How it worksAbout AndrewCommon SBA Q&AFor brokers & CPAs
Financing pathsMy deal is stuck or declinedGet a free second opinionSBA vs. conventionalBuy a businessCommercial real estateFranchise financingMedical & dental practicesSelf-storage & hospitality
Planning toolsAll planning tools
Model the deal01Business acquisition03Owner-used real estate05Cash injection06Scenario comparison09Payment stress test
Prepare the project027(a) vs. 50404Loan readiness07Application timeline08Document checklist10LOI financing preflight
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SBA financing for business acquisitions

Buy the business.
Understand the whole deal.

Explore how purchase price, working capital, transaction costs, buyer cash, seller financing, and business cash flow may fit into an SBA 7(a) acquisition conversation.

Get my free SBA game plan Run the acquisition calculator
Built for searchers, LOI-stage buyers, and signed transactions

What deserves attention

Finance the complete project—not a shorthand version.

01

The price is not the project

Working capital, professional fees, transition costs, and other eligible uses may change the amount the business needs on day one.

02

Cash flow must carry the structure

Historical and supportable normalized cash flow—not the most optimistic forecast—anchors the first debt-service conversation.

03

The buyer story matters

Experience, liquidity, credit, ownership, and the post-close operating plan help complete the transaction story.

Prepare the conversation

Start organizing the evidence.

These are practical starting items, not a complete lender document request. The exact list changes with the borrower, project, lender, and current program requirements.

Get my project checklist
  1. 01Purchase price and a complete use-of-funds schedule
  2. 02Three years of seller tax returns and current financials
  3. 03LOI or purchase agreement when available
  4. 04Buyer resume, liquidity, and personal financial information

Questions worth asking

Clear answers before assumptions.

Can working capital be part of the request?

An SBA 7(a) acquisition structure may include eligible working capital, subject to the complete transaction, lender review, and current program rules.

Is a seller note always required?

No single structure applies to every transaction. Seller financing treatment depends on the final note terms, lender, buyer injection, and applicable rules.

Does this tell me whether I will be approved?

No. The planning tools organize the transaction and identify questions. Approval requires a complete lender underwriting and eligibility review.

Make the next conversation more productive

Bring the project into focus.

Tell Andrew what you are trying to do and receive a plain-English first look with possible program direction, questions to review, and a project-specific starting checklist.

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