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Tools

Underwrite a Deal

The Target

Verdict

Nothing has been submitted yet, so this reads the example in the form above: a $1,500,000 ask on $500,000 of earnings. Change the figures and the verdict follows them.

  • WatchAsking 3.0x against a 1.61x to 2.84x band

    Above the cited range for this industry. Either the business is genuinely better than its peers and you can show why, or the ask is soft.

  • WatchOwnership or licensing is restricted here

    A bakery is usually permitted as a retail food establishment, and falls to the restaurant regulator instead where it serves for immediate consumption.

  • GoodDSCR after your salary is 2.29

    Above the 1.25 rule of thumb.

The Number That Should Set Your Offer

At $500,000 of SDE, a $100,000 owner salary, $200,000 of cash, and a 10% seller note, the most this business can carry at a 1.25 DSCR is $2,561,235. The ask sits $1,061,235 under it.

Structure

Equity (your cash)
$200,000
Seller note
$150,000
7(a) loan
$1,150,000
Annual debt service
$174,813
DSCR
2.29
Implied multiple
3.00x
Cited band
1.61x–2.84x SDE

Context

Industry charge-off
not measurable
State median loan
State FY2025 loans

Licensing: Establish which regulator permits it, because the class decides the inspection regime, the fee, and which revenue lines an exempt home kitchen may compete for.

The full guide for this industry