Acquisition Financing Research: Data, Models, and Their Limits

An acquisition financing number is useful only when its meaning is clear. A loan approval is different from a completed business purchase. A buyer contribution is different from total resources. A modeled result is different from an observed transaction.

These studies make those distinctions explicit. Each includes a defined question, source or assumption register, reproducible calculations, and limitations. Use them to understand the financing questions more precisely, then evaluate the evidence for your actual target.

Study 1: Reported SBA change-of-ownership approvals

We analyzed the official SBA 7(a) extract recorded as of June 30, 2026. The selected subset uses the exact BusinessAge label “Change of Ownership,” matched nine-month approval windows, and a disclosed cancellation filter.

In the FY2026 window, the analysis identifies 4,420 non-canceled labeled records and $5.256 billion in gross approvals. These are approval records, not a verified count of completed acquisitions; 1,473 were marked undisbursed. The article explains the classification and cohort limitations. Full analysis and methodology

Read the SBA data investigation.

Study 2: Twenty acquisition-cash scenarios

We modeled four purchase prices under five financing configurations. The study separates project contribution, cash due at closing, earlier costs, retained liquidity, and debt coverage.

For the modeled $1 million purchase, total buyer resources vary from $120,000 to $230,000. These are selected scenarios, not typical market costs or financing quotes. The model also demonstrates a case with enough modeled buyer cash but coverage below the stated 1.25× reference. Full model and assumptions

Read the twenty-scenario cash study.

Read the methodology directly

Each study publishes its assumptions, filters, and calculations as a page of its own, with the underlying data and scripts available to download. A reader who wants to check a number should not have to take the article’s word for it.

• Methodology: twenty acquisition-cash scenarios
• Methodology: SBA change-of-ownership loan data

How to interpret this research

Check the population, date, measure, and assumptions before using a finding. The SBA study does not report denial rates, every acquisition, or the buyer’s down payment. The model does not establish eligibility, valuation, or lender acceptance.

Data and methodology are available so readers can inspect and reproduce the results. When a source changes, the snapshot and calculation version should be updated together rather than silently replacing the numbers.

Cite a study or check a finding

For an article, newsletter or buyer-education resource, link to the original study alongside the finding. Include Duneland Financial, the named author, the publication date and the scope of the figure. Link the methodology as well when discussing a calculation or comparing results.

• SBA approval data: cite the SBA change-of-ownership study and its source snapshot and filters. Keep “non-canceled approval records labeled Change of Ownership” distinct from completed acquisitions.
• Buyer-cash modeling: cite the twenty-scenario study and its model assumptions. Identify the selected scenario; do not present the modeled range as a market average.
• Check the numbers: download the SBA aggregate data or the buyer-cash scenarios. Reproduction scripts and limitations are linked from each methodology page.

For research questions, corrections, interviews or permission to reproduce a chart, contact inquire@dunelandfinancial.com with the study URL and the specific figure or request.

Apply the findings to your acquisition

Start with the cash-required guide, then review debt capacity and the capital stack. A useful financing discussion connects all three.

Review your acquisition financing options with Duneland, or return to the acquisition financing library.