Deal Mechanics

Financing, Valuation & Legal

Financing & SBA Loans

12 guides

• Business Ownership Transition Financing Options
  Business ownership transition financing options range from SBA loans to seller notes to gifting strategies. Here's how each one actually works.
• Buying a Business With Owner Financing: A Buyer's Guide
  Owner financing makes buying a business more accessible — but you have to know how to find it and ask for it. Here's how to make it work in your favor.
• Buying a Business With Seller Financing: How It Works
  Seller financing lets you buy a business with less cash upfront — and sellers often prefer it. Here's how to structure the deal and negotiate the terms.
• Financial Due Diligence for a Business Acquisition
  What financial due diligence for a business acquisition actually covers, and why it goes deeper than a general due diligence checklist's financial section.
• Financing for Purchasing an Existing Business
  The main financing options for purchasing an existing business, from SBA loans to seller financing, and how buyers typically combine them.
• How Do You Get Financing for a Small Business?
  How to get financing for a small business acquisition, step by step, from pre-qualification through closing on an SBA or conventional loan.
• How Does Small Business Financing Work?
  How small business financing actually works mechanically — underwriting, collateral, repayment structure, and how a lender decides what to approve.
• SBA Loans for Buying a Business: How They Work
  How an SBA loan for buying a business works: down payment, eligibility, and the steps from application to closing on your purchase.
• Small Business Financing Rates: A Comparison
  How small business financing rates compare across SBA loans, conventional bank loans, and seller financing, so you can weigh the real cost of each.
• Small Business Financing With Bad Credit
  Realistic small business financing options with bad credit — what still works, what to expect, and how to improve your position before you apply.
• Small Business Financing: A Worked Example
  A worked example of small business financing for a hypothetical acquisition, showing exactly how the numbers come together from purchase price to monthly payment.
• What Is Small Business Financing?
  What small business financing actually means, and the main types available — SBA loans, conventional loans, seller financing, and equity investment.

Valuation & Pricing

18 guides

• Average Business Sale Price: What Deals Look Like
  Average business sale price by deal size, sourced from industry survey data — why multiples rise with size, and how to use the numbers.
• Business Valuation Multiples by Industry: What Buyers Pay
  See typical business valuation multiples by industry, from retail to healthcare, and what actually pushes your number higher or lower.
• Cost of Buying a Business: Beyond the Purchase Price
  The cost of buying a business is more than the purchase price. Here's the full breakdown of down payment, fees, and cash you'll need after closing.
• Cost of Selling a Small Business: A Full Breakdown
  The cost of selling a small business is more than broker commission. Here's the full breakdown of fees, taxes, and hidden costs to expect.
• EBITDA Valuation Calculator: Do the Math Yourself
  An EBITDA valuation calculator walkthrough with a real worked example — the exact formula, step by step, and where it falls short.
• EBITDA Valuation Formula: How It's Calculated
  The EBITDA valuation formula broken into its two parts — how EBITDA itself is calculated, and how the multiple turns it into a value.
• EBITDA Valuation Multiples by Industry
  EBITDA valuation multiples by industry for businesses large enough to be EBITDA-valued — typical ranges, and what moves you within them.
• EBITDA Valuation: The Complete Guide
  EBITDA valuation explained: what it is, how it's calculated, what multiple to apply, and when it replaces SDE as the right earnings metric.
• EV/EBITDA: What This Valuation Metric Actually Means
  EV/EBITDA is the formal version of an EBITDA multiple. Here's what Enterprise Value actually means and why the distinction matters.
• Getting a Business Valuation Done: What to Expect
  Getting a business valuation done? Here's who actually does it, what it costs, how long it takes, and which type you actually need.
• How Business Valuation Works Across the US
  How business valuation works across the US: the formula stays the same nationally, but your state and metro shape your actual buyer pool.
• How Much Is My Business Worth? A Quick Way to Estimate
  How much is my business worth? Here's the quick math to estimate it yourself, and why it's only a starting point before a real valuation.
• How to Calculate EV/EBITDA: Step by Step
  How to calculate EV/EBITDA step by step, with a worked example showing how debt and cash change the number compared to a simple EBITDA multiple.
• SDE vs. EBITDA: Which Values Your Business Better?
  SDE vs EBITDA: learn which earnings metric buyers use to value your business, why it matters, and how the choice changes your price.
• What Is My Business Worth If I Sell It Today?
  What is my business worth if I sell it today? Here's how an as-is sale price compares to what preparation could add, and how to decide between them.
• What Is a Good EBITDA Multiple?
  What is a good EBITDA multiple? It depends on your industry and what's driving it — here's how to judge your own number against a real range.
• When to Use SDE vs. EBITDA: A Quick Decision Guide
  When to use SDE vs. EBITDA, as a fast checklist rather than a full explanation — the threshold that actually decides which metric applies.
• Why Is EBITDA Used for Valuation?
  Why is EBITDA used for valuation? Because it strips out financing and accounting choices to let buyers compare businesses on operating performance.

