Skip to main content
United States · English

THE COMMON TABLE / BUYING A BUSINESS

Find help for
the next step.

Understand the purchase.
Choose support that fits.

Start with where you are: learning how buying works, looking at a particular business, or deciding whether to pay for more help.

START WITH THE FIT

Your intended business, budget, experience, and available time should shape the help you choose.

01 / LEARN THE PROCESS

Get a clearer picture of buying.

Start with an overview, learn from experience, or find peers for your own search.

A FIRST OVERVIEW

SBA buying guidance

U.S. Small Business Administration (Publisher)

Free · At my own pace · No registration required

An introduction to buying an existing business, including the work, costs, records, and professional help to consider.

Useful when
You want a starting framework before exploring a particular business.
Less useful when
You need someone to investigate an opportunity or give feedback on your documents.
See the fit & details →
Costs, interests & sources

Costs & interests

Public guidance from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Read the “Buy an existing business or franchise” section on its planning page.

Before you choose

Use it to make a question list, then bring that list to a relevant advisor.

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Offering details are provider-reported. Fit notes are Brass Charter’s assessment, not hands-on service testing. We receive no listing or referral fee.

LEARN THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Acquiring Minds interviews

Acquiring Minds (Publisher)

Free · At my own pace · No registration required

Interviews about finding, buying and operating small businesses. Webinars are a separate part of the publisher’s collection.

Useful when
You learn through examples and want to hear what ownership involved after the purchase.
Less useful when
You need a step-by-step course or a professional review of your own deal. A guest’s outcome is one example.
See the fit & details →
Costs, interests & sources

Costs & interests

Acquiring Minds publishes a sponsor list that includes acquisition service providers. Sponsors and guests may offer paid services.

Before you choose

Choose examples close to your intended business, size, and role. Separate what the guest experienced from what has been established about your opportunity.

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Offering details are provider-reported. Fit notes are Brass Charter’s assessment, not hands-on service testing. We receive no listing or referral fee.

PEERS & RESEARCH

Searchfunder membership

Searchfunder (Program / community provider)

Monthly membership · USD 79 / month · Ongoing community · Membership required · Purchase required

Annual membership · USD 228 / year · Ongoing community · Membership required · Purchase required

Lifetime membership · USD 432 once · Ongoing community · Membership required · Purchase required

A network of buyers, investors, lenders, brokers, and other professionals, with research and member discussions.

Useful when
You are directing your own search and want peers, industry information, and professional contacts.
Less useful when
You want a guided course or an advisor accountable for reviewing your purchase.
See the fit & details →
Costs, interests & sources

Costs & interests

Membership fees fund access. The FAQ lists monthly, annual, and lifetime options. People you meet there may also sell services or invest in deals.

Before you choose

The FAQ displays $79/month, an annual plan expressed as $19/month, and $432 lifetime. Confirm the checkout total, renewal, and refund terms before joining.

Access & price details

Monthly membership

USD 79 / month. Provider-displayed amount recorded on 3 October 2026; confirm current total and terms.

Annual membership

USD 228 / year. Calculated from the recorded $19/month annual-plan equivalent. Confirm the billed annual total.

Lifetime membership

USD 432 once. Provider-displayed amount recorded on 3 October 2026; confirm current total and terms.

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Offering details are provider-reported. Fit notes are Brass Charter’s assessment, not hands-on service testing. We receive no listing or referral fee.

IN THE LIBRARY

Before you buy, know the work.

Explore the responsibilities and the kind of business that could fit your life.

Read our buying guide

02 / LOOK AT A PARTICULAR BUSINESS

Match the question to the help.

Open the question closest to yours. See the work to discuss and where to start looking.

“Do the numbers hold up?”An accountant with acquisition experiencePaid professional work · Agree the scope

Discuss which financial records, earnings adjustments, and purchase costs need an independent examination.

Useful when
You have an opportunity and need defined financial work completed.
Limits
Routine bookkeeping experience alone does not establish experience reviewing acquisitions.
How to check a CPA’s license

NASBA explains its license lookup. A license check does not establish acquisition experience.

Questions to bring

  • Have you reviewed purchases of this size and kind?
  • What records will you examine, and what written work will I receive?
  • What is excluded, what costs extra, and when is payment due?

Who pays whom?

Ask who is engaging the firm and whether it receives any referral or completion-related payment.

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Explore learning & help with examining a particular acquisition →

“What would financing involve?”An acquisition lenderLoan terms and fees vary

Discuss whether the opportunity fits the lender’s criteria and what information it needs to assess it.

Useful when
You need financing requirements and a lender’s assessment of an actual proposal.
Limits
A lender’s willingness to lend does not answer whether this is the right business for you.
Explore SBA Lender Match

SBA describes Lender Match as a way to connect with lenders. It is not a loan application and does not guarantee a match or offer.

Questions to bring

  • Do you finance this business type and purchase size?
  • What are the cash, documentation, and repayment requirements?
  • What fees apply, and is anyone paid for introducing this loan?

Who pays whom?

A lender provides financing on its own terms. If using a loan intermediary, ask who pays them and when.

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Explore learning & help with financing →

“Could I run the everyday business?”A mentor or local business advisorSCORE mentoring is free · Check other service fees

Talk through the responsibilities, staffing, customers, and routines you would inherit.

Useful when
You want a sounding board with experience relevant to the work of ownership.
Limits
You need someone retained to complete financial or legal transaction work.
Find local business support

SBA describes SCORE mentoring and SBDC advising. Ask specifically about experience with buying and operating a business.

Questions to bring

  • Have you run or supported this kind of business?
  • Can we work through the owner’s actual weekly responsibilities?
  • Which questions are outside your experience, and who could help with those?

