StretchLearn Course

Buy a profitable business instead of starting from zero.

Source real deals, value them on the right multiple, finance with an SBA 7(a) loan, and close with confidence on a business that already makes money.

Preview Curriculum Back to Catalog

Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Buying an existing business is faster and far less risky than starting one, but most first-time buyers overpay, miss red flags, or get stuck at financing. This course teaches the entire deal cycle: building a buy-box, sourcing on-market and off-market deals, reading a CIM and recasting financials to Seller's Discretionary Earnings, valuing on industry multiples, negotiating an LOI and asset purchase agreement, running financial, legal, and operational due diligence, funding with an SBA 7(a) loan, and transitioning ownership so the business keeps running after the seller leaves. Every concept is tied to real numbers, named tools, and the documents you will actually sign.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Define a buy-box and source on-market and off-market deals through brokers, BizBuySell, and direct outreach

Recast a seller's financials to Seller's Discretionary Earnings and value a business using industry SDE and EBITDA multiples

Draft a non-binding Letter of Intent that sets price, structure, exclusivity, and key terms before due diligence

Run financial, legal, and operational due diligence using a structured checklist and a quality-of-earnings lens

Structure financing with an SBA 7(a) loan, seller note, and equity injection and model debt service coverage

Plan a 90-day ownership transition that retains employees, customers, and the seller's operating knowledge

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: The Acquisition Path and Finding Deals

Acquisition entrepreneurship is a real path to ownership, and it starts with knowing what to buy and where the deals are. This module sets your buy-box and opens the on-market and off-market channels that produce real opportunities.

3 lessons

Why Buy a Business Instead of Starting OneContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Building Your Buy-Box and Acquisition CriteriaContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Deal Sourcing: On-Market and Off-Market ChannelsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Valuation: What the Business Is Really Worth

A business is worth what it can earn for its new owner, and that number is rarely the asking price. This module teaches you to recast financials, calculate SDE, and apply the right multiple.

3 lessons

Recasting Financials to Seller's Discretionary EarningsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Multiples, Asset Value, and the Price RangeContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Reading Quality of Earnings and Red FlagsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: The Offer and Due Diligence

An offer opens a controlled investigation, not a final commitment. This module covers writing a Letter of Intent and running the financial, legal, and operational due diligence that confirms what you are buying.

3 lessons

Writing the Letter of IntentContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Financial and Legal Due DiligenceContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Operational Due Diligence and the Purchase AgreementContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Financing and the Ownership Transition

Most acquisitions are funded with borrowed money, and the deal only succeeds if the handover preserves what made the business valuable. This module covers SBA 7(a) financing, deal structure, closing, and a 90-day transition.

3 lessons

Funding the Deal: SBA 7(a), Seller Notes, and EquityContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Modeling Debt Service and Closing the DealContent · 45 min

LMS Access

The First 90 Days: A Clean Ownership TransitionContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

buying a businesssmall business acquisitiondue diligenceSBA 7(a) loanbusiness valuationletter of intentseller financingSDE multiple