Robert Brauns

🚀 Meet PACT, simplifying SBA-backed acquisitions with investors. Think YC’s SAFE, but built for Main Street M&A. 📘 What is PACT and why we built it PACT (Partnership Acquisition Commonsense Terms) is a free, balanced starting point for the agreements used in SBA-backed acquisitions with outside investors. For too long, SBA-backed acquisitions with outside investors have been the wild west: every deal is different, inefficient, and confusing, especially for first-time searchers raising capital. PACT gives everyone a common baseline so reviews are faster, expectations are clear, and operators can focus on acquiring the business. 🧩 SAFE for ETA Y Combinator’s SAFE gave startups a shared template that made early investing easier to execute. PACT brings that same idea to ETA. It teaches the key concepts in plain English, aligns searchers and investors on the economics, and sets a fair place to start. Our goal is for PACT to become the default baseline for investor-backed small business acquisitions using SBA loans. 🤝 Who contributed 🏛️ Legal input from top SMB M&A attorneys: Joseph Spina (Cullen and Dykman LLP), Mark Dittrich (Groundswell Advisors, LLP), and Eric Hsu (Clear Focus Law, PLLC) provided feedback on drafts. 💼 Early investor adopters: Jordan F. (Shareholder Ventures), Grant Hensel (Entrepreneurial Capital), Jason Ehrlich (Fruition Capital), Sean Smith (Search Fund Ventures), Adam Kaplan (ETA Funding Partners), Jacob Hall (Kando Capital), Tony Cappaert (Workbench Capital) and Adam Markley (PROX Search Capital) have adopted PACT on new deals. 🎓 Community support: Chelsea Wood and Walker Deibel at the Acquisition Lab and Buy Then Build have committed to start educating the community on how investor deals work using PACT. 👉 What to do next 🔍 Searchers: download the docs and ask your lawyer to start from PACT. ⚖️ SMB M&A Law firms: review the templates and send feedback so the next version is better. 💸 SMB investors: adopt PACT as your starting point and share redlines from real deals. This is a community-led standard, and we will keep versioning PACT as feedback comes in from all sides. 📝 Thanks: Special thanks to Joseph Spina for leading the legal drafting with me and helping shape a true middle ground. 🔗 Download PACT and see the key terms: ETAPACT.com (link in the comments) Let’s make investor-backed acquisitions clearer, faster, and fairer for everyone. 🚨 DISCLAIMER: PACT is not legal advice. Searchers must engage experienced SMB M&A counsel to review and tailor these documents to their deal.

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Rockefeller’s Lesson for #Miami Entrepreneurs by CPS Growth Institute John D. Rockefeller didn’t ask, “Where should I invest?” He asked, “How do I make my wealth untouchable, so it compounds forever?” That’s why he built trusts, vaults, and foundations that outlived him. Today, Miami’s entrepreneurs face the same threats he did: Rising taxation Volatile markets Legal exposure The solution? A family bank structure that: Locks in compounding growth. Protects assets from volatility and liability. Gives liquidity without sacrificing continuity. This is not a product. It’s a Rockefeller system for modern wealth. We design these dynastic vaults for a select group of HNWIs each quarter. #money #news #market #opportunity #investor

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Follow for free guide — Most business buyers and real estate investors don’t start with cash — they start with strategy. The wealthy acquire businesses, properties, and income streams using financing, partners, seller agreements, and systems. Instead of saving for years, smart buyers use OPM (Other People’s Money) to acquire assets that generate cash flow, appreciation, and long-term wealth. You don’t need to be a millionaire to own a company — you need knowledge, negotiation, and the right structure. Build teams, leverage tax benefits, and reinvest your profits so your portfolio grows even while you sleep. ⚠️ Disclaimer: Nothing here is financial advice. There are risks and no guarantees. 👉 Click the link in bio to start. #business #entrepreneur #marketing #success #smallbusiness #motivation #money #businessowner #entrepreneurship #love #digitalmarketing #instagram #startup #branding #instagood #mindset #finance #design

