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Buying a business

I’m considering buying a business.

Begin with the work and business that could fit your life, or move directly to organizing questions about a particular opportunity.

A useful first step

Buyer preparation

Clarify the kind of work you want to take on, your boundaries, and the questions that will shape your search.

Open Buyer preparation

Free to use in your browser. No account needed.

Already partway through?

Begin at the point that matches your situation. There is no required sequence.

What could follow

Use another resource when it helps the work in front of you. You can stop when you have the result you need.

  • You find a potentially suitable business

    Investigate the claims and identify the qualified help needed.

    Keep claims, evidence, and questions separate
  • You have an asking price and financing assumptions to test

    Compare cash needed, debt payments, owner income, and weaker earnings in Small Business Deal Sizer. $5 once; also included in the complete acquisition package.

    Small Business Deal Sizer
  • You need to work out an offer range from the earnings

    Explore seller adjustments, your chosen multiples, and an opening-offer calculation in Business Valuation & Offer Builder. $5 once; also included in the complete acquisition package.

    Business Valuation & Offer Builder
  • You need a purchase ceiling before negotiating

    Use your cash-flow, income, debt-coverage, and financing assumptions to calculate a ceiling in Max Purchase Price Calculator. $3 once; also included in the complete acquisition package.

    Max Purchase Price Calculator
  • You are working out bank and seller-note terms

    Explore combined payments, cash after your income, the monthly cushion, and each balloon balance in Seller Note + Bank Loan Payment Lab. $5 once; also included in the complete acquisition package.

    Seller Note + Bank Loan Payment Lab
  • You are ready to put an offer in writing

    Bring the terms into an LOI draft and term sheet, with checks and editable saves. LOI & Offer Builder is $7 once; also included in the complete acquisition package.

    LOI & Offer Builder
  • Investigate the business before closing

    Track requests, evidence, and open findings through 92 checks and three reports. Due-Diligence Deal Room is $9 once; also included in the complete acquisition package.

    Due-Diligence Deal Room
  • You are preparing to discuss acquisition financing

    Balance the funding, test repayment, and prepare a loan request package. $7; also included in the complete system.

    Acquisition Loan Package Builder
  • You want a guided path through the whole purchase

    Buyer OS takes you through nine decision stages with a deal journal, decision log, and printable summary. $9 once; also included in the $29 complete acquisition package.

    Main Street Buyer’s Operating System
  • You need acquisition software for a specific investigation

    The $29 Verified Acquisition System includes Buyer OS and all seven companion tools for calculations, offers, diligence, and financing records.

    The Verified Acquisition System

Bookmark this page to return to the same path. Use each tool’s save or download options to keep your work.

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Continuing will discard your unsaved changes. You can return to the draft and save or download it first.