Research Studies

Practical guides for ETA acquirers: how to find owner-operators before they go to market, what to check before you sign an LOI, and what SBA lenders look for. 4 articles across 3 topics.

Sourcing

Finding owners before they go to market

A quiet small-town street corner with a single-storey shop whose sign is blank

Sourcing · 2 October 2026How To Find Owner-Operators About To Exit - Before They Go To MarketHow to find a business to buy before it's listed: build a list of likely-retiring owners from free public records. No code.

Richard Besier7 min read

A lone radio telescope dish on open grassland under a pale sky

Sourcing · 11 June 202636 Research-Supported Signals. One Pre-Exit Intelligence System.Seastone combines 36 empirically grounded indicators to identify when a company may be moving toward an ownership transition, before that opportunity becomes obvious to the wider market.

Richard Besier6 min read

Due Diligence

What to check before you sign an LOI

A white single-storey commercial building with a long crack running down its corner wall

Due Diligence · 2 October 2026What To Look Out For Before Buying A BusinessA due diligence list for buying a business: six red flags, five public-record checks and three walk-away rules to run before an LOI.

Richard Besier8 min read

Financing

SBA loans and what lenders look for

The U.S. Small Business Administration seal on a dark stone wall beside a glass entrance

Financing · 2 October 2026How To Get Approved By SBA LendersSBA 7(a) loan requirements for buying a business: the three gates lenders check and the package to bring before you apply.

Richard Besier8 min read