169: How to Buy a Business Even if You’re Broke

Jun 30, 2025

Discover how to buy a profitable business without needing a hefty wallet. Learn about innovative strategies like seller financing and SBA loans that make business acquisition accessible. The discussion highlights vital financial metrics to evaluate deals and stresses the importance of cash flow. Avoid common pitfalls that can derail your plans, ensuring a smoother investment journey. With practical tips and valuable resources, you’ll be empowered to take control of your financial future through business ownership.

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INSIGHT

Buy Existing Business Advantage

Starting a business from scratch often fails due to high risk and time investment.
Buying an existing profitable business skips these risks and provides instant cash flow and customers.

ADVICE

5 Ways to Buy With No Money

Use seller financing, SBA loans, investor partners, earnouts, or equity rollovers to buy businesses with little or no money.
Negotiate creative deal structures to leverage cash flow without needing large cash reserves upfront.

INSIGHT

Cash Flow is King

Cash flow is the most critical metric when buying a business; it must cover debt, owner salary, and reinvestment.
Also focus on debt coverage ratio and margin of safety to ensure business can sustain downturns.

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Starting a business from scratch can be risky and costly. But what if you could skip the grind and buy a profitable business instead? In this episode, Steve reveals how you can buy a business—even if you don’t have a lot of money. He covers five ways to structure a deal with little to no cash, including seller financing, SBA loans, and investor partners.

You’ll also learn the three key numbers to focus on when evaluating a business and how to avoid rookie mistakes that can blow up your deal. If you’re serious about building wealth through business ownership, buying an existing business could be one of the smartest, fastest paths forward.

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

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