Conventional financing
Senior acquisition financing through banks and other conventional lenders for established businesses and qualified buyers.
How we approach it: Conventional financingCapital advisory for business acquisitions
Business acquisition financing built around the deal
We help buyers, operators, investors and M&A advisors figure out what a business can actually support, build the financing structure and take the deal to lenders and capital providers that fit.
From the initial review through closing, we stay actively involved as the deal moves through underwriting, diligence and funding.
70%
10%
20%
Senior debt70%$1,750,000
Seller note10%$250,000
Buyer equity20%$500,000
- Cash flow for debt service
- $520,000
- Annual debt service
- $326,867
- Coverage
- 1.59×
Illustrative example only. Actual leverage, rates, equity requirements and seller-note treatment vary by buyer, lender and transaction.
In 0:57
One transaction, from assessment to funding
Discuss a transaction
Read the transcript
Every acquisition comes down to one question. What can this transaction actually support? We start with the business: the debt its cash flow can carry, the equity it needs, and the structure that fits. Sometimes one lender is enough. Often, the right answer is a structure. Senior debt, subordinated debt, seller financing and equity, each sized to what the business can service. Then we take the transaction to the capital providers whose mandate fits it. And we manage it through underwriting, diligence and documentation, to funding. For buyers, operators and investors, and for the advisors who represent the deal. Discuss your transaction with Duneland.
What we do
Figure out what works. Structure it. Get it financed.
Financing an acquisition is more than finding a lender. The business has to support the debt, the buyer has to bring enough capital, the add-backs have to survive underwriting and the deal terms have to work. We work through those issues first, build the financing structure, take the opportunity to lenders that fit and stay involved through funding.
SBA financing
SBA-backed acquisition financing when the buyer, business and structure fit current program and lender requirements.
How we approach it: SBA financingPrivate credit
Flexible financing for larger or more complex acquisitions that do not fit traditional bank underwriting.
How we approach it: Private creditStructured capital
Senior debt, seller financing, subordinated debt and/or outside equity combined when one source is not enough to finance the deal.
How we approach it: Structured capitalHow we are different
We don’t simply shop loans. We structure transactions.
“Who will lend on this deal?”
“What can this deal actually support, and how should it be financed?”
Finding a lender is only part of the job. We first look at the business, buyer, purchase price, cash flow, add-backs, available equity and deal terms to determine what the acquisition can realistically support. Then we build the structure and take it to lenders that fit. Doing that work early helps uncover financing problems before they become closing problems.
Before we approach lenders
What can the deal actually support?
Most acquisition-financing decisions come back to six questions. Here is how they play out on the illustrative $2,500,000 acquisition above — and the calculator you can use to test each one on your own deal.
How much debt can the business support?
$2,000,000
$520,000 of cash flow against $326,867 of annual debt service
DSCR calculatorHow much equity will be required?
$500,000
20% of the purchase price, in this structure
Capital stack calculatorWhat financing structure fits?
70 / 10 / 20
Senior debt, seller note and buyer equity, as shares of the price
Seller financing calculatorWill the price work with lender underwriting?
1.59×
Debt service coverage: cash flow over annual debt service. Each lender sets its own test.
Valuation and SDE calculatorWhich financing route fits the deal?
Conventional financing
Senior acquisition financing through banks and other conventional lenders for established businesses and qualified buyers.
SBA eligibility calculatorWhat does the buyer need to demonstrate?
Earnings, equity, experience
Documented cash flow, a verified source of equity and relevant operating history
Acquisition loan calculator
Illustrative figures, from the same sample deal as the capital stack above. A lender applies its own adjustments; a financing review applies them to your deal. Request a financing review.
Who we work with
Who we work with
Acquisition entrepreneurs and operators
Individuals buying privately held businesses and existing owners pursuing add-on acquisitions.
Discuss an acquisitionIndependent sponsors and investors
Experienced buyers and sponsors seeking bank financing, private credit or a more structured solution.
Discuss a capital structureM&A advisors and business brokers
Advisors who want earlier visibility into buyer capacity and whether the proposed deal structure is actually financeable.
