iAcquire/Buyer Guide
ACQUIREIQ — BUYER GUIDE

SMB Acquisition Process

End-to-end interactive guide to acquiring a US small business via SBA 7(a) financing. 9 phases, ~14 months, $1–5M deal size.

FREE — Phases 1–3
Upgrade for all 9 phases, AI deep dives, and advanced charts.
Buyer-driven
Financial / Legal
Negotiation
High Risk
1
Buyer readiness
Define thesis, assess finances, build team · 1–4 weeks
Buyer-drivenRisk 20/100
KEY STEPS
1Define acquisition thesis — industry, size, EBITDA floor, geography
2Assess personal liquidity and credit (740+ score for SBA 7(a))
3Hire M&A attorney, CPA, and get SBA lender pre-qualification
4Study SDE vs EBITDA, SBA loan structures, earn-outs, and seller carry
WATCH OUT FOR

Don't skip the lender pre-qual — it defines your price ceiling before you waste time on overpriced deals.

TOOLS USED

AcquireIQ, Buy Then Build (Walker Deibel), SBA lender directory

RISK PROFILE BY PHASE
TIME ALLOCATION (MONTHS)
CAPITAL EXPOSURE CURVE ($K — $1.5M DEAL)
PHASE GANTT — 14-MONTH BASE CASE
P1: Buyer
1mo
P2: Deal
2.5mo
P3: Initial
1.5mo
P4: Letter
1mo
P5: Due
1.5mo
P6: Financing
2mo
P7: Purchase
0.75mo
P8: Closing
P9: Post-close
3mo
Mo 0Mo 2Mo 4Mo 6Mo 8Mo 10Mo 12Mo 14
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Full risk profile, time allocation, capital exposure curve, and Gantt timeline included in Pro.
LIVE SBA ACQUISITION CALCULATOR
DEAL PRICE$1.5M
$500K$5.0M
EBITDA MULTIPLE3.5x
2x6x
DOWN PAYMENT10%
10%30%
Implied EBITDA$428,571
Down Payment$150,000
SBA Loan Amount$1,350,000
Annual Debt Service (11.5%, 10yr)$227,765
DSCR1.88x
Remaining EBITDA$200,807
Cash-on-Cash Yield133.9%
✓ SBA BANKABLE — DSCR clears 1.25x threshold