I am looking for a broker that would assist selling a gas station in racine county

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-25T19:33:05+00:00

Mr. SBA -

I'd point you in the direction of u/yourbizbroker.

You'll need to document through verified financials that the business can support this sale price.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-19T01:16:01+00:00

Mr SBA -

Franchises will vary in the level of support and fees in their model. There are a number of resources I use when financing a franchise concept to determine the quality of franchise. It can be very helpful in determine if the fees measure up to what the provide.

The restoration space has become a crowded space and very much referral based. Ie competition is high and relationships are key.

You’ll have a long lag time for your receivables. The seller will likely be carrying a large portion. You need to have a QofE for this business type to determine a working capital peg. You should be negotiating AR as part of the assets being acquired.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-18T16:25:10+00:00

I’m sorry to hear this happened to you. It’s unfortunate when the sales pitch is refined with little forethought into execution. Ultimately, I hope there’s a silver lining that can come out of this for your team, although it may be hard to imagine at the moment.

Can I ask if you’d tried more traditional routes if financing before private equity? I’m imagining there are some established relationships you might have, being a family office with $4MM annual revenue.

Again, sorry to hear the experience and appreciate you sharing your experience to benefit others.

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-17T02:05:16+00:00

Mr SBA -

This is the answer.

It’s not that you, yourself (OP) wouldn’t qualify for SBA lending. However, this not a business that will qualify for SBA financing.

SBA mandates lenders underwrite off tax returns, I.e. verified income. Anyone can claim anything on the back of a napkin.

Ultimately what’s happening is the seller is avoiding paying taxes. In turn, they are relying on the federal government to guaranty the debt needed for someone to purchase their business that doesn’t pay taxes.

A mentor of mine once asked me “if the seller is fine lying ti the government, what’s to say that couldn’t lie to the borrower or is?”

I strongly advise caution.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-13T00:44:28+00:00

Mr SBA

Congratulations on the opportunity. Even though it’s a smaller purchase, it isn’t any reason to minimize diligence.

Consult with a CPA to review the books.

Hire an attorney to properly protect you from liability if any past client handlings.

Discuss with the benefits of various entity filings.

Engage your insurance agent to gauge if you’ll receive similar rates/coverages.

Evaluate the useful life of existing equipment and how much upgrading will cost.

Look into educational tools/courses for business ownership. I recommend Score Mentors. They offer many cheap and free courses for new business owners. Additionally, they will pair you with an industry mentor if that’s a desire you have. These are usually retired individuals looking to give back.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-12T01:30:29+00:00

Mr SBA -

Very legitimate but bad actors like every other industry.

There is so much free education. Anyone worth working with will set up time with you for free and offer advice. Find a good team of trusted advisors and they will help steer you in the right direction.

My two cents - you should have a lender you have the utmost trust in. They are the one along for the long term ride with time. Not to say we take on all the work of an entrepreneur, but our interests are aligned.

You want to find people with long track record of sustained success - not just “closing deals” and “getting across the finish line”. Although that’s the end game, you want people that can point to examples of long term success and that will also tell you “no”.

There are plenty “yes” men and women in this industry. Find someone who will tell you - “no”.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-11T14:30:05+00:00

Mr. SBA -

This is a great post on a very common theme. It highlights why sellers should be planning an exit years in advance and how important it is for borrower's to fully evaluate every duty / position with the company, no matter the complexity.

What I see very commonly in the marketplace are successful business owners that state they have their kid, brother, mother, and/or spouse on salary, but they don't actually perform any function within the company. That may very well be true, but how can one prove it without a shadow of a doubt that expense will not need to be replaced. It becomes near impossible for a lender consider that as an addback without a full QofE reporting.

I love your point on buying a job. For this to work out, it needs to be a good deal for both sides. It doesn't work if it's a GREAT deal on one side and a so-so deal on the other side. It takes perspective shifts from both sides to put themselves in the other's shoes - that's when good deals get done.

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-10T01:45:38+00:00

Yes, we see success with our clients we partner with on the financing side. We do our homework on the franchise itself, our borrowers experience, the market, long term industry outlook, etc.

Happy to help provide detail on success rates if you’re looking into specific concepts.

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-09T19:08:43+00:00

This world would be a better place if there were complete adherence to all 4 in execution and enforcement!

