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
September 23, 2025

How to Ensure DOT Compliance Post-Acquisition

Post-acquisition, ensuring DOT compliance requires more than just transferring ownership—it’s about building a unified, audit-ready operation. Start with rigorous due diligence on FMCSA records and internal documentation, then standardize safety, testing, and maintenance programs across the new entity. Regular audits, digital compliance tools, and strong oversight safeguard against violations, protect your investment, and set the foundation for long-term success.

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Growth
September 22, 2025

Current Market Multiples for Main Street Businesses

In 2025, most Main Street deals price off SDE at roughly 2.0–3.2x and revenue around ~0.6–0.7x, with larger, professionally run firms shifting to EBITDA-based multiples. Premiums go to stable, tech-enabled and healthcare/services businesses with recurring revenue, diversified customers, and clean ops; discounts hit owner-dependent, volatile sectors like independent restaurants and shaky e-commerce. Higher rates keep a lid on valuations, so predictability and professional management are doing most of the multiple lifting.

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Growth
September 22, 2025

Top Metrics for Benchmarking Competitors in M&A

In M&A, benchmarking competitors means going beyond surface-level numbers to identify true strengths and risks. The most important metrics include revenue growth, profitability ratios like EBITDA margin, valuation multiples, and market share—each providing insights into financial health, efficiency, and competitive standing. Layering in retention rates, leverage, and integration readiness ensures buyers can spot both synergies and red flags before moving forward.

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Growth
September 19, 2025

How Profitability Ratios Impact Business Valuation

Profitability ratios are critical to business valuation because they show how effectively a company converts revenue into profit. Metrics like gross margin, operating margin, net profit margin, and ROI/ROE help buyers and investors assess efficiency, scalability, and long-term earning potential. Strong, consistent ratios usually support higher valuation multiples, while declining or inconsistent performance often raises red flags.

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Growth
September 19, 2025

How Rate Cuts Are Reshaping SBA Loans—and Why They May Fuel Record M&A in 2026

The Federal Reserve’s latest rate cut brings down SBA loan costs, giving entrepreneurs lower monthly payments and improved cash flow. These shifts don’t just benefit small business borrowers—they also feed into broader capital markets, where Goldman Sachs projects 2026 could become a record-breaking year for M&A. Lower borrowing costs, rising confidence, and capital market liquidity are aligning to fuel dealmaking at every level.

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Growth
September 18, 2025

Business Purchase Budget Planner

A business purchase budget planner helps entrepreneurs map out all the financial pieces of an acquisition beyond just the purchase price. From down payments and legal fees to financing costs and loan repayments, it gives a clear picture of total investment and ongoing obligations. This level of planning helps buyers avoid surprises, negotiate smarter, and step into ownership with confidence.

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Growth
September 18, 2025

5 Supplier Ethics Risks in M&A Deals

When acquiring a business, supplier ethics can create hidden risks that carry over post-deal. Labor violations, environmental non-compliance, corruption, data security gaps, and poor supply chain transparency can all trigger legal liabilities, reputational fallout, and financial losses. To safeguard deal value, buyers must conduct thorough due diligence and use modern tools to assess supplier practices before closing.

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Growth
September 17, 2025

How to Value Historic Property Restoration Businesses

Valuing a historic property restoration business goes beyond just looking at revenue and profit—it requires weighing certifications, reputation, and the specialized expertise needed to work within strict preservation rules. Since projects are often large, irregular, and tied to regulatory approvals, cash flow stability and contract backlogs become key indicators of value. A blended approach that factors in financial metrics, intangible assets like client trust, and location-specific demand provides the clearest picture of worth.

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Growth
September 17, 2025

Business Break-Even Calculator

A business break-even calculator helps entrepreneurs quickly figure out the exact point where revenue covers costs—when the business stops losing money and starts moving toward profit. By inputting fixed costs, variable costs, and pricing, it gives a clear sales target and helps guide pricing, budgeting, and strategy. With this tool, business owners can make smarter, data-driven decisions about growth, cost-cutting, or adjusting their offerings.

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Growth
September 16, 2025

Cash Flow Projection Tool

A cash flow projection tool helps small business owners map out expected income and expenses so they can anticipate financial gaps before they happen. By forecasting inflows and outflows, you gain visibility into whether you’ll have enough to cover payroll, purchases, or growth initiatives. This proactive approach reduces surprises, supports smarter decision-making, and strengthens long-term business resilience.

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Growth
September 15, 2025

How Search Funds Build Winning Teams

Search funds win by buying a single, stable business and immediately upgrading the team—because execution risks, not spreadsheets, make or break returns. The best operators tap into investor/advisor networks, as well as alumni circles, to recruit pre-vetted leaders quickly, then utilize integrated platforms (e.g., data rooms, NDAs, onboarding playbooks) to align incentives and accelerate the first 100 days. Mentorship and structured hiring beat job boards every time—faster, cheaper, and far higher signal.

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Growth
September 15, 2025

Deal Structure Comparison Tool

A Deal Structure Comparison Tool helps entrepreneurs and investors evaluate offers beyond headline numbers by factoring in timelines, risks, and payout structures. It enables side-by-side analysis of cash deals, stock swaps, and earn-outs, while adjusting for risk to show the true value of each option. With this clarity, you can negotiate smarter, avoid pitfalls, and choose the structure that best aligns with your goals.

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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