StretchLearn Course

Skip the Startup Grind. Buy a Business That Already Works.

Value it, structure the deal, run due diligence, fund it with an SBA loan, and take over cleanly.

Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Buying a business that already has customers, revenue, and a team is often a faster, lower-risk path to ownership than building from scratch. This course walks through the entire acquisition: sourcing deals, reading the seller's numbers, valuing on SDE and EBITDA multiples, structuring asset versus stock purchases with earn-outs and seller notes, running a disciplined due diligence checklist, financing with SBA 7(a) acquisition loans, and managing the first 100 days of transition. By the end you can evaluate a real listing, build an offer a bank will fund, and close with eyes open.

Learning Outcomes

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

Source acquisition targets and screen listings against your buy-box criteria

Value a small business using SDE and EBITDA multiples and a sanity-check cross method

Structure a deal with the right mix of cash, seller note, and earn-out

Run a due diligence checklist that surfaces deal-killing risks before closing

Finance an acquisition with an SBA 7(a) loan and size the down payment correctly

Plan a 100-day owner transition that retains customers, staff, and cash flow

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: Why Buy, and How to Find the Right Business

Buying beats building for many people. This module covers the case for acquisition, how to define what you are hunting for, and where the deals actually are.

3 lessons

Buy vs. Build: Why Acquisition Often WinsContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Defining Your Buy-Box: What to Hunt ForContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Where Deals Live: Brokers, Listings, and Off-MarketContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Valuing the Business and Structuring the Deal

Learn how small businesses are actually priced, how to value one yourself, and how to structure terms that protect you and bridge price gaps.

3 lessons

SDE, EBITDA, and the MultipleContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Running a Valuation: A Worked ExampleContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Deal Structure: Asset vs. Stock, Notes, and Earn-OutsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Due Diligence and Financing the Purchase

Verify everything before you wire money, and fund the deal with an SBA acquisition loan structured to keep you cash-flow positive.

3 lessons

Financial Due Diligence: Verify the NumbersContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Operational and Legal Due DiligenceContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Financing With an SBA 7(a) Acquisition LoanContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Closing and the Owner Transition

Get from accepted offer to keys in hand, then run a disciplined first 100 days that keeps customers, staff, and cash flow intact.

3 lessons

From LOI to Closing: The Deal ProcessContent · 45 min

LMS Access

The First 100 Days: Stabilize Before You ChangeContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Common Pitfalls and Putting It All TogetherContent · 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.

business acquisitionbusiness valuationSDE multipleEBITDAdue diligenceSBA 7(a) loandeal structureowner transition