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What does a business look like after financing a SBA Loan? How do the financials change? Backing into the Monthly “Napkin Math” using listing numbers. This video is extracted form yesterday’s boring business. - Includes a snapshot of yesterday’s breakdown of how your business will operate after new debt payments, new salaries, and new spending - before adjusting for additional expenses - Consider things like rent adjustments, new hires, software expenses or equipment needed. - If you decide to purchase a business in SMB - you will most likely being using some portion of debt. - Keep in mind that the seller ran the business most likely with little or no debt if it’s been profitable for a long time. Make sure to build in some cushion. Due to the decreased net margins to service the debt, things like seasonality and lost customers can have significant impact on the projection. Most SBA Loans show signs of default in the first 18-36 months then things balance out.

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The deal is pre-approved for SBA financing. It says it in the listing. If you have visited any website with SMBs listed for sale, you have likely come across the line "SBA Pre-Approved" or some derivation of it. I have even seen some brokers put it in the listing headline. So what does it mean? The secret is that SBA Pre-Approved means nothing. SBA financing is a very common tool that is used in the acquisition of SMBs. Traditional financing is usually unavailable for deals this size because of the risk the lender has to take on (i.e., the risk isn't worth the reward), but with the SBA guaranteeing a significant portion of the loan, lenders are open to financing the deal. SBA lenders don't pre-approve businesses for lending. SBA loans are deal-specific. Lenders can't pre-approve the deal without knowing the deal structure and reviewing the books, contracts, and business's details. If the deal doesn't underwrite or comply with the SBA requirements, the lender can't approve it. Lenders can't pre-approve anything since deal terms aren't known until an LOI is agreed to. SBA loans depend heavily on the buyer's creditworthiness, experience, management skills, and available equity. Until the lender knows who the buyer is, they can't assess these critical factors. Obviously, the broker doesn't know who the buyer is when creating the listing to find a buyer. If SBA Pre-Approved doesn't mean anything, why does it appear in so many listings? At its core, this phrase is used for marketing purposes. Potential buyers might see "SBA Pre-Approved" and translate it to mean that the business has already been scrutinized and might be easier to finance. In reality, it is no different than the next deal “without pre-approval.” Some brokers try to control the transaction structure. Instead of assisting the buyer and seller to negotiate an agreeable structure, some brokers will push the parties into an SBA-financed, debt-free, cash-free transaction structure. "SBA Pre-Approved" may be part of this effort. Savvy buyers should know that there is no such thing as SBA Pre-Approval and should see through any attempts by anyone to control the terms of the deal. It can be challenging to differentiate between legitimate information and attempts to coerce buyers. SBA Pre-Approval should become second nature to ignore. #MergersAndAcquisitions #SBA #SMB

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Anyone can list a business for sale. Few can make it desirable. Buyers don’t pay for effort — they pay for systems, leadership, and predictable performance. They invest in what will thrive after the owner steps away. If you’re focused only on selling, you’re thinking short-term. If you’re focused on building something worth buying, you’re creating legacy and leverage. 💬 Start with value. The exit will take care of itself. #ExitPlanning #BusinessValue #MergersAndAcquisitions #Leadership #LuisDeLaPrida #TheNYBBGroup

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We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Summer 2025 ORIX Corporation USA Private Credit Bridge Program. Today we begin training 80+ students from 30+ colleges and universities, providing them with exposure to structured credit, growth capital, infrastructure and public finance with ORIX USA professionals. The multi-week program will include interactive speaker sessions with leaders from ORIX Corporation USA, and sector specific technical training, providing participants with exposure to early career opportunities at ORIX Corporation USA. Thank you to our sponsor, ORIX Corporation USA, Mallory Schenk, PHR, Jeff Bede, Katarina Krsikapa, Asmaa Swidan, Ellie Ivanova, Haze Ahn, Robert Wetzler, and Will Bermudez.

