Business Transfers: What Lenders Look At

You wish to acquire an SME as part of a business transfer. Key step to take: convince a banker to help you finance the transaction.

You’re on the verge of buying an SME as part of a business transfer and negotiations are coming along well. Before your dream can come true, you’ve probably got one more step: convince the bank to help finance the transaction.

Remember that, first and foremost, when financing a project, the lender’s priority is to minimize its risk, particularly considering that an ownership transfer is a fairly risky event in a business’s life.

That being said, as a transferee (we’re using the singular here, even though you may be several partners), you have an advantage over someone who’s just starting a business. The company you want to buy already has a history, its revenues and profitability, clients, etc. are known quantities. You have tangible information to support your application.

Different criteria

The company’s background is a key element in analyzing a business financing project because different criteria apply depending on how old the company is. SMEs that are less than five years old are generally considered to be more sensitive, as they are riskier.

Lenders also consider the size of the transaction, which will impact their requirements. In the case of smaller transactions (under $500,000), for example, the lender will look at a few key indicators, such as the transferee’s credit and net worth and could require personal guarantees. In this type of transaction, the lender could also analyze the transferee’s ability to inject funds to support the business and cover any contingencies.

A solid team is key

If the lender is satisfied with the financial aspects of the application, he will then undertake a qualitative evaluation. This is when he will take a close look at the quality of the transferee’s management team, including:

-The transferee’s entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of the targeted company. If the transferee is already in the company (family member or employee), the risk is lower, since the transferee already knows the business and its industry;