Reader,

Happy Friday!

These days, there's a ton of info out there about buying, selling, or merging small businesses. With so many baby boomers retiring soon (what people call the "silver tsunami"), everyone's trying to look like an expert in these deals.

How do you know who's giving you solid advice? How do you separate the posers from the closers? A great way is to check if they're actually closing deals themselves.

If your source isn't doing deals then they really don't know what acquiring a business or selling a business involves. They may push information, but its likely recycled information not based on actual, first-hand experience.

At Deal Street, we share trustworthy info because we're in the trenches every day. Want proof I know my stuff? Easy—just click the "My Profile" link at the bottom of this email.

Deal Street is built on active & on-going experience. Our advice comes straight from real, ongoing work in business sales, mergers, and acquisitions. I bring you what I encounter in the arena. Lately financing small business acquisitions has become VERY difficult.

For years, I relied on local banks to fund our deals. Banks haven't changed much—they still focus on "hard assets" like equipment or property that they can use as collateral if things go wrong. But lots of small businesses don't have those—they've got strong history, steady cash flow, loyal customers, a great reputation, and solid profits. Those are "intangible" assets, which banks don't usually accept as collateral.

That's where the SBA 7(a) loan program comes in. It's the main way to get funding for these kinds of deals. Banks love it because the SBA guarantees part of the loan. But every lender has their own rules.

For example, some want a "debt service coverage ratio" (DSCR) of 1.25 or higher—that just means the business needs enough cash flow to cover loan payments by at least 25% extra. Others might be okay with 1.15 or 1.2. If you don't know this upfront, you could waste months with a lender, only to hear, "Sorry, not enough coverage." It's frustrating and a huge time suck!

That's why you shouldn't bet everything on one lender. I got fed up with local banks dragging our clients along and then saying no. Tired of hearing the same old excuses from the same handful of places. So, I built a Lender's Network with lenders from all over the country—of all shapes and sizes.

Why? Because financing small businesses is like playing the numbers game. If one or two (or even three) say no, it doesn't mean your deal is bad. But if that's all you try, you'll never know!

With one click, I send our in-house deals to nearly 100 lenders (and it's growing every day). We're talking local banks, national ones, non-bank SBA options, credit unions, private investors, family offices, and more. They all have different appetites. Some like steak, some are vegetarians and others stick to the keto diet!

This is how you actually close deals: Shop around, make lenders compete, hunt for the best rates and terms, and check every option. Now, I've opened up this same network to outside deals through Deal Street.

Sure, there are loan brokers out there—some good, some not. Many specialize in other stuff, not small businesses. And most charge a cut of your loan, like 1-3%. On a $1 million loan, 1% is $10,000! That's a lot, even if they don't charge upfront.

We do it differently: A simple flat fee. Then, we roll up our sleeves—help package your deal nicely, advise on what flies and what doesn't, shop it confidentially, set up meetings, handle info swaps, and guide you right to closing. Most brokers just send it out and leave you hanging. We stick with you the whole way.

Think of our Lender's Network as a top-notch, personal loan service—the most affordable and effective you'll find! If you've got a solid deal, we'll help get it funded. We keep it cheap because this is the same network I use for my own deals. Loan brokering is not how we pay our bills—we're all about doing deals and closing them to pay the bills.

Financing is key to that, and closing is the toughest part.

The need is real and we have a solution - so why not make it available to everybody at an affordable price. Whether the loan is for $50,000 or $5,000,000 the fee is the same, the service is the same and we guarantee a personal touch with professional guidance.

The need is out there, and we've got the fix—so why not share it affordably with everyone? Whether your loan is $50,000 or $5 million, the fee's the same, the service is top-tier, and we promise hands-on, professional guidance.

Curious? Reply to this email, message us on Facebook, or click the link below to chat. I'll get back to you ASAP. Good luck, and have an awesome day!

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Sincerely,

Shep