The Business Buying Process
Why mapping the entire journey first saves you months of wasted effort later.
🧠 Lead Story: Why Process Matters More Than Price
Most first-time buyers jump straight to pricing.
“What multiple should I pay?”
“Can I get it for 3x or less?”
“Is 4x EBITDA too much?”
Wrong focus.
Pricing means nothing if you don’t understand how the process actually works.
And trust us — the process isn’t obvious.
Unlike real estate, there’s no agent walking you through each step.
No escrow company coordinating the paperwork.
No standard timelines or templates.
You’re building the process as you go…
Unless you already know the map.
So today, we’re breaking down the 10 stages every serious buyer must master — from search to close to transition.
📈 Acquisition Insight: The 10-Stage Roadmap
1. Clarify Your Buy Box
What are you looking for?
Industry
Geography
Revenue range
Profitability threshold
Owner involvement limits
If you can’t describe it in one sentence, you’re not ready to search.
2. Source Deals
Find deal flow through:
Brokers (BizBuySell, Axial)
Direct outreach (email, calls, LinkedIn)
Your existing network (CPAs, lawyers, bankers)
3. Initial Screening
Quickly filter:
Revenue/profit alignment
Owner dependence
Customer concentration
Deal size fit
4. Seller Intro Call
Start with:
Why they’re selling
What they care about post-sale
What they’re proud of (listen carefully)
5. Review Key Info
Request:
Basic financials
Customer and employee overview
High-level operations summary
6. Negotiate & Draft the LOI
You don’t need to “be a lawyer” to send an LOI.
You just need to get clear on:
Price
Deal structure
Exclusivity
But you need the right template — and the right language — to lock in a fair deal.
📦 Free LOI Templates + Bonus Offer
We’ve prepared battle-tested LOI templates based on 3 years and $1 billion+ in closed deals.
✅ Buyer-favorable terms
✅ Clean structure
✅ Industry-standard language
Bonus:
Use our template and we’ll finalize your LOI for free.
Just email asayat@smblaw.group to get started.
7. Due Diligence
Verify:
Financials (taxes, customer records)
Legal compliance (contracts, liabilities)
Operational health (employees, systems)
8. Financing
Secure:
SBA loan or conventional financing
Seller financing or equity partners
9. Legal Docs & Closing
Finalize:
Purchase agreements
Reps & warranties
Payment logistics
10. Post-Close Transition
Lead:
Employee introductions
Vendor/customer communication
Systems and operations handoff
🔧 Behind the Scenes at SMB Center
We’ve built:
Buyer readiness checklists
Due diligence playbooks
Post-close integration frameworks
We’ll be rolling these out soon to subscribers.
👀 Call to Action: Define Your Buy Box Today
Start your acquisition journey now.
Write down:
Industry
Geography
Revenue range
Profit target
What type of business are you uniquely suited to run?
Need help?
Email us or reply to this newsletter — we’ll point you to the right resource.
And remember:
📦 Need a Buyer-Friendly LOI Template?
We’ve built our LOI template on 3 years and $1 billion of closed deals.
✅ Proven language
✅ Buyer-friendly terms
✅ Ready to customize
Bonus:
Use our template and we’ll finalize your LOI for free.
Just email info@smblaw.group to get started.
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Please consult with your professional advisors before making any business decisions.