Strategies for raising growth capital, understanding debt vs. equity, and navigating the capital markets as a lower middle market business owner.
SBA 7(a) loans are the most common financing tool for business acquisitions in the $500K-$5M range. Learn how they work, what qualifies, equity injection requirements, seller financing rules, and the common mistakes that stall deals in underwriting.
SBA 7(a) loans are the most common way to finance business acquisitions under $5M. Learn how the capital structure works, what lenders evaluate, the seller note standby requirement, and expected timelines.
Working capital adjustments can swing your effective purchase price by $200K to $2M. Learn how the mechanism works, where disputes happen, and how to protect yourself as a seller in an M&A transaction.
Seller financing is involved in 60-80% of lower middle market deals. Learn how seller notes work, when they make sense, how to structure them properly, and the common mistakes that cost sellers money.
Raising growth capital doesn’t mean giving up control. Learn how to evaluate debt, equity, mezzanine, and revenue-based financing structures to fund growth while maintaining majority ownership and decision-making authority.
Private equity and strategic buyers evaluate your business through fundamentally different lenses. Understanding which is right for your exit — or why you need both at the table — is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make as a seller.
Every capital decision is a trade-off between ownership, control, and risk. Here’s how lower middle market business owners should think about equity vs. debt — and the hybrid approaches that usually make the most sense.