Financing the purchase
SBA 7(a) rules, equity, seller notes and what 'no money down' really means.
- How to buy a business with no money down: what's actually possibleCan you buy a business with no money down? What's really possible: SBA's 10% minimum, seller notes, investors, and what the zero-down pitches leave out.
- SBA 7(a) loans for buying a business: the rules a buyer needs to knowHow SBA 7(a) business acquisition loans work under SOP 50 10 8.1: equity, valuation, QoE at $3M, DSCR, seller notes, earnouts and transition limits.
- Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) for buying a businessDebt service coverage ratio for business acquisitions: how DSCR is calculated, SBA minimums by deal type, historical vs adjusted DSC, and a worked example.
- How to buy a laundromat with no money down: what's realisticCan you buy a laundromat with no money down? SBA equity rules, seller notes, equipment financing and the arithmetic that decides if it works.
- Personal guarantee on an SBA loan: what you're signingWho must personally guarantee an SBA loan to buy a business, what an unlimited guaranty means, spouse rules, and when lenders take a lien on your home.
- Rollover for business startups (ROBS): using retirement money to buy a businessHow a rollover for business startups (ROBS) uses retirement money to buy a business, what the IRS has found about ROBS plans, and the risks to weigh.
- SBA business valuation: what the lender's appraisal means for your dealSBA business valuation rules under SOP 50 10 8.1: who can do it, who orders it, what it must include, and what happens if the price exceeds it.
- SBA equity injection: how much you need to put in, and from whereHow much equity the SBA requires to buy a business, what counts as equity, the limit on seller notes and investors, and how to document your funds.
- SOP 50 10 8.1: what the new SBA rules mean if you're buying a businessWhat changed for business acquisitions on October 1, 2026 under SBA SOP 50 10 8.1, and what each change means for a buyer's cash, price and timeline.
- Small business acquisition financing: how a deal's money fits togetherHow small business acquisition financing is structured: equity, senior debt and seller notes, how lenders size the loan, and a worked sources-and-uses.