Most buyers of small businesses don't write a check for the full purchase price — they finance 70–90% through an SBA 7(a) loan. Which means the single biggest determinant of how fast your business sells, and at what price, is whether it qualifies for SBA financing.
SBA eligibility unlocks a much larger buyer pool. A business that requires all-cash or seller financing is limited to wealthy buyers and strategic acquirers. An SBA-eligible business is accessible to any qualified individual with 10–15% down — which is a meaningfully larger market.
Eligibility hinges on a few items: the business must be for-profit, US-based, under SBA size standards, and the buyer must demonstrate the ability to repay. The deal structure matters too — excessive seller notes, earn-outs, or non-compete payments can disqualify the financing.
Clean, recasted financials are non-negotiable. SBA underwriters need three years of tax returns that reconcile to your P&L, plus an add-back schedule that defends every owner-benefit adjustment. Sloppy books delay closing or kill the deal entirely.
We structure transactions to be SBA-friendly from day one and pre-qualify your business with our lending partners before going to market. The result: faster close, broader buyer pool, and a measurably higher selling price.