⚡ TL;DR:
New free tool: Enter four numbers from a business listing to estimate cash to close, monthly SBA payments, and whether the earnings support the debt. The calculator also tests seller financing and alternative prices.
10 acquisition leads: A 60-year CPA firm at ~2.5x reported cash flow, Houston FedEx routes reporting $1.9M in cash flow, a Manhattan HOA manager at ~2.2x, and seven more.
New Ink research: Electrical-contractor acquisition loans entered default at roughly twice the rate of SBA acquisition loans overall in FY2023–25. We examine the implication for this week's Oregon contractor listing.
EBIT COMMUNITY · ISSUE #85 · FEATURED FREE TOOL
Can you afford this business? Start with four numbers.
You're looking at a listing. You know what the seller wants and what they say the business earns. But can you actually finance it? We've rebuilt our free SBA acquisition calculator to answer that question without a maze of loan inputs.
Enter four numbers: asking price, annual cash flow, salary for someone running the business, and cash you can invest. It estimates cash needed to close, monthly SBA payments, and debt coverage as you type. Advanced settings are optional.
Try the $2.5M example: At $700K reported SDE, a $150K operator salary, and $300K available cash, the model estimates about $279K needed to close and 1.39x debt coverage. Then replace the example with a listing below. You can also test seller notes or a different price for the same business. Free, no signup; estimates aren't lender approval.
SBA DATA · FROM INK INSURANCE
Electricians are in demand. But what does the data say on acquisitions in the category?
This week's listings include an Oregon solar and electrical contractor. Demand is strong. Acquisition credit performance tells a different story. See the latest data in this week’s post.
Research from Ink Insurance
Newly listed deals
1. 60-Year CPA Firm · Eastern North Carolina
$2.5M asking · ~$1.0M owner cash flow · ~2.5x (reported)
Two partners, recurring tax, bookkeeping and payroll clients, and a seller-reported lender preapproval of the asking price. The partners offer transition support.
EBIT take: Replacing two partner-level roles is the real hurdle. Normalize salaries and verify attest-work licensing.
2. 12 FedEx Linehaul Routes · Houston
$5M asking · $1.9M cash flow · ~2.6x (reported)
Twelve truck-and-driver routes with a manager and a proposed $600K seller note.
EBIT take: Read FedEx transfer rights, audit settlements and fleet maintenance, and verify driver retention.
3. HOA Property Manager · Manhattan
$1.5M asking · $695K profit · ~2.2x (reported)
Thirty-year condo and association manager with eight employees and recurring agreements.
EBIT take: Read termination clauses, establish who owns board relationships, and check New York licensing.
4. 27 FedEx Ground Routes · Maryland
$1.4M advertised price · $944K cash flow · ~1.5x (reported)
The listing calls for $475K in cash plus about $925K in potential vehicle financing to reach the advertised $1.4M transaction price. An operating manager oversees the 27 routes.
EBIT take: This is not a $1.4M all-cash purchase. Verify loan assumptions, truck values and liens, actual buyer equity, and FedEx ISP transfer requirements before treating 1.5x as a comparable multiple.
5. 23-Year Tire Shop · Westchester, NY
$4.25M asking · $1.18M EBITDA · ~3.6x (reported)
Seven bays, 13 employees and an operating team; property sold separately.
EBIT take: Underwrite technician retention, replacement capex, and the lease or property cost.
6. Remote Industrial Waste Logistics · Iowa
$4.1M asking · $995K SDE · ~4.1x (reported)
Nationwide abrasive-material logistics and proprietary software with reported ~75% owner-earnings margin.
EBIT take: One part-time employee creates owner-dependence. Verify environmental liability and a documented vendor handoff.
7. Two-Spa Franchise Package · Houston
$2.2M asking · $595K EBITDA · ~3.7x (reported)
Two staffed massage-and-skincare locations supported by recurring memberships.
EBIT take: Demand membership churn cohorts, staff utilization, lease terms and franchise-transfer costs.
8. Integrative Medicine Clinic · Utah
$2.9M asking · $969K cash flow · ~3.0x (reported)
The cash-pay clinic offers $290K of seller financing at 5% over just 12 months. The listing estimates payments of about $24.8K per month.
EBIT take: The seller-doctor is the primary provider. Price a replacement clinician and include the short seller-note payments in your DSCR rather than treating the financing as free equity.
9. Solar + Electrical Contractor · Oregon
$3.55M asking · $970K owner benefit · $500K real estate included (reported)
Nineteen-year contractor with licensed work in two states, plus a building and yard.
EBIT take: Separate solar margins from electrical, validate qualifiers after closing and appraise real estate.
10. Luxury Outdoor Design-Builder · Florida
$4.75M asking · $1.37M 2025 SDE · ~3.5x (reported)
Pool, landscape and outdoor-construction company reporting $7M revenue and a 15-person team.
EBIT take: Check license holders, signed backlog, true project margins and pro-forma rent. Don't underwrite a forecast as actual.
What did you think of today’s post?
Financing note: All listing prices, earnings and financing descriptions are broker-reported and not independently verified. Acquisition expenses, operator salaries, working capital, and funding structures differ by deal. Use the calculator to run your own assumptions rather than treating asking-price multiples as lender-underwritten DSCR.
Disclaimer: Educational content only, not investment advice. Listings are from third-party sources and accuracy is not guaranteed. Do your own due diligence. Consult with legal, accounting, and financing professionals before making any acquisition decisions.