Who pays whom?

SBA lists SCORE and Small Business Development Centers among its resource partners. Ask the local provider about its services and any training fees.

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Explore learning & help with business systems and everyday operations →

IN TOOLS

Bring a clear buyer brief.

Set out the work, budget, and boundaries that would fit. Use it to explain your search.

Prepare a buyer brief

03 / DECIDE WHAT IS WORTH PAYING FOR

Compare the help behind the promise.

These are different offerings to examine. Inclusion is a starting point for comparison.

BEFORE YOU PAY A PROGRAM OR ADVISOR

The work
What will they teach, review, or do? What will you still do yourself?
The fit
Does their experience match your industry, deal size, location, and intended role?
The commitment
What is the total cost, access period, time commitment, and cancellation policy?
The interests
Who represents you? Does anyone earn a referral fee, success fee, or ownership stake?

ADVISOR ACCESS & COMMUNITY

Acquisition Lab membership

Acquisition Lab (Program / community provider)

USD 12,500 once · Live group · Ongoing community · Membership required · Purchase required

Membership includes advisor calls on business days, live deal reviews, a member community, and search resources.

Useful when
You have an active buying plan and would use regular feedback on real opportunities.
Less useful when
You are still deciding whether you want to own a business, or only need introductory material.
See the fit & details →
Costs, interests & sources

Costs & interests

Memberships and sponsors support the Lab. It also earns through investments and separate finance services. Lab-sourced off-market purchases can carry a disclosed success fee.

Before you choose

The pricing page states a 30-day refund window. Ask which specialist work costs extra. Most members choose their providers; its Committed Capital program requires approved providers for specified work.

Access & price details

Acquisition Lab membership

USD 12,500 once. Provider-displayed amount recorded on 3 October 2026; confirm current total and terms.

Access period: Lifetime membership, as described on the reviewed pricing page.

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Offering details are provider-reported. Fit notes are Brass Charter’s assessment, not hands-on service testing. We receive no listing or referral fee.

COURSE & LIVE COMMUNITY

Contrarian Academy

Contrarian Thinking (Program / community provider)

Price not published · At my own pace · Live group · Ongoing community · Membership required

An acquisition course, community, live calls, and deal-review sessions. Its stated entry focus is a first purchase within a year.

Useful when
You want a teaching sequence and group interaction, and have time to participate.
Less useful when
You need an upfront public price, a self-paced-only option, or a specialist retained for your deal.
See the fit & details →
Costs, interests & sources

Costs & interests

Paid membership. The page also promotes a subsequent Growth Boardroom offering and events; some event tickets cost extra.

Before you choose

Academy access is one year; the included Foundations course has lifetime access. The FAQ states a seven-day refund window. Obtain the total fee, renewal conditions, and any deal-related financial interests in writing.

Access & price details

Contrarian Academy

  • Academy access: One year
  • Included Foundations course: Lifetime access

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Offering details are provider-reported. Fit notes are Brass Charter’s assessment, not hands-on service testing. We receive no listing or referral fee.

TRAINING & ACQUISITION SUPPORT

Acquira Accelerator

Acquira (Program / community provider)

USD 12,500 once · At my own pace · Live group · Purchase required

Self-paced training, group calls, coaching, and an investment-committee review of opportunities.

Useful when
You want a structured search and can confirm its experience matches your industry and intended purchase.
Less useful when
You need refundable enrollment or expect every service to run for the same period.
See the fit & details →
Costs, interests & sources

Costs & interests

Acquira describes revenue from training, consulting, and investments in businesses. Professional vendor costs are separate from the program fee.

Before you choose

The acknowledgement gives 12 months for training, calls, and coaching; 18 months for the community and agreement. Sales are final. Its introduction FAQ contains 2024 context: confirm current deal-size, industry, capital, and operating expectations directly.

Access & price details

Acquira Accelerator

USD 12,500 once. Provider-displayed amount recorded on 3 October 2026; confirm current total and terms.

  • Training, calls and coaching: 12 months
  • Community and agreement: 18 months

Sources checked · 3 October 2026

Offering details are provider-reported. Fit notes are Brass Charter’s assessment, not hands-on service testing. We receive no listing or referral fee.

Prices are in U.S. dollars, as displayed on sources checked 3 October 2026. Confirm the current offering and terms directly. These profiles assess fit from published information; they do not report hands-on program testing.

COMPARE THE ACTUAL OPTIONS

Put the choices beside each other.

You can also learn independently and hire help for a defined piece of work. Compare the support you need, what each option includes, and the full cost.

Compare my options

KEEP EXPLORING

More help with buying.

Browse the collection with Buying a business selected. You can remove that filter or narrow it by topic, cost, or kind of help.

Explore buying resources →

PREPARE THE CONVERSATION

Go in with a clearer question.

Describe your situation, what you need someone to examine, and what a useful result would look like.

Build my help briefFree · No account · Editable download

BRASS CHARTER SOFTWARE

Keep the acquisition work together.

Our Verified Acquisition System provides software for organizing your buying work. It is a separate, paid Brass Charter product you use yourself.

Explore the acquisition tools

Brass Charter earns from its own paid software. We accept no paid listings or referral fees for the outside resources on this page.

How we choose what appears here

We look at the specific help offered, the people it is intended for, the practical limits, and how the provider earns money. Fit notes are Brass Charter’s editorial assessment; offering details are linked to the provider’s own sources.

Brass Charter accepts no paid listings or referral fees. Inclusion does not mean every service from a provider is right for you. Each profile identifies the particular resource discussed and when its sources were checked.

Something changed? Tell us what needs correcting.