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Practical guides for small business buyers. Due diligence, valuation, and deal strategy.
Whether you are running your first SDE calculation, building a small business due diligence checklist, or comparing business valuation multiples across industries, these guides cover the fundamentals every acquisition buyer needs. Learn how to evaluate revenue quality, spot red flags in financial statements, negotiate a fair purchase price, and structure SBA-backed deals. Each post is written for buyers actively looking at businesses in the $100K to $5M range - no theory, just actionable steps you can apply to the deal in front of you. Use these alongside the free BuyerEdge valuation calculator and due diligence checklist to stay organized throughout your buying process.
Letter of Intent for Business Purchase: Complete Guide
Learn how to write a letter of intent for business purchase. Covers key terms, exclusivity, binding provisions, and common mistakes buyers make.
Buying a Franchise: The Complete Due Diligence Guide
Guide to buying a franchise. Covers the FDD, franchise fees, territory rights, red flags, and due diligence for franchise acquisitions.
Buying a Laundromat: Complete Buyer's Guide (2026)
Everything you need to know about buying a laundromat. Covers valuation multiples, equipment assessment, lease analysis, financials, and common risks.
How to Value an Ecommerce Business (2026 Buyer's Guide)
Learn how to value an ecommerce business using SDE multiples, traffic analysis, and revenue quality metrics. A complete buyer's guide for 2026.
Asset vs Stock Purchase: What Every Buyer Needs to Know
Understand the key differences between asset vs stock purchase structures. Covers tax implications, liability risks, and when to use each approach.
How to Value a Restaurant (2026 Buyer's Guide)
Learn how to value a restaurant using SDE multiples, lease analysis, and revenue breakdown. Covers liquor licenses, equipment, and worked examples.
Best Businesses to Buy in 2026 (With Valuation Data)
Discover the best businesses to buy in 2026, with real valuation multiples, SDE ranges, and pros and cons for each type.
How to Buy a Business: Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
Learn how to buy a business from search to closing. This step-by-step guide covers valuation, financing, due diligence, and negotiation.
Absentee Ownership: How to Buy a Business You Don't Have to Run
Learn how absentee ownership works, which businesses qualify, and how to buy a business you can run in under 10 hours a week.
What Is an Evergreen Business and Why Buyers Love Them
An evergreen business generates consistent demand regardless of economic cycles. Learn why buyers pay premium multiples for them.
What Is MOIC? Multiple on Invested Capital Explained
Learn what MOIC means in finance, how to calculate it with the MOIC formula, what a good MOIC is, and how MOIC compares to IRR for business acquisitions.
Due Diligence vs Earnest Money: What's the Difference?
Understand the key differences between due diligence money and earnest money, when each applies, refundability rules, and how both protect buyers in a deal.
Reps and Warranties in Business Purchases: Buyer's Guide
Learn what reps and warranties are in business acquisitions, which ones matter most for buyers, survival periods, indemnification, and key red flags.
Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM): Buyer's Guide
Learn what a confidential information memorandum (CIM) contains, how to read one as a buyer, and red flags to watch for during the acquisition process.
TTM Revenue: What It Means and Why Buyers Need It
TTM revenue is the total revenue a business earned over the trailing twelve months. Learn the formula, how to calculate it, and why it matters for buyers.
Buying a Plumbing Business: Due Diligence Guide (2026)
A complete guide to buying a plumbing business, including SDE multiples, valuation methods, licensing requirements, and due diligence steps for 2026.
Proof of Cash: How Buyers Verify Business Financials
Proof of cash reconciles reported revenue to actual bank deposits. Learn how to perform one, what discrepancies mean, and why every buyer needs this step.
Recession Proof Businesses: What to Buy When the Economy Dips
Learn which businesses hold up during recessions, which ones fail, and how to evaluate recession resistance during due diligence.
Exclusivity Agreements in Business Acquisitions
Learn what exclusivity agreements are, when to request one, typical terms, and how to negotiate a no-shop clause in your business acquisition.
Buying a Landscaping Business: Complete Guide (2026)
Everything you need to know about buying a landscaping business: valuations, SDE multiples, equipment, crews, and what drives value.
DSCR Ratio: What SBA Lenders Look For (2026 Guide)
Learn how to calculate DSCR for SBA loans, the 1.25x minimum requirement, and proven strategies to improve your debt service coverage ratio.
Seller Holdback: How It Works and When to Use It
Learn how seller holdbacks protect buyers in business acquisitions, typical amounts, release conditions, and how to negotiate holdback terms.
