Business Tips
How to Optimize Your sde Calculation and Business Setup Before Selling
Income does not equal profitable. I talk to owners who want to know what their company is worth, but the real question is whether it can run without you. Here's how to get your operations and books ready for a future sale.
SBA Size Standards: Will Your Buyer Qualify for a 7(a) Loan?
SBA size standards decide whether your buyer can use a 7(a) loan to buy your business. Here is how the rule works and what to check before you list.
SBA SOP 50 10 8.1: What the October 1, 2026 Rules Mean If You're Selling Your Business
Starting October 1, 2026, SBA buyers need 1.25x debt coverage on past earnings, an independent valuation on every sale, and total debt capped at appraised value. Here's what that does to your asking price.
Unlock More: Higher SBA Caps Could Open Bigger Buying Power
A Quiet Policy Shift With Massive Consequences Congress is pushing a proposal that would double the SBA loan limit for manufacturing businesses from roughly $5–5.5 million to $10 million. Inc. confirms this proposal is tied to rising bankruptcies and the urgent need to support U.S. manufacturers. (External link: https://www.inc.com/melissa-angell/congress-wants-to-double-sba-loan-limits-as-small-business-bankruptcies-hit-record-high/91273233) If this passes, it will instantly change the landscape for buyers, [...]
Start a Business With No Money the Real Way
This is Week 1 of the “Start With No Money” series. Today is Day 1: How do you start a business with no money? TLDR You don’t need capital to start. You need movement, skills you already have, and a simple way to turn those skills into money fast. Week 1 of the “Start With No Money” series [...]
Acquisition Not Start-Up: Ken Massey’s Leap Into Ownership
Why one man stopped chasing start-up glory and bought his way into freedom. The Myth of the Start-Up Hero We glorify the start-up grind — late nights, ramen budgets, and “build it from nothing” stories that sound heroic but usually end in burnout. What rarely makes the headlines are the quiet entrepreneurs who skip the [...]
How One Policy Could Wreck Your Business Sale
TL;DR: A new national survey shows that 87% of small business owners want Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits made permanent, and 84% say losing them would cause severe financial strain. Health-care costs are one of the most overlooked levers in small business valuation, exit planning, and acquisition strategy. Buyers and sellers who get ahead [...]
How to Protect Your Business from Clients Who Ghost, Flake, or Screw You
What to Do When a Client Tries to Stiff You After the Job’s Done Lessons from a Reddit cleaner who got underpaid—and how BusinessOwner.com could’ve prevented the whole mess. It’s a familiar story… You say yes to a last-minute cleaning job. You buy the supplies. You show up on time. You knock out the work. [...]