How much due diligence costs when buying a small business: typical ranges for the QoE, legal work, valuation and other reports, and what moves the total.
How Much Does Due Diligence Cost When Buying a Small Business? Read More »
How to choose the best quality of earnings provider for a $3M to $5M business purchase: who does the work, SBA lender fit, proof of cash, and post-close help.
Best Quality of Earnings Provider for a $3 Million to $5 Million Business Purchase Read More »
SBA now requires a QoE on 7(a) acquisitions of $3M+. Learn what the report must include, who engages it, and what buyers and brokers should do.
David Lertola, who bought REK Marketing and Design with his partner Tom, on growing a business two ways at once: winning new customers and listening to the ones you already have.
New Customers Grow a Business. So Do the Ones You Already Have. Read More »
How to find a business to buy in 2026: define your buy box, work brokers, run off-market outreach, screen deals before LOI, and plan for the new SBA QoE rule.
How to Find a Business to Buy: A Practical Playbook for Searchers Read More »
Learn how to read a CIM like a pro: what each section should tell you, how to pressure-test add-backs, and what to ask the broker before an LOI.
How to Read a CIM: A Business Buyer’s Guide to the Confidential Information Memorandum Read More »
SBA 7(a) financing has made business ownership accessible to thousands of acquisition entrepreneurs. It can provide meaningful leverage, long amortization, and a capital structure that would be difficult to replicate with conventional financing.
That can create extraordinary upside for the right operator buying the right business.
But the same structure comes with an important tradeoff: the personal guarantee.
Buyers often spend weeks diligencing normalized earnings, customer concentration, working
capital, margins, capex, and debt service coverage. They should put the same rigor into
understanding what a failed deal could mean for their personal balance sheet.
A good acquisition model should show both sides of the distribution: what success could create
and what failure could cost.
The Risk Most SBA Buyers Don’t Put in the Model Read More »
In a recent episode of the EntreLeadership podcast with Dave Ramsey, a caller shared a cautionary story that every aspiring business buyer needs to hear. The caller had taken out an SBA loan to expand their daycare business and open a second location. But what seemed like a smart move quickly turned disastrous.
Using an SBA Loan to Buy a Business? You Need Due Diligence! Read More »
Here’s something most young entrepreneurs don’t realize:
The year you buy a business is often one of your lowest taxable income years, which creates a rare tax planning opportunity.
Instead of just surviving year one, you can use it strategically, potentially reducing your lifetime tax liability by making one smart move: a Roth conversion.
Let’s break it down.
First Year Business Owner Tax Tip: Convert Your 401(k) Read More »
When you’re buying or starting a small business, there’s a lot to think about! From staffing and systems to customer relationships and finances, many things will need your attention. One area that’s often overlooked but can have a significant impact on your bottom line is commissions. Understanding how small business commissions work is essential to ensure you’re not caught off guard by unexpected expenses or unbalanced compensation structures.
Understanding Commissions in Your New Small Business Read More »
