SBA Financed:  The 7(a) SBA program is a very popular way to acquire a business with as little as 10% down.  Sunbelt of Florida works with about a dozen preferred lenders who do not need to go to the SBA for approvals.  Instead, they can approve the loan applications in-house.  Sunbelt is well versed in which banks are best for which industries.  This is not a one-size-fits-all scenario.  Please work through your Sunbelt advisor to get yourself pre-approved before you begin looking at opportunities.

 

Conventional Financing:  This option is best for large companies who are buying a smaller “plug-and-play” business to move into new markets or add new services.  Often times a Line of Credit is used along with the cash on the balance sheet.

 

Using your 401K Account (ROBS): This is an often-overlooked finance option. A ROBS loan is a simple loan against your investment portfolio within your 401K.  This is a perfect way for someone who has been working in Corporate America to move into entrepreneurship.  You are permitted to borrow up to 75% of your portfolio’s value while still keeping all of your investments in place.

 

Seller Financing:  This is a great option for a business owner who wants to sell quicker and also has residual income coming in for a few years after the sale of their business.  Buyers will oftentimes pay a slightly higher price if the Seller will carry a note for 30-50% of the sale price.  The Seller gets a first lien on the business as security.  This option is very popular with foreign buyers who do not qualify for an SBA loan.