{
  "title": "How to Structure an Acquisition Deal: 5 Simple Structures",
  "url": "https://acquisitions.com/blog/how-to-structure-an-acquisition-deal/",
  "author": "Moran Pober",
  "publisher": "Acquisitions.com",
  "published": "2026-10-22",
  "updated": "2026-10-22",
  "section": "From the videos",
  "keyword": "how to structure an acquisition deal",
  "short_answer": "Most broker deals are simple, with cash up front from a loan or an investor. Off-market deals let you get creative with seller financing, the seller keeping a slice of the business, and earn-outs tied to results. The structure that closes is the one that gives the seller a good exit and leaves you with less cash to find.",
  "facts": {
    "Cash up front from a loan": [
      "Broker deals, buyers who can move fast",
      "Your equity share of the price, usually 10% and up on an SBA loan",
      "Debt payments every month whatever the business does"
    ],
    "Cash up front from an equity investor": [
      "Bigger deals, buyers short on cash",
      "Little of your own; the investor takes a share",
      "You give up part of the ownership and some control"
    ],
    "Seller financing with interest": [
      "Off-market deals, sellers who want an income",
      "Low, sometimes none",
      "The seller can take the business back if you stop paying"
    ],
    "Seller keeps a slice": [
      "Owners who want a second payday and a role",
      "Lower by the slice they keep",
      "You share decisions and the upside"
    ],
    "Earn-out": [
      "Businesses whose numbers need proving",
      "Lower at closing",
      "Disputes over how the milestone is measured"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    "https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans"
  ],
  "license": "Facts may be quoted with attribution to Acquisitions.com and a link to the url above."
}