Thinking about buying a business? This episode of the MySBA Loan Pro Podcast features Kalen Foster, a leading expert in SBA business acquisition financing. Discover how SBA 7(a) financing works for acquisition entrepreneurs and self-funded searchers looking to close deals with confidence. Kalen breaks down the SBA loan process, lender expectations, and keys qualifying for an SBA 7(a) loan. Learn how to structure your deal, avoid common financing mistakes, and stand out to lenders. Whether you're...
Jul 04, 2025•47 min
Don Curristan, an executive benefits expert with 27+ years of experience, reveals how business owners and CEOs use deferred compensation, SERPs, and phantom stock to retain key employees. Learn: - The surprising tax advantages of deferred comp plansHow performance-based incentives work without equity -Common mistakes companies make with executive benefits - Why proper plan design makes all the difference - Perfect for business owners, HR professionals, and financial advisors looking for advanced...
Jun 21, 2025•52 min
Employment attorney Sam Sherman reveals critical legal risks California business owners face—from wage/hour compliance to PAGA lawsuits, misclassification, and M&A pitfalls. Learn how to protect your business proactively and avoid costly mistakes. If you liked this content, let's connect on social media: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysbapro Twitter: https://twitter.com/mysbapro LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ryanpatryck Key Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 1:54 - Wage & Hour 3:20 - ...
Jun 06, 2025•45 min•Ep. 68
In this episode, Ken Rosenthal shares expert insights on why business owners should consider purchasing their commercial property and the best financing options available, including SBA 7a and 504 loans. Learn how owning your building provides stability, tax benefits, and long-term investment potential. Ken breaks down the differences between conventional loans, SBA programs, and other financing methods, helping you make an informed decision. Whether you're a small business owner or an entrepren...
May 26, 2025•42 min•Ep. 67
Thinking about buying a franchise? Already own one but struggling to succeed? In this episode, franchise expert Mark Camras, author of Secrets of Franchise Success, reveals the top strategies top-performing franchisees use to build thriving businesses. Learn how to overcome fear, develop the right mindset, leverage franchisor resources, and create a winning culture. Whether you're considering franchise ownership or looking to improve your current business, this episode is packed with actionable ...
May 09, 2025•42 min•Ep. 66
In this episode of the My SBA Loan Pro podcast, Ryan chats with Jim Morrison—one of the best in the business when it comes to employer benefits. We dive into group health insurance and cover everything business owners need to know, from staying compliant to finding the right coverage for their team. Jim drops a ton of practical tips to help you steer clear of expensive mistakes and get the most bang for your buck. If you're running a business, big or small, this one's definitely worth a listen. ...
May 02, 2025•48 min•Ep. 65
Unlock the hidden value in your life insurance policy! In this episode, Phil dives into the world of life settlements—what they are, who qualifies, and when selling your policy could be a smart move. Hear real stories of clients who received far more than their cash surrender value and discover the key signs that it might be time to explore your options. Whether you're a senior, a business owner, or a financial advisor, this is essential viewing for anyone looking to make the most of their life ...
Apr 07, 2025•50 min•Ep. 64
In this episode, Tim Malott, a seasoned M&A Advisor and Investment Banker, reflects on his journey from CPA and Bank President to Managing Partner of Shoreline Partners. With over 30 years of experience, Tim shares his approach to problem-solving, the nuances of selling privately held companies, and his commitment to creating an unreasonable value for his clients. He offers insight into the M&A process, the distinctions between business brokers and investment bankers, and the importance ...
Mar 20, 2025•32 min•Ep. 63
Today, we’re discussing the structure of most business acquisition transactions when using SBA financing. If you’re looking to acquire a business, understanding these financing components is critical. Let’s break it down. SBA Loan Structure Overview Most SBA-financed business acquisitions involve three key components: Bank Financing – 90% The majority of the deal, up to 90%, is funded through the SBA loan. This includes the purchase price, working capital, and closing costs. This structure minim...
Dec 13, 2024•5 min•Ep. 62
Host Introduction: In today’s episode, we’ll focus on SBA financing for franchise startups. If you’re thinking about starting your own franchise location, this is the roadmap you need to follow to secure financing and set yourself up for success. Let’s dive into the process. Understanding SBA Financing for Franchises SBA loans are an excellent option for funding franchise startup locations. They provide flexible terms, competitive interest rates, and the ability to finance many of the costs asso...
