*UPCOMING BUYER WORKSHOP*

SUN NOV 8, 2026 @ 2PM Pacific
RSVP HERE
On the day of the event,
JOIN HERE via Teams

Join our 1-hour workshop and learn how to present yourself as the “best buyer” so you have access to the best businesses ready to sell. We’ll cover:

Buyer Discovery & Criteria
Objectives, role, experience, geography, industries, income needs & deal-breakers.

Capital & Financing Readiness
Cash needed, SBA/conventional & seller-financing scenarios; lender referrals.

Financial Assessment & Valuation
SDE/EBITDA, add-backs, earnings quality, multiples, debt coverage & key risks.

Opportunity Search & Review
Active listings, off-market targets, outreach progress and comparative fit.

Acquisition Action Plan
Offer structure, LOI, due diligence

A few initial tips:

Think about what you can afford. Look into businesses roughly in the price range of 10% cash down. If you don’t have 5-10% it might be difficult to get into that business without special circumstances.

If you are an employee hoping to buy your employer’s business, the SBA considers you favorably, so funding will be easier for you.

BUYING A BUSINESS

Know what you’re looking for.

Paulson Exchange helps buyers evaluate opportunities, understand the numbers, navigate financing and due diligence, and move toward a successful acquisition.

Whether you already have a business in mind or you’re still figuring out what would be a good fit, we can help you approach the process with a clear plan.

Start with fit.

A good acquisition isn’t just about finding a profitable business. It should fit your experience, financial resources, goals, lifestyle, and tolerance for risk. We help buyers think through:

  • Industry and business type

  • Matching your skills to the areas where the business needs most help

  • Geography

  • Owner involvement

  • Earnings and cash flow

  • Purchase price and available capital

  • Financing options

  • Growth opportunities

  • Skills or experience needed to operate the business

A clear acquisition profile makes it much easier to recognize the right opportunity when you see it.

Understand what you’re buying.

We help buyers look beyond the asking price. That means understanding adjusted earnings, owner expenses, staffing, customer concentration, assets, liabilities, working capital, leases, financing requirements, and the assumptions behind the seller’s valuation. The question isn’t just: “Is this a good business?” but “Is this a good business for ME?”

Financing matters early.

Many small-business acquisitions involve some combination of buyer equity, bank or SBA-backed financing, and sometimes seller financing. We help buyers understand the likely financing picture early so they can focus on businesses they are realistically positioned to acquire. [Let’s discuss your Buying Plan and how a Personal Financial Statement will give you a leg up.]

From interest to closing.

Once you find a business worth pursuing, we can help you navigate the process whether it’s an on-market listing [See How to be the Best Buyer] or if you want us to work on prospecting businesses that match your criteria.

Initial evaluation - What is the general character of the overall opportunity before spending significant time and money on it.

Offer and deal structure - Evaluate price, financing, contingencies, training, transition terms, and other deal considerations.

Due diligence - Work through the financial, operational, legal, and practical questions that need to be answered before closing.

Financing and closing - Coordinate with lenders, attorneys, accountants, the seller, and other advisors to help keep the transaction moving.

A business can look attractive on paper and still be the wrong fit. Sometimes the most valuable advice is to keep looking. Our goal is to help you make a well-informed acquisition — not just get you into a deal.