What are the odds of receiving all cash from the sale of my business?
A- I would estimate that only 20% or less of the businesses I sell every year get sold for all cash. The majority of these are sales under $125k. Despite the claims that some banks and SBA lenders make about offering 100% financing for small business acquisitions, the reality is that this scenario rarely occurs. Its been my experience that most banks and lenders are extremely cautious about small business acquisitions, and are more than likely going to require the Seller to agree to carry back (in the form of a note) a portion of the sales price (usually 10% to 20%) before they will approve a loan. Be advised also that most lenders will perform their own business valuation to determine if the cash flow can support the accepted asking price and terms. If it doesn’t, they may require the Seller to adjust the asking price and terms before approving financing.
