed dealFirst dollar
  4. 3Repeatable brokerageTexas accounting wedge
  5. 4First acquisitionOwn one
  6. 5AI-run portfolioMargin lift proven
  7. 6Multi-industry + GuamMarianas scale
  • Reached or current
  • Not yet

Stage detail

7 stages. Stage 0 is where Anchor is now.

Scale stages
Stage
0. Researchnow
Tag
Current scale
What it is
Thesis, market sizing, and a research record of public information. No seller has opted in. Pre-revenue.
Proof of arrival
A written market thesis from public sources, and a Texas accounting employer universe sized from Census SUSB 2022.

Targets

  • Target: keep research leads labeled as research until an owner opts in

Gates to clear

  1. 1One owner who states intent to sell and asks for help

Risk frontier

Dark means retired. Gray means remaining. Larger marks are on or near the frontier. The blue line is the current scale. Sizes are qualitative judgments for planning, not measured probabilities.

Risk frontier for Anchor scale stages0102030400 Research1 Mandate2 Close3 Repeat4 Acquire5 AI-run6 GuamAfter repeatable brokerage, risks cap scaleNow, stage 0Thesis sizedResearch recordListings sourcedTX universeTX legalSeller intentOperator timeBuyer financeFirst closeDeal flowAcquire capitalRetentionAI marginPE raceMarket thesis and silver-tsunami sizing. Retired. Qualitative size 8.Research database of deals, buyers, matches. Retired. Qualitative size 6.Public sale listings for Texas accounting sourced. Retired. Qualitative size 5.Texas accounting employer universe sized. Retired. Qualitative size 4.Legal / licensing to broker or introduce in Texas. Remaining. Qualitative size 28.Seller intent (first real mandate). Remaining. Qualitative size 32.Operator time for one live deal. Remaining. Qualitative size 24.Buyer financing that actually funds. Remaining. Qualitative size 26.First closed brokered deal / first Anchor dollar. Remaining. Qualitative size 30.Permissioned deal flow beyond research leads. Remaining. Qualitative size 18.Capital for first acquisition. Remaining. Qualitative size 20.Client retention after sale or acquisition. Remaining. Qualitative size 16.AI / FDE margin lift unproven. Remaining. Qualitative size 22.PE / rollup competition (Thrive, Long Lake, peers). Remaining. Qualitative size 12.Qualitative size, not a measured probabilityStage when the risk is retired, or is expected to be
  • Retired
  • Remaining
  • Larger, on or near the frontier
  • Current scale

Most of the risk that decides whether Anchor gets through a first mandate and a first closing sits ahead of the line.

Evidence that retires each risk

The risk stays open until this evidence exists.

RiskStatusStageEvidence that retires it
Market thesis and silver-tsunami sizingRetired0Primary sources are written down: McKinsey on the ownership transfer, the Census Annual Business Survey on owner characteristics, and Census SUSB on Texas firm counts.
Research database of deals, buyers, matchesRetired0A research record exists, with provenance. Leads stay labeled as research until an owner opts in.
Public sale listings for Texas accounting sourcedRetired0Public sale listings for Texas accounting have been reviewed. A listing is not an owner mandate.
Texas accounting employer universe sizedRetired0Census SUSB 2022 sizes the Texas employer universe for NAICS 5412. The public count is cited below.
Legal / licensing to broker or introduce in TexasRemaining1A written view that Anchor may introduce, co-broker, or advise under Texas rules.
Seller intent (first real mandate)Remaining1One owner states intent to sell and asks Anchor for help in writing.
Operator time for one live dealRemaining2Enough operator time to carry one live deal through close.
Buyer financing that actually fundsRemaining2A buyer clears financing on a real letter of intent, through SBA 7(a) plus a seller note, or with cash.
First closed brokered deal / first Anchor dollarRemaining2A recorded closing, and a fee or success payment to Anchor.
Permissioned deal flow beyond research leadsRemaining3A repeatable path to mandates, such as referrals or inbound interest, that does not depend on research leads alone.
Capital for first acquisitionRemaining4An SBA 7(a) plus seller-note path, or friends, family, and angel capital, sized to one practice. Venture capital only after one closed deal and an AI-services wedge.
Client retention after sale or acquisitionRemaining4A documented handoff with an owner stay (target: 6 to 12 months) and measured client retention on the first deal or owned practice.
AI / FDE margin lift unprovenRemaining5A before-and-after margin or capacity measure on one owned practice.
PE / rollup competition (Thrive, Long Lake, peers)Remaining6Wins come from trust, speed, and seller fit on small firms. Matching a larger buyer's capital on every auction is not the plan.

Public facts

Market facts below are public, with the source linked. Counts from Anchor's own research record are not on this page.

Current position

Stage 0: research. Pre-revenue.

Texas firms with 5 or more employees

2,674 employer firms in NAICS 5412, Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services. Census counts 9,863 Texas employer firms in that industry and 7,189 with fewer than 5 employees.

Census Statistics of U.S. Businesses, 2022
Ownership transfer by 2035

About 6 million small and medium-size businesses will face an ownership transition. More than 1 million are viable candidates for sale, representing up to $5 trillion in enterprise value.

McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility, February 26, 2026
Exits in 2022

Of an estimated 510,000 small and medium-size business exits, 92 percent were closures, 5 percent were sales, and 3 percent were other transfers.

McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility, February 26, 2026
Owner characteristics

The Census Annual Business Survey publishes characteristics of business owners, including owner age.

Census Annual Business Survey, 2024 characteristics of owners

Funding paths

  1. 1

    AI-services revenue

    Earn while the brokerage is built. This does not require a closed brokerage deal first, and it stays small until the wedge is clear.

  2. 2

    SBA 7(a) and seller notes

    The path for an owner-operator acquisition of one practice.

  3. 3

    Friends, family, and angels

    Bridge capital for diligence, legal work, or a down payment gap once a real mandate or letter of intent exists.

  4. 4

    Venture capital only as AI-native services

    After one closed deal. This is not a path for a pure brokerage story, and not a path before proof.

Sources

The stage ladder and the risk frontier follow a public scale-up roadmap structure. The words, the type, and the color are Anchor's. Anything labeled target is a target.