Main Street To Mid-Street Acquisition & Financing News

Expert insights, funding strategies, and practical guidance for securing capital, financing growth, and navigating business acquisitions. Whether you're raising capital for expansion, restructuring debt, or exploring your first acquisition, our blog provides the knowledge and resources to help you succeed.

Growth
November 17, 2025

How to Value a Small Business: The 3 Core Methods Explained

Valuing a small business comes down to three core methods: asset-based, market-based, and income-based. Asset-based valuations set a baseline by totaling what the business owns minus what it owes, while market-based valuations look at what similar businesses have actually sold for. The income-based approach is the most forward-looking, valuing a business based on the cash flow it can generate in the future.

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Growth
November 17, 2025

Teck Resources and Anglo American Announce $70 Billion Merger

Teck Resources and Anglo American are joining forces in a massive $70B merger to create Anglo Teck, a new global mining powerhouse built around copper—the metal at the center of the renewable-energy and EV boom. The combined company will instantly become one of the world’s top copper producers, with synergistic assets in Chile and Canada that could unlock billions in long-term value. If approved by shareholders in December 2025, this deal will not only reshape the competitive landscape but also signal a major shift toward critical minerals consolidation across the entire mining industry.

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Growth
November 16, 2025

Business Valuation 101: How Buyers and Lenders Determine Price

Business valuation boils down to understanding what a company is truly worth by examining its financial performance, assets, market comparables, and future earning potential. Buyers use these methods to avoid overpaying, while lenders rely on them to assess risk and determine how much debt a business can safely support. By blending asset-based, income-based, and market-based approaches, both parties arrive at a balanced, defensible valuation range.

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Growth
November 16, 2025

Coinbase Cancels $2 Billion Acquisition of BVNK Project

Coinbase’s decision to cancel its $2 billion acquisition of BVNK has sent shockwaves through the crypto industry, especially given how closely the deal aligned with its stablecoin ambitions. While neither company disclosed a reason, analysts point to regulatory pressure, shifting market conditions, or strategic reprioritization as likely drivers. The move signals a more cautious environment for large-scale crypto M&A and may push major exchanges to favor internal development over high-stakes acquisitions.

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Growth
November 14, 2025

What Increases - or Decreases - Your Small Business Valuation Instantly

Your small business valuation can jump or drop overnight based on a few key levers—like steady cash flow, diversified customers, recurring revenue, and how dependent the company is on you as the owner. Landing a long-term contract, tightening operations, or building a stronger brand can instantly boost value, while losing a major client, taking on too much debt, or showing messy financials can drag it down fast. The more predictable, diversified, and professionally run your business looks, the higher multiple buyers are willing to pay.

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Growth
November 14, 2025

The Difference Between Business Value and Sale Price (And Why It Matters)

Business value is the calculated worth of a company based on financial performance, assets, and future earning potential, while the sale price is the number ultimately agreed upon during negotiations. The two often differ because sale price reflects real-world factors like buyer demand, seller motivation, and negotiation leverage—not just the math. Understanding both helps buyers avoid overpaying and helps sellers set realistic expectations to secure stronger outcomes.

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Growth
November 14, 2025

Portland Entrepreneur Files $350M Lawsuit Against Private Equity Firm

Portland entrepreneur Jim Wolfston has filed a $350 million lawsuit against Rubicon Technology Partners, alleging the private equity firm misled him during its majority acquisition of CollegeNET and then fired him months later under false pretenses. The suit claims Rubicon promised to keep Wolfston in leadership but instead blocked product development, imposed cost-cutting measures, and ultimately terminated him after he raised concerns. The case highlights the risks founders face when selling to private equity, especially when post-close expectations for control and strategy diverge.

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Growth
November 12, 2025

Why Every Buyer Needs an SBA Loan Broker in Their Corner

Working with an SBA loan broker gives buyers a major edge in securing financing for business acquisitions. Brokers simplify the complex SBA process by matching you with the right lenders, managing documentation, and negotiating competitive terms. Platforms like Clearly Acquired take it further by combining expert guidance with technology — offering automated prequalification, deal sourcing, and AI-driven valuation tools that help buyers move faster, smarter, and with higher approval odds.

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Growth
November 11, 2025

SBA Loan Broker vs. Direct Bank: Which Gets You Funded Faster?

Choosing between an SBA loan broker and a direct bank comes down to speed and complexity. Brokers typically get you funded faster because they package your file correctly, submit to multiple lenders at once, and navigate underwriting on your behalf—often closing in 45–75 days. Direct banks can be slower, especially if they’re not SBA Preferred Lenders, but may make sense for simple deals when cost savings matter more than timeline.

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Growth
November 11, 2025

How a Franchise Loan Broker Can Help You Launch Faster with Less Risk

A franchise loan broker helps you launch faster and with far less risk by matching you to the right lenders, structuring your loan, and streamlining the entire financing process. Instead of navigating banks alone, a broker brings lender relationships, SBA expertise, and application management to accelerate approvals and reduce costly mistakes. Their guidance ensures you secure favorable terms so you can focus on opening your franchise with confidence—not fighting through paperwork.

