SBA Acquisition Guides
Educational fundamentals for SBA lending, due diligence, and buyer education
Written by acquisition practitioners, backed by public lending data
What Does a Business Broker Do? A Buyer's Guide
Business brokers represent sellers in small business transactions, earning 8-12% commission only when deals close. Learn how their economics shape your experience as a buyer and how to engage effectively.
Should You Add a Line of Credit to Your SBA Deal?
Most SBA acquisition buyers don't know they can add a revolving line of credit to their deal. Data from 38,972 loans shows what it costs, which lenders offer it, and how it affects outcomes.
Book Review: HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business
An honest review of Ruback and Yudkoff's HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business. Strong as a primer for the acquisition process, but written for traditional search funds - here's what SBA buyers should take from it and what they'll need elsewhere.
SBA Interest Rates by Lender: What 20,000 Loans Reveal
We analyzed 20,000+ SBA acquisition loans from 2018-2026. The spread across lenders is 2+ points. Here's what drives the difference and how to use it.
SBA Eases Prior Loss Rule for Non-Controlling Investors
SBA Policy Notice 5000-879464 creates a waiver for the prior loss rule when an applicant's owner held a small, non-controlling interest in a business that defaulted on an SBA loan.
The SBA Lending Process: A Buyer's Guide
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.
What Happens When an SBA Acquisition Loan Defaults
SBA acquisition loan defaults follow a predictable path. Here's what the process looks like, how personal guarantees are enforced, and what experienced buyers do differently.
Why Business Brokers Don't Respond to Buyers
Business brokers receive 150-300 buyer inquiries per quality listing. Learn the filtering criteria that determine which buyers get a response and how to stand out in a saturated market.
SBA Doubles Combined 7(a) and 504 Loan Limit to $10 Million
The SBA doubled the combined 7(a) and 504 loan limit from $5M to $10M, effective July 4, 2026. Programs are now decoupled. What acquisition buyers need to know about deal structuring.
DSCR for SBA Acquisitions: What Every Buyer Needs to Know
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.
How Seller Notes Work in SBA Acquisitions
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.
Understanding Add-Backs: What SBA Lenders Will (and Won't) Accept
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.