Dec 10, 2024•5 min•Ep. 61
Join Ryan Smith, Principal and Founder of ThinkSBA and Attorney Scott Oliver with Lewis & Kappes as they delve into the intricacies of the SBA loan legal closing process, recent SOP changes, and the crucial role lender legal counsel plays in ensuring lender compliance. Gain valuable insights into Landlord Lien Waiver and Collateral Access Agreement, attorney negotiations, and the overall loan closing process. Whether you're a seasoned lender or a prospective SBA loan applicant, this podcast ...
Oct 22, 2024•46 min•Ep. 60
Bruce Marks has made a career out of mastering lower middle market business acquisition financing by leveraging the SBA 7(a) loan program coupled with a Pari Passu conventional loan for loan requests that exceed the SBA's $5 Million borrowing limit. In this Episode Bruce pulls back the curtain revealing how to structure a Pari Passu loan for success by diving deep into risk assessment, the searcher, the target business along with working capital, quality of earnings report, debt service coverage...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 59
Working capital has many meanings and definitions depending on the application of funds. For the purpose of this podcast, I will define working capital as capital provided to a business to fund tangible recurring business expenses or capital expenditures. Working Capital For Growth As an SBA Loan Broker, I often receive inquiries from SMB owners for working capital to fund the growth of their business. Their definition of working capital is the transfer of funds from the lender's bank account to...
May 14, 2024•4 min•Ep. 58
Join Ryan Smith, Principal and Founder of ThinkSBA, as he sits down with John Homan, esteemed SBA Loan Workout Specialist. John shares valuable insights into the intricacies of SBA loan defaults, including how to avoid defaulting, how lenders respond to non-payment to mitigation strategies. Discover how to safeguard your assets, negotiate settlements, and overcome challenges, all while maintaining a positive outlook. Don't miss this empowering discussion tailored for SBA loan guarantors facing d...
May 09, 2024•41 min•Ep. 57
Ryan Smith, Principal and Founder of ThinkSBA, sits down with Sol Rosenbaum of SR Engineering and Consulting, a seasoned mechanical engineer with over two decades of experience in energy engineering. Discover how Sol's firm assists business owners in navigating the complexities of the SBA 504 Green program through meticulous assessments and engineering support. Learn about the two primary pathways—energy efficiency and renewable energy—and explore real-world case studies showcasing the tangible ...
Apr 30, 2024•33 min•Ep. 56
Join our Host Ryan Smith, Principal and Founder of ThinkSBA, as he interviews Bethany McClellan, President of Rapid Business Plans. Bethany dives into the world of crafting SBA ready Business Plans and Feasibility Studies removing anxiety from SBA loan applicants. Discover how Bethany's journey from corporate sales to entrepreneurship led to a thriving agency, assisting clients in various industries from gas stations to professional services. If you liked this content, let's connect on social me...
Apr 15, 2024•29 min•Ep. 55
In this episode of the My SBA Loan Pro Podcast Face to Face, Ryan Smith, Principal & founder of ThinkSBA sits down with Fernando Ponce, Business Development Officer at Primary Funding, a non-traditional lending source based in San Diego, California specializing in Purchase Order Financing, Factoring and Asset-Based Lines of Credit. Learn how non-traditional lending can bridge the gap for B2B businesses who are unable to secure traditional financing due to negative historical cash flow, tight...
Mar 29, 2024•40 min•Ep. 54
In this episode of The My SBA Loan Pro Podcast Face to Face Glenn Arnold with Voit Real Estate reveals transition, succession and exit strategies for privately held, family owned business owners who also own the real estate. Glenn Arnold is a Real Estate Broker who's been representing buyers and sellers of owner occupied real estate for thirty years. If you liked this content, let's connect on social media: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysbapro Twitter: https://twitter.com/mysbapro Lin...
Mar 27, 2024•30 min•Ep. 53
Welcome to another insightful episode of the My SBA Loan Pro Podcast Face To Face! In this episode Ryan Smith, Principal and Founder of ThinkSBA, engages in an insightful discussion with Bryan Geisbauer, a seasoned Tenant Representative and Commercial Real Estate Broker with Kidder Matthews. Brian leverages his 20 plus years experience, to level the playing field for business owner leasing space or purchasing Owner Occupied Real Estate. If you liked this content, let's connect on social media: I...
Mar 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 52
The SMB Law Group has burst onto the scene providing much needed legal advice to the ETA community who are pursuing main street business acquisitions often times funding the acquisition with an SBA 7(a) loan. It's refreshing to collaborate with attorneys who are familiar with SBA financing and are therefore able to help searchers structure their deal to comply with SBA eligibility requirements. In this episode of the My SBA Loan Pro Podcast, our Host Ryan Smith, interviews Jake Parsley, M&A ...