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Growth
November 10, 2025

Financing a Franchise: The Complete Guide to SBA and Conventional Options

SBA loans are the go-to for first-time franchisees: smaller down payments (often 10–20%), longer terms (up to 25 years for real estate), and more flexible credit—so long as the brand appears on the SBA Franchise Directory. Conventional bank loans can move faster and sometimes price sharper, but they demand stronger credit, bigger equity, and proven profitability (best for resales or multi-unit operators). Pick based on your liquidity, timeline, and whether your franchise is SBA-eligible.

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Growth
November 10, 2025

How SBA Loan Brokers Help You Navigate Complex Deals

SBA loan brokers cut through the red tape by matching your deal with the right lender, structuring terms that satisfy SBA rules (7(a) or 504), and assembling a lender-ready package that clears underwriting. They troubleshoot sticking points—DSCR shortfalls, valuation gaps, seller-note standby, franchise/lease issues—and keep timelines moving with organized docs and proactive communication. Result: faster approvals, fewer surprises, and better odds of closing on favorable terms.

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Acquire Quality. Fund Growth. Close with Confidence.

As an AI-driven Business Acquisition Marketplace and Financing Platform, we are on a mission to simplify and accelerate the MainStreet to MidStreet lending and acquisition ecosystem.

We specialize in technology that supports price discovery, identity verification and financial qualification, and buy-side tools to help searchers source and manage deal flow, make offers, secure lending/financing solutions, and close with confidence.

illustration of team with digital platform

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions by users that are looking to buy businesses on Clearly Acquired:

How can I show business owners I'm a legitimate buyer and that I'm interested?

With a Clearly Verified account, you can instill confidence in other users, brokers and sellers that you are, who you say you are, when you "verify" your identify.  This is the key to instilling confidence in the users on the platform,  gaining traction and getting instant access to financials, supporting data and insight to quickly move to making an offer or moving on.   This will save you months of wasted time and expedite the closing of a sale.

How are my finances verified?

Using financial technology the Clearly Acquired Platform safely and securely verifies your finances, to help sellers understand your closing capability and help lenders expedite your financing. Additionally, the buy-side deal room will help you get your documentation in order, to prepare you for the debt and equity financing you will need to close your acquisition.

Can I get in touch with advisors to help support me in this process?

The Clearly Acquired team is here to support you on your business acquisition or business sale journey. That said, the platform is designed to connect you with a community of users, who are identify verified, which include: investors, lenders, advisors, brokers, consultants, and other buyers who are looking for partners.  

What is a Deal Hub?

The Deal Hub is the central repository for all transaction-related activities on our business acquisition platform. It serves as a secure and organized space where buyers and sellers can access critical information and manage the entire acquisition process efficiently. The Deal Hub is divided into two main components: the Data Room and the Deal Rooms.

Data Room: The Data Room is a secure, virtual storage space where sellers can upload and share essential documents related to their business. This includes financial statements, legal contracts, operational reports, and other due diligence materials. Buyers can access these documents to conduct thorough evaluations and make informed decisions. The Data Room ensures that all sensitive information is protected and only accessible to authorized parties.

Deal Rooms: The Deal Rooms are dedicated spaces for each business listing where buyers and sellers can collaborate and negotiate terms. Each Deal Room is equipped with tools for real-time communication, document sharing, and tracking the progress of the deal. This streamlined environment facilitates transparent and efficient interactions, helping to expedite the acquisition process and ensuring that both parties are aligned at every stage.

The Deal Hub's comprehensive and secure infrastructure simplifies the complexities of business acquisitions, providing a seamless experience for all users involved.

What is Plaid?

Plaid is a financial technology company that provides a secure and seamless way to connect and interact with financial institutions. It enables applications to access users' financial data with their consent, facilitating a wide range of services such as identity verification, account authentication, and transaction history retrieval. Plaid's robust API infrastructure ensures high security, reliability, and compliance with regulatory standards.

By integrating Plaid, Clearly Acquired can offer a secure, efficient, and reliable method for identity verification, building trust among users and ensuring the integrity of the acquisition process.

I am new to the idea of business acquisition, where can I get more information on how to get started?

Make sure to check out our Educational Course on Business Acquisition that is offered in our paid plans for buyers: From Purchase to Profit: Mastering the Art of Business Acquisition.

This Membership Course for buyers is designed to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate the business acquisition process successfully. Whether you're a first-time buyer or an experienced entrepreneur, our course equips you with the tools and insights needed to make informed decisions and achieve your acquisition goals. Join us and embark on your journey to buying a business with Clearly Acquired.

Easy as 1, 2, 3

Create Your Account. Get Verified. Start Searching.

1

Create an account

Every day, lenders, investors, brokers, and sellers come to Clearly Acquired looking for qualified operators like you. Creating an account and getting verified helps you stand out and build trust.

2

Build your profile

Build your profile to get matched with capital and opportunities. Showcase your expertise and resume, to connect with the right capital and acquisition partners—making every opportunity count.

3

Search & Connect

Browse Verified listings, source off-market deals, & manage deal flow with powerful tools to underwrite opportunities, and connect with capital to streamline the entire acquisition and funding process

Join the Clearly Acquired Search Community

Create Your Profile & Get Verified for Free