The SBA said yes. Now fund the last 10 percent.
The most common way a business acquisition dies in 2026 is not rejection, it is approval: an SBA 7(a) file approved except for the equity injection the buyer does not have in cash. That gap is a structure problem, and structure problems are solvable.
What the equity injection gap actually is
SBA lenders require the buyer side to inject equity, commonly around 10 percent, with rules about where it comes from. Personal cash is cleanest, but investor equity and standby seller notes can qualify when documented to SBA standards. Get the documentation wrong and the approved loan unwinds.
Closing the gap without breaking the file
Three instruments, combined deal by deal.
- Investor equity raised through a properly structured SPV
- Seller notes on full standby where the lender permits
- Documentation the SBA file accepts: no side letters, no surprises
Proof this closes deals
This month our client closed the acquisition of a Texas HVAC services platform, financing completed and wired, using the structure-first process this page describes. The pattern repeats across trades, services, and real-asset acquisitions.
Scope of work
Straight answers.
The questions dealmakers ask about this before they book.
Yes, when it is genuine equity documented to SBA standards, typically through a properly structured entity rather than informal loans. The structure and paperwork decide whether the lender accepts it.
Seller notes on full standby can count toward part of the injection under current SOP rules, subject to lender policy. They are usually combined with real equity rather than replacing it.
Entities in days to two weeks, documents on an expedited track when a closing date is set. Tell us the date on day one and the sequence runs backward from it.
Here is how we structure it.
Entity, offering documents, CFA-built model, data room, then debt and equity introductions. Flat fee, no percentage of your raise. Map your deal on a strategy call.