The Knowledge Hub

Andy and Doug break down a recent liquor-store sale in Iowa — a deal that started as a 2022 planning conversation and ended in a fast, bumpy close. Topics include the differences between title-company and attorney-state transactions, valuation and deal allocation between business and real estate, and the critical role a broker plays when a named buyer struggles to get bank financing.

They discuss challenges with a hotel-owner buyer who preferred conventional lending over SBA, how Apex shopped lenders to bridge the goodwill gap, issues with settlement-statement errors (including Iowa tax stamps), and the decision to enforce an exclusivity deadline. The episode highlights practical lessons on seller counseling, financing options, and why getting a deal to close often takes more work than finding the buyer.

In this podcast, we discuss why involving accountants, attorneys and financial planners early matters; how tax and entity structure can dramatically affect net proceeds and business valuation; examples of misreported profits and multi-entity complications that change sale outcomes; and how deal structure (cash, seller notes, earnouts) impacts value and post-sale life.

In this episode of the Apex Business Advisors Podcast, Andy and Doug discuss the real-time impacts of a multi-week government shutdown on SBA-backed business closings. They share examples of delayed deals, explain the importance of SBA numbers and IRS tax transcripts, and contrast private funding with bank/SBA funding.

Doug and Andy lay out actionable steps for buyers and sellers: push your lender to request SBA numbers and tax transcripts, complete your closing checklist, and maintain urgency so you don’t end up at the back of the line—especially critical for seasonal businesses.