Funding to Buy a Business: Cover the Down Payment and Close
Raise the down payment, closing costs, and working capital you need to get to closing.
See What You Qualify For A few quick questions (no credit pull), then book a free 15-minute callAt a Glance
- Typical amounts
- $30K–$200K+ in buyer-side funding. SBA or a seller note usually carries the bigger piece.
- Credit needed
- 700+ on all three bureaus gets the strongest results
- Time to fund
- As fast as 3–7 days if your profile is approval-ready. 30–90 days if it needs prep first.
- Best for
- Down payment, closing costs, and working capital alongside SBA or a seller note
- Our fee
- A percentage of the funding we help you secure. No upfront fee.
Every lender sets its own criteria. Amounts depend on your credit, income, and existing debt and are not guaranteed.
Who It Fits
- 700+ credit score
- No late payments, collections, or charge-offs
- 5+ accounts on your credit report
- A target business, or a clear budget range for your search
- The business's cash flow matters to SBA lenders, and relevant experience helps
Who This Is For
We work with people buying an existing, profitable business: a service company, a local shop, an e-commerce brand, or a book of business from a retiring owner.
- You have a target business, or you're actively looking and want to know your budget
- You have good personal credit and income, but not the full down payment sitting in cash
- You want to know how SBA, seller financing, and your own credit fit together before you make an offer
How Funding a Business Purchase Works
Most acquisitions are funded with a stack of pieces, not one loan. A common setup is an SBA 7(a) loan for most of the price, a seller note where the current owner carries part of it, and a buyer down payment. SBA lenders commonly look for around 10% from the buyer on a full change of ownership, and the lender decides what counts toward that.
That down payment, plus closing costs and working capital, is where we come in. We look at your credit profile and map out what you can raise through personal loans, 0% business credit cards, a HELOC, or a line of credit. Then we line that up with the rest of the deal so it holds up in underwriting.
Ways to Fund an Acquisition
Here's how the main pieces compare. Most buyers use two or three of them together.
What Lenders Look For
The business's cash flow carries a lot of weight in an acquisition, but your personal profile still matters a lot. Our strongest results come from buyers with:
- A 700+ credit score
- No late payments, collections, or charge-offs
- At least 5 accounts on your credit report
- Low revolving balances and few recent inquiries
- Industry or management experience that's relevant to the business you're buying (important for SBA)
Our Process
Tell us about the deal
Purchase price, what the seller is open to, and a quick look at your credit. No credit pull.
Strategy call
A free 15-minute call to see how much buyer cash you can realistically raise and where it should come from.
Build the capital stack
We map which funding to apply for, in what order, and how it fits with your SBA lender and seller note.
Apply and close
We guide you through each application and keep the timing tied to your closing date.
Recent Client Fundings
Results disclaimer: Results shown are real client outcomes, but they are not typical for everyone and are not guaranteed. What you can get approved for depends on your credit profile, income, existing debt, and each lender's own underwriting. Fully Funded is a consulting service, not a lender, and does not make credit decisions.
Business Acquisition Funding Questions
How much money do I need to buy a business?
It depends on the deal. With an SBA loan, buyers often bring around 10% of the price, plus closing costs and some working capital.
Can I buy a business with no money down?
Truly zero-down deals are rare. What's more realistic is reducing the cash you need with seller financing and covering part of the rest with credit-based funding, as long as your lender allows it.
Can I use personal loans for an SBA down payment?
Sometimes, but SBA lenders have strict rules about borrowed equity injections. We plan this with your lender's requirements up front so nothing surprises you in underwriting.
Do you lend the money?
No. We're a consulting service.
How do you get paid?
Our fee is a percentage of the funding we help you secure. There's no upfront fee, and we walk through the exact terms on the call before you commit to anything.
Will checking my options hurt my credit?
No. The pre-qualify questions are self-reported, so there's no credit pull to see your options.
Explore Other Funding Options
Have a Deal in Mind?
Answer a few quick questions, then book a free call.
Get Funded A few quick questions, then book your call