Legal & Purchase Agreements

7 guides

• Asset Sale vs. Stock Sale: What's the Difference?
  Asset sale vs stock sale: see how each structure affects your taxes, liability, and payout when you sell your business.
• Business Purchase Agreement Lawyer: Cost and When You Need One
  What a business purchase agreement lawyer costs and when to bring one in, specifically for reviewing or drafting the actual purchase contract.
• Business Purchase Agreement: What It Is and What's In It
  What a business purchase agreement actually covers, section by section — useful as a template outline before you have a lawyer draft the real thing.
• Buying a Business Lawyer: Cost, Timing, and What to Look For
  What a buying a business lawyer actually costs, when to bring one in, and how to pick one who's done small business deals before.
• Lawyer for Buying a Business: What to Know
  A lawyer for buying a business does more than review the purchase agreement. Here's what they actually do, when to hire one, and what it costs.
• Legal Due Diligence for Business Transactions
  What legal due diligence for business transactions actually covers — contracts, licenses, litigation history, and liabilities a financial review alone won't catch.
• Selling a Small Business: Tax Implications to Know
  The tax implications of selling a small business can shape your final payout as much as the sale price. Here's what to plan for early.

Due Diligence

6 guides

• Assessing Cultural Fit During Business Due Diligence
  Why assessing cultural fit during business due diligence matters as much as the financials, and how to actually evaluate it before you buy.
• Due Diligence Checklist for Buying a Business
  A due diligence checklist for buying a business: the financial, legal, and operational records to verify before you sign and pay.
• Due Diligence Checklist for Selling a Business
  A due diligence checklist for selling a business — what buyers will scrutinize, so you can prepare before they ask rather than scramble once they do.
• Due Diligence Questions to Ask When Investing in a Business
  The specific due diligence questions to ask when investing in a business as a passive or minority investor, distinct from a full acquisition buyer's checklist.
• Due Diligence on Business Tax Returns: What It Covers
  What due diligence on business tax returns actually covers when buying a business, and why tax returns and internal financials need to tell a consistent story.
• What's in a Business Due Diligence Report?
  What's actually included in a business due diligence report — the deliverable that summarizes findings after a buyer's review, and how to read one critically.

Brokers & Fees

7 guides

• Top Rated Business Brokers Near Me: How to Read Reviews
  How to actually interpret top-rated business broker reviews near you, and which review sources are worth trusting versus which ones are easy to game.
• Broker Client Agreement for Buying a Business
  A broker client agreement governs your relationship with a business broker before you buy — here's what's in it and what to check before signing.
• Finding a Business Broker Near You: What to Check
  Finding a business broker near you means knowing where to look and how to verify who's legitimate. Here's how to search, whether buying or selling.
• How Much Do Small Business Brokers Charge?
  How much small business brokers actually charge, how commission structures work, and who typically pays the fee in a small business transaction.
• How to Choose the Best Small Business Broker
  How to choose the best small business broker for your specific situation, beyond just proximity — track record, specialization, and communication style.
• Questions to Ask a Broker When Buying a Business
  The questions to ask a broker when buying a business — about their track record, fees, listing vetting, and what a buyer-broker agreement should include.
• Search Fund Business Acquisition: How It Works
  A search fund business acquisition means an investor-backed entrepreneur buys and runs one company. Here's how the model actually works.

