What is the best way to finance the acquisition?
Andrew Ramirez
Published Feb 15, 2026
The Top 6 Ways To Finance A Merger Or Acquisition
- 1 Equity Only—No Cash Needed. M&A activity doesn’t always mean that cash needs to trade hands.
- 2 Cash on Hand or Company Profits.
- 3 Seller Notes.
- 4 Seller Equity.
- 5 Banks & SBA Backed Loans.
- 6 Private Equity Firms and Family Offices.
- Example Deal.
How do you finance a business acquisition?
Finance the Purchase
- Your Own Funds. The simplest way to finance a business acquisition is to use your own funds.
- Seller Financing. Another common way to finance an acquisition is to ask the seller to provide financing.
- Bank Loan.
- SBA Loan.
- Leveraged Buyout.
- Assumption of Debt.
Where can I get money for acquisition?
How to finance a business acquisition
- Company Funds.
- Company Equity.
- Earnout.
- Leveraged Buyout.
- Bank Loan.
- SBA Loan.
- Asset-Backed Loan.
- Issuing Bonds.
How do I buy a business with no money?
One way to finance a business with no money down is to do a small business leveraged buyout. In a leveraged buyout, you leverage the assets of the business (plus other funds) to finance the purchase. A leveraged buyout can be structured as a “no-money-down transaction” if one condition is met.
What is a business acquisition loan?
A business acquisition loan is a small business loan that’s designed for financing the purchase of an existing business or franchise. If you own a business with one or more partners, you could also use this type of loan to finance a partnership buyout.
What are funding options for small businesses?
The best way to get capital to grow your business
- Bootstrapping. The funding source to start with is yourself.
- Loans from friends and family. Sometimes friends or family members will provide loans.
- Credit cards.
- Crowdfunding sites.
- Bank loans.
- Angel investors.
- Venture capital.
Who gets the money after acquisition?
The one place it doesn’t go is to the company. The company may receive a cash injection from its new parent, if it remains in existence as a subsidiary; but most often it is dissolved. To acquire a company, the acquirer must purchase all the stock in the company.
Who gets paid in a company acquisition?
In an acquisition, one company purchases another. How a merger or acquisition is paid for often reveals how an acquirer views the relative value of a company’s stock price. M&As can be paid for by cash, equity, or a combination of the two, with equity being the most common.
Can I use SBA loan to start a business?
Loans guaranteed by the SBA range from small to large and can be used for most business purposes, including long-term fixed assets and operating capital. Some loan programs set restrictions on how you can use the funds, so check with an SBA-approved lender when requesting a loan.
How hard is it to get a business acquisition loan?
Cons of business acquisition loans They can be exceptionally difficult to qualify for. Lenders typically expect you to have some skin in the game, i.e. a down payment. You may not qualify for the full amount of funding you need. A personal guarantee may be a condition of loan approval.
How much money can I borrow to buy a business?
How much money can you borrow to buy a business? Business acquisition loan amounts range from $5,000 all the way up to $5,000,000.