How to Start or Buy a Roofing Business (2026 Guide)
Everything you need to know about buying or starting a roofing business: owner income, SDE multiples, licensing, insurance, and valuation.
How to Finance a Business Acquisition (2026 Guide)
Compare SBA loans, seller financing, ROBS, and other ways to fund a business acquisition. Learn how to combine sources for the best deal.
Using Your 401k to Buy a Business: ROBS Guide (2026)
Learn how ROBS lets you use retirement funds to buy a business without taxes or penalties. Step-by-step process, IRS rules, costs, and risks.
Valuing Inventory When Buying a Business
Learn how to value inventory in a business acquisition. Covers valuation methods, physical counts, negotiation strategies, and purchase agreement clauses.
Seller Financing: Complete Guide for Business Buyers
Everything buyers need to know about seller financing: typical terms, how to negotiate it, promissory notes, SBA standby rules, and tax benefits for sellers.
Exit Strategies for Small Business Owners (2026)
Compare exit strategies for small business owners: third-party sale, MBO, family succession, ESOP, merger, and liquidation. Plan your exit the right way.
Capital Gains Tax When Selling a Business: How to Minimize It
Learn how capital gains tax works when selling a business and proven strategies to minimize it. Covers asset allocation, installment sales, and more.
EBITDA Margin: How to Calculate and What It Means
Learn how to calculate EBITDA margin, what good margins look like by industry, and how buyers use this metric to evaluate acquisition targets.
Financial Due Diligence: The Complete Guide for Buyers
A deep guide to financial due diligence when buying a business. Learn what to verify, what red flags to watch for, and when to hire a CPA.
Seller Notes: How They Work in Business Acquisitions
Learn how seller notes work in business acquisitions, typical terms, standby provisions, subordination, and how to negotiate favorable note terms.
Successor Liability: What Business Buyers Need to Know
Understand successor liability in business acquisitions. Learn how asset vs stock purchases affect liability transfer and how to protect yourself.
Recapitalization: What It Means for Buyers and Sellers
Learn what recapitalization means for business acquisitions, the different types of recaps, and how to evaluate a recapped business during due diligence.
How to Write an Investment Thesis for Business Acquisitions
Learn how to write a clear investment thesis for your business acquisition. Includes examples for HVAC, SaaS, laundromats, and franchise deals.
Buyer Entrepreneurship: Buy a Business Instead of Starting One
Learn about buyer entrepreneurship and acquisition entrepreneurship. Compare search funds vs self-funded searches and decide which path fits you.
How to Value a Small Business: Valuation Multiples by Industry (2026)
How to value a small business using SDE multiples. Valuation data for 20 industries including HVAC, SaaS, restaurants, and more.
How to Buy a Small Business with an SBA Loan (2026 Guide)
Step-by-step guide to getting an SBA 7(a) loan for a business acquisition. Down payment, DSCR, timeline, and common denial reasons.
SDE vs EBITDA: Which One Matters When Buying a Small Business
Clear explanation of SDE vs EBITDA with calculation examples. Learn which metric to use for small business acquisitions under $5M.
How to Negotiate the Purchase Price of a Small Business
How to negotiate a business purchase price and structure seller financing. Use due diligence findings, earnouts, and seller notes to get better terms.
37 Questions to Ask Before Buying Any Small Business
The complete list of questions every buyer should ask before purchasing a business. Organized by category with red flag answers to watch for.
How to Value an HVAC Business (2026 Buyer's Guide)
HVAC business valuation guide with SDE multiples and benchmarks. Plus how to find and evaluate an HVAC business for sale.
Customer Concentration Risk: Why It Kills Deals and How to Handle It
Customer concentration is the number one deal killer. Learn the 25% rule, how lenders evaluate it, and how to negotiate around it.
Owner Dependency: The Hidden Risk in Small Business Acquisitions
If the business cannot run without the owner, you are buying a job, not a business. Learn how to identify and mitigate owner dependency risk.
Business Acquisition Checklist: The Complete Due Diligence Guide
The complete business acquisition checklist. How to do due diligence on financials, legal, operations, and market analysis before buying.
SDE Calculation: How to Calculate Seller's Discretionary Earnings
Step-by-step SDE calculation guide for small business buyers. Learn how to calculate seller's discretionary earnings and avoid overpaying.
10 Red Flags to Watch for When Acquiring a Business
The 10 biggest red flags in business acquisitions. Learn what warning signs to look for during due diligence before you commit to buying.