Welcome to the first edition of our weekly brief. Each week we translate what actually moved in the small-business acquisition world — SBA policy, financing conditions, and valuation trends — into plain guidance you can act on.
Why this brief exists
The rules that govern how you finance and price a business change more often than most buyers realize. A single SBA policy update or a shift in the rate environment can change which deals are financeable. Books and courses go stale; this brief keeps the curriculum current.
What to watch right now
- SBA SOP details — the minimum equity injection, guaranty fees, and seller-note standby rules directly affect your down payment and monthly cost. Always confirm the current SOP with your lender before you structure an offer.
- The rate environment — higher rates raise debt service and lower the price a given cash flow can support. Re-run the numbers on any deal that has been sitting.
- Valuation discipline — Main Street SDE multiples have stayed in a familiar band; the discipline is in the earnings quality, not the multiple.
How to use it
Pair each brief with the free calculators. When we flag a financing change, re-run your target deal through the SBA and DSCR tools to see whether it still clears. When we discuss valuation, sanity-check an asking price with the valuation calculator.
→ Open the SBA loan calculator