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Educational fundamentals for SBA lending, due diligence, and buyer education
A stage-by-stage guide to the SBA 7(a) acquisition loan process. Realistic timelines, document requirements, and the questions to ask at each phase.
Business brokers receive 150-300 NDAs per quality listing. Learn the filtering criteria that determine which buyers get a response and how to stand out in a saturated market.
Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) determines whether your SBA acquisition gets funded. Learn how lenders calculate it, what kills deals, and how to back into your max loan amount.
Seller notes are present in the vast majority of small business acquisitions. Here's how they work under current SBA rules, why sellers agree, and how experienced buyers structure them.
Sellers inflate SDE with generous add-backs. Lenders strip them to what tax returns verify. The gap between those numbers is where SBA deals live or die. Here's what actually gets accepted.
Field notes from SMBash 2026: why the ETA playbook has changed, the buyer market is more crowded, and trust has become the scarcest asset.
Median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan rate: 8.75% (2.00% over prime). Based on 704 loans in Q1 2026.
The SBA FY 2027 budget expands 7(a) to $40B while cutting the agency. What it means for acquirers: legislative tracks, credit tightening, and a working model for the next 12 months.
Learn what SBA 7(a) lenders prioritize when evaluating acquisition loans. DSCR thresholds, red flags, add-backs, and a practical rule for deal sizing.
SBA Procedural Notice 5000-876777 eliminates the SBSS credit score for 7(a) Small loans under $350,000. Most SBA acquisition buyers won't see changes to their underwriting process as they are above that threshold.
Your tactical guide to starting your business search with the essential legal and operational foundations for ETA success.
Compare traditional search funds vs. self-funded search in business acquisition. Learn why self-funded search offers the most direct route to entrepreneurial ownership.