See how we work with advisorsPrivate equity and strategic buyers
Experienced acquirers financing larger or more complex transactions.
Discuss a larger transaction
How we work
One process, built around the deal
Assess
Review the business, buyer, purchase price, cash flow, add-backs, available equity and proposed terms.
Structure
Determine how much debt the business can support and how the rest of the purchase should be funded.
Place
Take the deal to lenders and capital providers that fit the size, industry and structure.
Execute
Manage underwriting, diligence, lender questions, approvals, documentation and funding.
For M&A advisors and business brokers
A strong offer only matters if the buyer can finance it.
We help M&A advisors and brokers pressure-test buyer capacity and deal structure earlier — before financing becomes the reason a transaction falls apart. That can mean identifying an unrealistic equity assumption, an add-back a lender will not accept, a seller note that needs to change or simply determining that a different financing route makes more sense.
Explore advisor partnershipsClosed transactions
Real deals, structured around what the transaction required
Landscaping and snow removal company
$2.3M SBA acquisition closed in roughly 45 days
The buyer needed acquisition financing and additional working capital on a tight timeline.
What Duneland arranged: Landscaping and snow removal companyChildren's toy brand
$1.1M SBA loan for an asset-light eCommerce business
Approval was not the only hurdle. The deal needed a bank willing to get comfortable with an asset-light eCommerce model and a non-traditional inventory structure.
What Duneland arranged: Children's toy brandPackaging company
$2.2M conventional acquisition loan plus $750K working capital for green card holders
Two green card holders had limited financing options and needed a structure that kept cash out of pocket to a minimum.
What Duneland arranged: Packaging company
Capabilities
What Duneland brings to the deal
Underwriting before placement
We pressure-test the business, buyer and proposed structure before taking the deal to lenders.
Nationwide capital access
Access across 1,500+ banks, SBA lenders, credit unions, private credit funds, family offices and institutional capital providers.
Through-closing execution
We stay involved from the initial financing review through underwriting, documentation and funding.
Additional financing
Financing beyond the acquisition
Acquisition financing is our core focus, but the same relationships can support other business financing needs before, during or after a transaction.
- Working capital
- Commercial real estate
- Equipment financing
- Refinancing and recapitalization
Resources
Tools for working through the numbers
Model valuation, seller financing, debt service, the capital stack and basic SBA eligibility using your own assumptions.
- Valuation and SDE calculator
- Seller financing calculator
- Capital stack calculator
- Acquisition loan calculator
- DSCR calculator
- SBA eligibility calculator
- Proof of Funds for Buying a Business: What Actually Impresses Sellers and Lenders
- SBA Ownership Eligibility Changes in 2026: What Acquisition Buyers Should Know
- SBA Loan vs. Conventional Loan: Breaking It Down with a $5 Million Example
All tools, guides and researchHow the calculators fit togetherAll insights
Questions we are asked first
What does a capital advisor do on an acquisition?
We figure out how the deal should be financed and then help get it financed. We review the business, buyer and proposed terms, build the financing structure, approach lenders that fit and manage the process through funding.
How is that different from going directly to a bank?
A bank can only offer products under its own credit policy. We can evaluate multiple financing routes and determine which one fits the actual deal.
What size transactions do you work on?
We work across acquisitions from roughly $500K through $25M+, with the financing approach depending on the size and complexity of the deal.
How much equity will a buyer need?
It depends on the business, buyer and financing route. Closing costs, working capital and post-close liquidity can matter just as much as the down payment.
What if SBA financing does not work — or I’m not SBA eligible?
SBA is only one financing route. Under current SBA rules, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) cannot own any portion of a business receiving SBA 7(a) financing, making non-SBA financing especially important for those buyers. Depending on the buyer and transaction, alternatives can include conventional bank debt, private credit, seller financing, outside equity or a combination of those sources.
When should financing be arranged?
Ideally, before the LOI. Knowing what the business can support and what cash will be required helps buyers submit terms that can actually close.
Have a deal in front of you?
Whether you have a signed LOI, are preparing an offer or are still evaluating the opportunity, send us the basic numbers and where you are in the process. We’ll look at the business, buyer and proposed structure and determine what the financing path may look like.