One-on-one small business acquisition support for individual buyers

We recommend having access to at least $50,000 in liquid funds before beginning a serious search. That is not a fixed down payment or a guarantee of financing. Your actual cash requirement will depend on the purchase price, lender requirements, closing costs, working capital needs, and the structure of the transaction.

No. Starting before you have a target lets us set a realistic buy box, estimate what size of business your liquidity and credit profile can support, and build a screening process so you stop wasting time on listings that will not clear a credit committee. If you already have a listing, a CIM, or a signed letter of intent, our team can step in at that point too.

Yes. The SBA lists a change of ownership as an eligible use of 7(a) loan proceeds, and it is the most common way individual buyers finance an acquisition under $5 million. Approval is not automatic. The lender underwrites the buyer, the business, the transaction structure, and the use of funds against its own credit policy and the current SBA Standard Operating Procedure.

Our expert advisors look for established operations, cash flow we can tie back to tax returns, clean financial records, no customer or supplier making up an outsized share of revenue, and enough earnings to cover debt service and pay the new owner a real salary. As a rule of thumb, we want a debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.25x after the buyer's compensation, and we want the deal to still hold up if earnings fall 20%. A well-written listing is not evidence of any of that.

Yes. First-time buyers close SBA acquisitions every day. Lenders care about your credit history, your liquidity after closing, relevant management or industry experience, the quality of the target business, and whether your operating plan makes sense. Before the search starts, our team reviews your credit profile with you and points out the practical steps that improve how a lender will read your file.

Our expert advisors evaluate the opportunities you bring our team, recast the seller's earnings so we know what cash flow is real, flag the issues a credit committee will raise, size the SBA loan and the equity you will need, and help you prepare for diligence and lender conversations. Our job is to help you make a financially sound decision. It is not to talk you into any particular deal, and we will tell you when we think you should walk away.

The full process often takes several months and varies widely by the search, seller responsiveness, diligence findings, financing, and closing requirements. A well-prepared buyer can move more efficiently, but no advisor or lender can guarantee a closing timeline.