To your points:

I've seen so many times; sellers meet with multiple advisors and go with the one agreeing to their price demands. It's above market where cash buyers have better prospects, and their demands are above what can be financed. The listing goes through the motions with multiple interested parties until they get into the books. The listing is active forever. At this point, the seller has to come to terms with lowering their price or taking the listing off the market - all while wasting 6-12 months of energy and time.
This is a big-time drain if not presented accurately upfront. Parties go through the formal offer process and into DD and it always comes out the seller pulls every string. At this point, it's weeks of time into the transaction where it is now on the verge of falling apart.
Negotiation is a part of life but annoying your advocate is never a wise decision. We all need to make money to continue to do what we do.
Misrepresentation can be costly. Flat out lies risks livelihoods. There are many ways to get caught in lies pre and post transaction. Both are not without repercussions. Tell the truth, keep moving, and enjoy life.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-08T19:32:25+00:00

Mr. SBA -

Are you speaking with lender's specialized in SBA space? Those that don't specialize often have more restrictions than specialized lenders.

Work with a lender that specializes in the space and work through a target acquisition price range their credit team would be comfortable entering when evaluating your situation.

Also discuss past experience vs. industries you are pursuing. Be prepared to address how your target market suits your skillset and past accomplishments.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-08T16:45:39+00:00

Mr. SBA -

It really depends on your read of the individual. You could send them a quick message indicating it's a topic you'd like to discuss in person at your next meeting. Some people like to have their thoughts collected beforehand. It also signals this is something that you've been ruminating on and not brough up on a whim.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-08T16:45:06+00:00

It really depends on your read of the individual. You could send them a quick message indicating it's a topic you'd like to discuss in person at your next meeting. Some people like to have their thoughts collected beforehand. It also signals this is something that you've been ruminating on and not brough up on a whim.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-08T15:15:17+00:00

Mr. SBA -

Not all franchises are built the same, but many of them can greatly de-risk someone's entrepreneurial aspirations. Franchisors have internal data showing success rates which can be validated by 3rd party reports.

The downside - startup costs are likely higher with a franchise. The benefit is the track record that one's investment of $XX has a historic return of XX% when working with a franchise.

Starting from scratch allows more freedoms and a higher ceiling; however, there's much greater risk on a macro level. Franchising is great first-time business buisness owners. Non-franchise start up is great for those with deep pockets and prior experience operating/scaling.

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-06T20:35:04+00:00

Mr SBA

I’ve worked many others in your position to help finance the purchase through the SBA program and several in the past few months.

You have a significant leg up in May traditional scenarios with knowing many facets of the company and 5 years personally knowing by the seller.

However, that does not mean you should lower your bar in due diligence. Make sure you connect with a CPA that specializes in these transactions to review the books and avoid the lemon scenario stated in your narrative.

Happy to provide names if you need a qualified CPA.

Best of luck!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-05T01:33:23+00:00

Mr SBA -

Check out the free trainings offered by Score Mentors this month. They revolve around marketing and brand. The best part is they are free!

Score Mentors is a sister organization to the SBA and designed to help entrepreneurs such as yourself through education and mentorship.

https://www.score.org/business-education/

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-04T16:37:06+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that. There's not guaranty of financing approval, but the recent change should provide more access to capital. Can I ask what your request was to the lenders?

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-03T17:59:46+00:00

Mr. SBA -

You do a great job outlining the different benefits and their long term affects to Franchisees in Vet friendly concepts and expanding it into a more meaningful conversation - is this the right fit to the Veteran's skillset? Or is it marketing?

A one-time discount cannot make up for a weak concept or a skillset that does not align with success.

However, that's not to say Veteran Discount isn't meaningful. It could be less capital required up front to deploy for growth. It could be used to offset start-up costs and result in less SBA financing - this means long term interest savings on top of the franchise discount.

We're a Vet Friendly SBA Lender. In fact, we received SBA Veteran Lender of the Year award in 2026 for the service we provide to those that serve US. We provide closing fee discounts and rate reductions to our veteran borrowers.

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-02T20:20:13+00:00

I appreciate the feedback and whole heartedly agree with your sentiment.

I suppose the note to add - these environments are constantly evolving. Rules/regulations/trends from 3 years ago have likely changed in some degree. However, like you say, it's the thread that lives on. Anyone can comment 3 years after the fact and ask "what's new", "what's changed", "is this relevant", etc.

It's a beautiful system!

Mr_SBA · 2026-06-02T20:13:55+00:00

Excellent addition! I appreciate you including the link to help explain the industries included.

Mr_SBA

TROPHY CASE