Acquisition screening for boring cash-flow businesses

    Small Business Evaluator

    Screen a local business before you chase the broker: normalize SDE, compare cash flow to price, stress-test debt, and decide whether the deal is an acquire, partner, sell-services, or pass.

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    What the evaluator checks

    A practical first-pass screen for Main Street businesses where the buyer needs to know if the numbers deserve deeper diligence.

    Normalize seller cash flow

    Start with SDE multiple ranges, owner add-backs, replacement salary, working capital, and recurring capex so the asking price is tied to buyer cash flow.

    Stress-test financing

    Model SBA loan DSCR, down payment needs, seller financing terms, and downside cases before you send numbers to the broker or lender.

    Score the operating upside

    Separate real AI operations upside from vague growth stories: missed-call capture, admin automation, billing cleanup, marketing gaps, and review velocity.

    Run the first-pass deal screen

    Evaluator output

    Acquire candidate

    Normalized cash flow
    $240,000
    SDE multiple
    2.97x
    Annual debt service
    $125,628
    DSCR
    1.91x
    Risk score
    64/100
    AI upside score
    85/100

    Cash-on-cash after estimated senior debt service: 39%. This is a first-pass screen, not a certified valuation or lending commitment.

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    Formulas visible. Cancel anytime. Not investment advice.

    Buyer decision framework

    Turn messy listing data into a go / no-go screen.

    The goal is not a certified valuation. It is a fast evaluator that shows whether the seller story survives the first cash-flow-to-price, risk, and financing checks.

    Build a lender-ready deal file

    Small Business Evaluator checklist

    cash-flow-to-price sanity check
    SDE multiple and owner add-backs
    seller financing and SBA payment scenarios
    risk score for revenue concentration, owner dependence, and cyclicality
    AI operations upside from repeatable admin, billing, marketing, and scheduling work
    deal comparison scenarios for acquire, partner, sell services, or pass
    Practice valuation

    Run dental and professional-practice valuation checks when healthcare cash flow is the deal source.

    NPV and ROI

    Compare purchase price, projected cash flow, terminal value, and required return.

    Debt and seller notes

    Pressure-test SBA payments, seller notes, down payment, and DSCR before sending an offer.

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