Pursue your next adventure knowing your business is in trustworthy hands
What We Do
Put your business in capable hands
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve probably asked yourself, “how should I decide whom to partner with when it’s time to sell a majority stake in my business?” It’s a deeply personal, complex question. The one thing that consistently holds true in today’s market is this:
It’s a seller's market. You don’t have to choose between a great financial outcome and selling to someone you think will take care of your company, your customers, and your team. Your business doesn’t have to be part of a private equity portfolio where too much debt risks your company’s survival. Your business doesn’t have to be gobbled up by a competitor looking to get access to your customer relationships and cast your team aside. You can be both rewarded financially for your hard work and sell to a trust-worthy operator who is eager to grow your business even further. Offering both is Big Cove’s core value. While I’m seeking an investment, I am an operator first and an investor second. Leading your business as CEO will become the sole focus of my professional life.
If you’ve heard from others looking to buy and lead a business, you may be wondering what makes me different and why you should take my call.
A commitment to meeting your financial and career goals. We don’t have to color in the lines when designing a deal that works for you. If you want to keep a substantial stake in the company, we can do that. If you want to keep working in the business in some capacity, we can do that too. Whatever your goals are, with a little creativity we can design a solution that works for both of us.
Deep experience growing companies. I have extensive experience working with companies to accelerate growth. You can read more about my background in my bio below.
A world-class investor group committed to your business. Few individuals expressing interest in buying your business have investors when they reach out. Their plan is to “find the money when they find the deal.” These groups can waste your valuable time when they fail to raise the money needed to buy your business. Even fewer have a team of investors with deep experience as entrepreneurs, people who’ve been in your shoes before and will actively support the growth of your business. Big Cove has both. I invite you to check out their bios below.
Our Values
Integrity
I believe in having frank conversations and doing what’s right, always. I do what I say I will and believe everyone is worthy of respect.
People First
I believe people are more than human resources. They’re individuals that each bring unique talents and passions to their work, and are the lifeblood of a healthy business.
Sustainability
Short-term decision making puts companies, the economy, and employees’ livelihoods at risk. I believe in thoughtful growth and making decisions that ensure long-term sustainability and success.
Bill Igou, Founder
I began my career at McKinsey & Company as a management consultant, advising Fortune 500 companies on growth strategy, sales, marketing, and M&A. It was an invaluable experience, but after a few years, I realized I’d be happier working with smaller, more nimble businesses. So, I joined Summit Partners, a leading growth equity firm that manages a $23B portfolio of high growth businesses. My role at the firm was to partner with CEO’s to accelerate their companies’ growth. I later joined Skedulo, a leading, venture capital-backed SaaS company in the field service space, where I led and built the finance and operations functions from scratch. I hold a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Darden School of Business, also at UVA.
Outside of work, I enjoy sailing, hiking, and training my lab puppy, Jack. I took up sailing a few years ago and honed my skills on boats I rented to explore San Francisco Bay. I love the physical and mental challenge of sailing, and that it requires both planning and quick improvisation, just like business. When I’m off the water, I love hiking in the mountains, particularly in our country’s national parks. My dog, Jack, joined the Big Cove team just a few days after the journey began, and his presence in the office has been a big help along the way, even when he joins Zoom meetings uninvited!
Big Cove's Story
Big Cove sprang from my goal to help others achieve their professional potential and support their families. That desire was ignited by three forces in my life: my family's farm, my grandfather, and the Global Financial Crisis.
Throughout childhood, I spent most weekends working on my family’s farm, where I learned the dignity of labor, how to contribute to a team, and the value of sweat equity. I built a barn, put in new fences, and drove tractors, although that part never really felt like work. The farm is where I discovered integrity: the importance of treating everyone with respect and doing what you say you will.
My hero and the man I’m named after is my grandfather, who had a long career as an Air Force officer. While he didn’t pursue entrepreneurship, he’d ridden the ups and downs of it and learned from his family’s entrepreneurial journey. As a child, his family owned a coal distributor in New York City, but when the Great Depression hit, business stalled. It’s a story I remember him telling me many times as a kid. The family gave up its wealth to keep the business afloat so they could take care of their employees, refusing to lay off their workers, even after all their competitors had. From him, I learned the importance of taking care of the people in your life and serving a calling higher than yourself.
I came of age right as the Global Financial Crisis destroyed the economy. I studied what was happening closely and discovered that it all came down to short-term thinking. Ignoring fundamentals to drive quick financial returns is a losing strategy; business sustainability is paramount. I knew I wanted to be a business leader who made decisions in the interest of long-term success.
My primary objective in forming Big Cove was to chart a career path that would allow me to follow my values: integrity, people-first, and sustainability. I agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote, “Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.” Leading a business was the most natural path to following my values and finding that peace.
Big Cove's Investors
Big Cove is backed by a group of highly experienced entrepreneurs and investors, who bring a range of experiences and expertise to the table.