Buying a Small Business · ToolsProgress 0%VisitorAll tracks
Beta. Fictional teaching case. Saved on this device only. Beta build. The teaching business is fictional, case figures and model defaults are illustrative, and default loan terms are teaching defaults, not lending rules. Education only, not legal, tax, accounting or lending advice. Your work is saved in this browser on this device only.

Tools

Each tool ends in an output you keep. Lessons explain; tools decide.

Buyer Readiness. Whether to keep going seriously toward buying a business, compare it with starting one, or prepare first.Stage 0 · FreeBuyer Profile. Who you are as a buyer: the role you intend to take, the income you need, and which of the owner's jobs you can cover on day one.Stage 1 · FreeBuy Box Builder. What you will and will not buy, so that a listing, a broker or a referral can be checked against it in a minute.Stage 2 · FreeAcquisition Capacity. What size of deal your cash and your income need can support, before you look at any business.Stage 2 · FreeInitial screen. Whether this listing is worth more of your time, using only what the listing itself says.Stage 3 · FreeClaims and evidenceStage 3 · MemberEarningsStage 3 · MemberValuationStage 3 · MemberFinancingStage 3 · MemberBuyer cashStage 3 · MemberDownsideStage 3 · MemberTen acquisition testsStage 3 · MemberDecision RecordStage 3 · Member

Educational use only. Not legal, tax, accounting, valuation or lending advice.

Buyer School is an independent educational website for learning about small-business acquisitions. Its lessons, examples, checklists, calculators and reports provide general information and illustrative planning estimates. They do not provide individualized legal, tax, accounting, investment, valuation or lending advice, and they do not determine SBA eligibility, financing approval or whether a particular business should be purchased. Using Buyer School does not create an advisory or other professional-client relationship. Buyer School is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Rules, fees, rates and lender practices can change; summaries may omit exceptions. Do not rely solely on Buyer School when evaluating, financing or purchasing a business. Before signing a letter of intent or other agreement, applying for financing, waiving a contingency or committing funds, review the current official SBA website at https://www.sba.gov, including the applicable SOP, program guidance and fee notices, and applicable IRS guidance at https://www.irs.gov, and obtain transaction-specific advice from an attorney licensed in the relevant jurisdiction, a CPA experienced in business acquisitions, and the participating lender. Consult other qualified professionals when the transaction requires them. The lender must confirm how current SBA requirements apply to the proposed financing, and licensing and permit requirements must be confirmed with the issuing authorities.

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