Retirement Planning

18 guides

• Small Business Retirement Plans: The Complete Overview
  A complete overview of small business retirement plans — SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Solo 401(k), and traditional 401(k) — and who each one actually fits.
• Which Small Business Retirement Plan Should You Choose?
  A decision framework for which small business retirement plan actually fits your situation, based on headcount, budget, and how much admin work you want.
• Small Business Retirement Plans Comparison Chart
  A side-by-side comparison chart of small business retirement plans — SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Solo 401(k), and traditional 401(k) — contribution limits and admin.
• Small Business Retirement Planning: Where to Start
  Where to actually start with small business retirement planning, from the first practical decisions through setting up your first plan.
• Small Business Retirement Plans for Employees
  What small business retirement plans for employees actually require, from mandatory matches to eligibility rules, and what happens if you get them wrong.
• Small Business Retirement Plan Comparison: Pros and Cons by Type
  A pros-and-cons comparison of small business retirement plan types, going beyond a bare feature chart into what actually trips owners up with each one.
• Fidelity Small Business Retirement Plans: What to Know
  What to know before setting up small business retirement plans through Fidelity, and the questions worth asking regardless of which provider you choose.
• Retirement Options for Small Business Owners Personally
  Retirement options for small business owners personally, distinct from employee benefit plans, including how business proceeds factor into the equation.
• Small Business Retirement: What Owners Need to Know
  What small business owners actually need to know about retirement — for themselves and their employees — distilled into the decisions that matter most.
• Vanguard Small Business Retirement Plans: What to Know
  What to know before setting up small business retirement plans through Vanguard, and how to evaluate any low-cost index-focused provider for this purpose.
• Small Business Retirement Plan Tax Credit: What You Can Claim
  What the small business retirement plan tax credit actually covers, who qualifies, and how much it can offset the cost of starting a new plan.
• Small Business Retirement Plan Solutions: Working With a Provider
  How to think about small business retirement plan solutions and services — what a provider or planning service actually does, and how to choose one.
• Small Business Retirement Accounts: How the Investment Vehicle Works
  How small business retirement accounts actually work as investment vehicles — contribution mechanics, tax treatment, and what happens to the money over time.
• How to Set Up a Retirement Plan for Your Small Business
  The actual steps to set up a retirement plan for your small business, from choosing a plan type through your first funded contribution.
• How to Save for Retirement as a Small Business Owner
  How to actually save for retirement as a small business owner, balancing personal contributions against reinvesting in the business itself.
• What Retirement Plan Is Best for Your Small Business?
  What retirement plan is actually best for your small business depends on headcount and budget — a direct recommendation framework, not a generic answer.
• Why Individual IRAs Aren't Attractive for Small Business Owners
  Why individually managed traditional or Roth IRAs alone often aren't attractive for small business owners, and what employer-sponsored plans offer instead.
• Small Business Retirement Planning Services: How to Choose One
  How to choose small business retirement planning services, from fee structures to the specific credentials worth looking for before committing.

Business Growth

15 guides

• Small Business Growth: A Practical Guide
  A practical guide to small business growth — the real levers that move revenue, and the traps that stall growth even in a genuinely good business.
• Small Business Growth Strategies
  Real small business growth strategies organized by the lever they actually pull — customer acquisition, retention, and operational capacity.
• Your Small Business Growth Strategy: Building One Cohesive Plan
  How to build one cohesive small business growth strategy instead of a scattered list of tactics, and why focus matters more than breadth.
• Top Tools for Small Business Growth
  The main categories of tools for small business growth — CRM, marketing automation, and analytics — and how to choose without over-investing too early.
• Growth Strategies You Can Start With Just $5,000
  Real small business growth strategies you can start with a $5,000 budget, prioritized by expected return rather than how much they cost.
• Best ATS for Small Business Growth: What to Look For
  What to actually look for in an ATS (applicant tracking system) for small business growth, since hiring capacity is often what limits scaling.
• Hiring a Small Business Growth Consultant: Is It Worth It?
  Whether hiring a small business growth consultant is actually worth it, what they typically do, and how to evaluate one before committing.
• Funding Options for Small Business Growth
  The real funding options for small business growth — debt, equity, and revenue-based financing — and how they differ from acquisition financing.
• Small Business Growth Statistics
  Real small business growth statistics from Census and BLS data — survival rates, growth patterns, and what they actually mean for your own business.
• What Is a Small Business Growth Fund?
  What a small business growth fund actually is — a source of growth-stage capital distinct from acquisition financing or early startup investment.
• AI Tools for Small Business Growth
  How AI tools for small business growth actually help right now — customer service, content, and operations — without over-hyping what they can do.
• Small Business Growth Hacking: What It Actually Means
  What small business growth hacking actually means as a methodology, and how it differs from traditional growth strategy and marketing.
• Quick Small Business Growth Tips
  Quick, actionable small business growth tips you can actually implement this week, organized by how much time and money each one requires.
• Challenges of Small Business Growth
  The real challenges of small business growth that catch owners off guard — cash flow strain, culture dilution, and operational overload.
• Regulatory Barriers to Small Business Growth
  The real regulatory barriers to small business growth — licensing thresholds, employment law changes, and compliance costs that scale with size.