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Buying a Business in Maine

The Numbers

FY2025 Acquisition Loans

29

$20.9M approved

Median Loan

$250k

FY2020 through FY2025

Loans Since FY2020

159

$89.7M in total approvals

Share of U.S. Activity

0.4%

Of change-of-ownership loans

What the Data Says

Maine ranks 41st of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 159 loans since FY2020, 0.4% of the national total.

The typical deal runs small: its $250k median loan sits below the $650k midpoint across states, within reach on less equity.

Activity is steady, near the state's ~27 a year pace since FY2020.

The most-financed target is full-service restaurants (10 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 53% of the state's acquisitions, a concentrated lender field.

Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Maine

  1. 1. Machias Savings Bank19 loans
  2. 2. Bangor Savings Bank18 loans
  3. 3. Maine Community Bank18 loans
  4. 4. Norway Savings Bank15 loans
  5. 5. Live Oak Banking Company14 loans

A lender being active in Maine does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.

What Gets Bought in Maine

  • Full-Service Restaurants10 loans
  • Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers)8 loans
  • All Other Specialty Trade Contractors6 loans
  • Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers4 loans
  • Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors4 loans

Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. How many buyable businesses Maine holds in each trade is in Where the Businesses Are.

Method & Source

Computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (FY2020 through FY2025), filtered to approvals flagged change of ownership with a Maine project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.