Learn how real acquisitions get done.
Practical guides on buying and selling small businesses, written for first-time buyers and seasoned operators, grounded in real market data.
How to Sell a Business: The Full Process, Step by Step
A practical, step-by-step guide to selling a small business in the United States, from cleaning up your financials to closing day and the handover.
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How to Value a Small Business: SDE, Multiples, and What Buyers Actually Pay
How small businesses are really priced: compute SDE, apply a market multiple, see what moves value up or down, and sanity check any asking price.

What Is SDE? Seller's Discretionary Earnings, Explained for Buyers and Sellers
What SDE is, how add-backs work, what does not count, and how seller's discretionary earnings set the price of a small business.

SBA 7(a) Loans for Buying a Business: Down Payments, Terms, and How to Qualify
How SBA 7(a) acquisition loans work: the 10 percent down rule, seller note standby, loan terms, what lenders check, and how to qualify.

Due Diligence Checklist for Buying a Small Business: What to Check Before You Close
A practical due diligence checklist for buying a small business: financial, legal, customer, and operational checks to run before you close.

Seller Financing in a Small Business Sale: How It Works and When to Offer It
Seller financing explained for buyers and sellers: how seller notes work, typical terms, SBA standby rules, and how both sides protect themselves.

Asset Sale vs. Stock Sale: How Deal Structure Changes Your Taxes and Risk
Asset sale or stock sale changes your taxes, liability, and closing paperwork. A plain English guide to deal structure for buyers and sellers.

How to Buy a Business: A Buyer's Playbook for Main Street Deals
How to define your buy box, find the right business, analyze the numbers, finance the deal with an SBA loan, run due diligence, and close with confidence.

How to Market a Business for Sale Without Tipping Off Staff or Customers
Confidential marketing that reaches qualified buyers: how to write a blind profile, set the right price, use NDAs, and keep the sale quiet until closing.

The 2026 Small Business Acquisition Market: Data, Trends, and What It Means for You
Median prices, cash-flow multiples, the retiring-owner wave, SBA financing rules, and deal terms. What the latest market data says for buyers and sellers in 2026.

The Main Street Memo, Issue 01: Buy the Boring Business
Our newsletter for buyers and sellers of small businesses. This issue: why unglamorous, cash-flowing businesses are the best first acquisitions.
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