Business guides, webinars, and newsletters from Surge Business Law.
There is no standard formula for buying out a business partner. There is whatever your operating agreement says. If it says nothing, there is whatever the two of you can negotiate…
Buying a franchise is different from buying an independent business. You're not just acquiring assets and customers. You're entering a legal relationship with a franchisor that go…
The SBA 7(a) loan program is the most common financing tool for small business acquisitions. The SBA doesn't lend money directly, it guarantees a portion of the loan made by a par…
Seller financing is one of the most common ways to fund a small business acquisition. The seller agrees to receive part (or all) of the purchase price over time instead of getting…
Not every business acquisition is funded by a single bank loan. In practice, most small business deals use a combination of financing sources, and the more creative you are about…
"Buy a business with no money down" is one of the most searched phrases in business acquisition. It's also one of the most misleading. Can you buy a business without putting up ca…
The asking price is where negotiation starts, not where it ends. In most small business acquisitions, the final deal looks meaningfully different from the initial offer, and not j…
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is the document that moves a business acquisition from "interested" to "serious." It outlines the basic terms you and the seller are agreeing to before ei…
Not every business for sale is a good deal. Some are overpriced. Some have problems the seller isn't disclosing. And some look like problems on paper but are actually excellent op…
The purchase price is just one part of what you'll spend when buying a business. There are legal fees, due diligence costs, financing charges, license transfers, and working capit…
Some business buyers try to handle the transaction themselves to save money. They download a template purchase agreement, skip formal due diligence, and hope for the best. Sometim…
An Asset Purchase Agreement (APA) is the legal contract that governs the sale of a business. It defines exactly what you're buying, what you're paying, and what protections each s…
Due diligence when buying a business is the investigation you conduct after signing a Letter of Intent but before committing to the purchase. It's your one chance to verify the se…
Buying a business is one of the fastest ways to become a business owner, but the legal side of the transaction is where deals succeed or fall apart. A bad contract, missed liabili…
When I tell a room of business owners that 90% of them do not know how much they make, almost every head in the room nods. Sometimes I question myself when I say it out loud. Then…
Too many businesses closed down in 2025, and one thing we saw over and over in those closures was an MCA loan. If you are anywhere near signing one of these emergency business loa…
When you started your business, you were probably willing to take big risks. You launched something from scratch, figured things out as you went, and pushed through all the uncert…
If you're a small business owner considering selling, you've probably heard the term "business valuation." And if you've done even a little research, you might have stumbled into…
If your Iowa business is buried in debt, you’re not alone — and you still have options. Many small business owners believe bankruptcy is the only way out, but that’s not always tr…
I talk to small business owners and startup founders every week, and the single most common and heartbreaking story I hear goes like this: “I spent six months and $50,000 building…
“How do I actually get paid for my unpaid invoices?” I saw this question on Reddit recently, and it’s one I hear from business owners all the time. The poster wasn’t asking what t…