Feb 21, 2024•39 min•Ep. 51
Welcome to a new episode of the My SBA Loan Pro Podcast Face-to-Face, where we dive deep into the world of buying and selling Owner Occupied Commercial Real Estate! Many business owners face the question whether to buy their office space instead of leasing. This question can cause excitement or anxiety. Either way many business owners put off this important decision and miss out on this lesser known wealth building strategy. In this episode, Glenn Arnold with Voit Real Estate Services gives the ...
Feb 09, 2024•22 min•Ep. 50
In this inaugural episode of the My SBA Loan Pro Podcast: Face to Face, Ryan interviews the King of QoE, Elliott Holland, owner and operator of Guardian Due Diligence. Elliott is an Ivy League graduate, self-funded searcher, and quality of earnings expert. Elliott's primary role in serving the SMB Community is to find the hidden skeletons in business acquisition transactions, protecting his clients from buying businesses that aren't what they seem. If you liked this content, let's connect on soc...
Dec 18, 2023•41 min•Ep. 49
Seldom are surprises welcomed when applying for an SBA loan to acquire a business, execute a change of ownership or purchase real estate. In fact, surprises usually mean a change in terms which may affect the loan's outcome or desirability. The official term for this phenomenon is Retrade. The term retrade simply means the practice of renegotiating the terms of a transaction after the initial price and terms have been agreed upon. Unfortunately, SBA lenders are also prone to retrade which may co...
Jul 31, 2023•4 min•Ep. 48
All self funded searchers pursuing ETA, listen up. This podcast episode contains a comprehensive overview of the acquisition process including the following topics. After listening to this episode you will be equipped with the tools and information to make better decisions on your journey. Sell Seller Legal Team Landlord Financing Business Transfer If you liked this content, let's connect on social media: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysbapro Twitter: https://twitter.com/mysbapro Linked...
Jul 12, 2023•39 min•Ep. 47
The SBA has published updates to the Standard Operating Procedures manual replacing SOP 50 10 6 with SOP 50 10 7. These updates will become effective August 1, 2023. There has been much debate when and how lenders will implement these updates. The short answer is we’ll have to wait and see. For now it’s enough to understand the enormous changes that have taken place and how searchers, entrepreneurs and business owners will benefit. The reason I’ve waited to publish this information on The MY SBA...
Jul 04, 2023•10 min•Ep. 46
Welcome to another episode of the My SBA Loan Pro Podcast: SBA Loans Industry Update May 1, 2023. In today's episode Ryan will cover the following topics: Lender Appetite Interest Rates Upcoming SBA Rule Changes SBA Behind The Curtain: Everything you need to know about SBA lending that you never knew to ask Remember to subscribe to this podcast to be notified when new episodes are available. Also, please subscribe and turn on notifications to be notified of new video content on our YouTube Chann...
May 03, 2023•27 min•Ep. 45
In this episode, your SBA Loan Pro, Ryan Smith covers the following SBA Financing Topics: Access to capital Types of transactions being financed Lender processing times Current 7(a) & 504 loan interest rates Interest rates for prime borrowers Bonus Content - Behind The Curtain of SBA Financing If you liked this content, let's connect on social media: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysbapro Twitter: https://twitter.com/mysbapro LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ryanpatryck More...
Feb 09, 2023•16 min•Ep. 44
Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE’s) have become the housing model of choice for our senior population and their loved ones due to the fact that many require increased accessibility, social connectivity, and medical support services that living at home simply cannot provide. As the name implies, RCFE’s, also called assisted living facilities, are often located in suburban residential neighborhoods. Many of these assisted living facilities are permitted to house between 6 – 16 sen...
Feb 09, 2023•4 min•Ep. 42
Life insurance is a contract between a policyholder and insurer where the insurer promises to pay the insured's beneficiary an agreed amount upon their death. The most common application is between heads of household and their dependents. Life insurance is also used by commercial lenders as a risk mitigation strategy for loan applicants of privately held, family owned businesses. In the same vein the SBA requires that loan applicants obtain a collateral assignment of life insurance for the lende...
Sep 15, 2021•5 min•Ep. 41
The most frequently asked question I receive by far is how long does the loan application process take to complete from start to finish. The quick answer is 45 - 60 days. The honest answer is it takes as long as necessary to complete all steps in the process. The next logical question is what are the steps. Here is a list of each step in order with an explanation. Before I begin, I want to emphasize the timeline starts from the day the lender receives the monetary Deposit, usually $2,500 or $5,0...
Feb 11, 2021•6 min•Ep. 40