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Contractors must understand the critical role of SEO in attracting clients. Many underestimate that a well-optimized website can drive organic leads and compare favorably against competition. Improving visibility can mean the difference between landing a project and being overlooked entirely. For example, companies successfully targeting local keywords have experienced significant increases in inquiries. They gain visibility in search engines, affecting their bottom line positively. The takeaway is clear: investing time in SEO translates to long-term benefits. By optimizing your website, you can create a more compelling online presence that resonates with potential customers and generates sustained engagement over time. What strategies have you implemented to enhance your SEO efforts? Share your insights. #SEO #Contractors #DigitalMarketing #LeadGeneration #BusinessGrowth https://lnkd.in/g2AxB-Nx Growth Hackers

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The difference between a marketable business and a sellable one. Many businesses look good on paper. Fewer are truly sellable. A marketable business tells a compelling story. A sellable business withstands scrutiny. Marketing highlights strengths. Selling requires weaknesses to be understood and managed. Buyers look past narratives quickly. They focus on how the business operates without the founder, how decisions are made, and how risk is controlled. A company can attract interest and still struggle to close. This usually happens when preparation is shallow. Unclear financials, informal processes, and key person risk surface late. At that point, leverage has already shifted. Sellable businesses are not perfect. They are prepared. → Preparation creates clarity. → Clarity builds trust. → Trust keeps deals moving. Founders who focus only on presentation confuse interest with readiness. Experienced sellers invest in substance first and storytelling second. Marketing creates attention. Preparation creates outcomes. Sellability is built long before the process begins.

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When a Seller Becomes a Buyer Timing is a key consideration for M&A. No seller should be compelled to pursue a transaction unless she is truly ready. Selling a business requires ample preparation so that positioning is optimal and valuation can be maximized.   In some cases, a company would be better off keeping the business for a little while longer, growing revenue and improving margins prior to pursuing a sale.    ·   Generally, growth can be achieved by either organic growth or inorganic growth (i.e. acquisitions).  If a company’s current valuation is not where the owner wants it to be she may want to consider making an acquisition before selling the business. ·   Given time, integrating the acquisition while realizing revenue and cost synergies would be ideal. However, this is not always necessary. If an LOI is signed, an astute investment banker can pro forma the opportunity on a combined basis in a manner which clearly highlights the benefits of the acquisition (1 + 1 = 3) and with scale the multiple upon exit can expand.   This strategy is especially relevant during uncertain times when there may be more motivated sellers open to opportunities.   So the next time you're told, “now is the perfect time to sell”, take a step back and consider the options. Maybe being a buyer first would make more sense. Calabasas Capital Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) ACG Los Angeles ACG 101 - Association for Corporate Growth 101 Corridor Association for Corporate Growth - ACG San Diego ACG San Francisco ProVisors #mergersandacquisitions #lowermiddlemarket #investmentbanking #privateequity

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6 Steps to Identifying the Right Buyer for Your Business 1. Evaluate Strategic Fit: Look for buyers who align with your company’s capabilities and long-term goals. 2. Assess Acquisition Appetite: Focus on buyers actively pursuing acquisitions in your industry or segment. 3. Review Financial Capacity: Ensure the buyer has the resources to complete the deal and invest in future growth. 4. Understand Buyer Motivations: Align your business’s strengths with the buyer’s goals for market expansion or operational synergies. 5. Examine Operational Expertise: Choose a buyer with a proven ability to integrate and manage acquisitions effectively. 6. Consider Long-Term Alignment: Prioritize buyers committed to your company’s legacy, brand, and employee welfare. Want to dive deeper into each step? Explore our detailed guide here: https://hubs.ly/Q033HKJh0 Which of these steps do you think is the most critical? Let’s discuss in the comments or via DM! #PrivateEquity #SellSideAdvisory #MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessValuation #InvestmentBanking

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Hey #founders! Excited to be selling your business and want to let a few people in on the news before you close? We get it. It's an amazing feeling. Who could blame you for sharing it? You're only going to tell a few people who will definitely keep the secret, right? Click on the video for some tips on why you should pause, no matter how sure you are you'll close..this could literally make or save you $Millions! Maybe even your whole deal $$ #entrepreneur #vistage #ypo #buyout #privateequity #businesssale #exit #exitstrategy #growthcapital #gtm #exitplanning

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