The Main Street Deal

MainStreet Media
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

How to buy a small business without an MBA, private equity, or a search fund. Every Monday: a live BizBuySell deal breakdown — purchase price, SBA 7(a) financing math, red flags, and what the seller's P&L actually shows. Every Thursday: a buyer's story — HVAC, laundromat, auto shop, bowling alley — and what happened after close. Built for self-funded searchers, ETA buyers, and main street operators who want to own what they run.

  1. 3d ago

    David Graf Bought a 61-Year-Old HVAC Manufacturer for 2.7x — Then Grew EBITDA 58%

    David Graf paid $2.1M net for Danhard, a 61-year-old specialty HVAC manufacturer in Dallas, using an SBA loan with no seller note. Nineteen months later, EBITDA grew from $750K to $1.2M. The lesson: growth is chronically underpriced in SMB deals.

    8 min

  2. 6d ago

    Self-Serve Car Wash — Maryland

    A 22-year-old self-serve car wash with two new in-bay automatics in Maryland asks $1.4M at 3.03x SDE. SBA-eligible. Jordan walks the SBA math, flags competitive density and utility costs, and delivers a pursue verdict.

    7 min

  3. Jun 4

    Buying — Then Losing — a $2.1M HVAC Business

    Dan Burnside bought a rural Colorado HVAC company at a sub-3x multiple. Within days, the earnings unraveled. A hard, honest look at quality of earnings and tertiary-market risk.

    6 min

  4. Jun 1

    A 38-Year Auto Repair Shop in a Four-Season Resort Town

    Jordan breaks down Big Bear Auto Repair, a NAPA-certified shop in Big Bear Lake, CA, asking $350k on $125k SDE. Full SBA math, three diligence priorities, and a binary verdict.

    6 min

  5. May 29

    Zack Mutnik — Jeff Masters Electric → Mutts Electric, Southwest Florida

    Thursday Operator Story features Zack Mutnik, a Navy veteran gas-turbine electrician (age 32-33 at acquisition) who bought Jeff Masters Electric in Fort Myers / Cape Coral for $1.651M via SBA 7(a) — funded by selling two properties for the down payment. Source: Acquiring Minds (2026-05-14).

    6 min

  6. May 25

    50-Year HVAC Business — Prattville, AL

    Monday Deal Room walks through a 54-year-old family-owned HVAC shop in Prattville, AL (Autauga County) listed on BizBuySell. Asking $450K against $180K SDE on $500K revenue = 2.5x — below the 2.95x HVAC median. Three employees, 50/50 service-to-install mix, seller retiring after 54 years.

    7 min

  7. May 21

    Joseph Cruz Left a $400K+ Finance Career, Bought A&A Equipment & Supply in Bensenville, IL, and Grew Revenue 25% the Year His GM Walked

    Joseph Cruz left a finance career paying north of $400K to buy A&A Equipment and Supply Co., a small industrial equipment and supply distributor in Bensenville, IL (Chicago / O'Hare metro), in December 2024. Purchase price was $536,000 at roughly 2.25x SDE, financed with $75K equity, a $550K SBA 7(a) loan structured to a ~2x DSCR, a $55K seller note, plus a $50K earnout and $25K cash holdback as downside protection. Midway through year one, his general manager left. Joseph stepped into the role himself — and revenue still grew from $1.2M to $1.5M (25%), with $2M targeted for 2026.

    7 min

  8. May 18

    A Full-Service Auto Repair Shop in Cypress, TX — 1.52x SDE, Below Industry Median

    Jordan walks through a real BizBuySell listing: a full-service independent auto repair shop in Cypress, TX (Houston metro), asking $375,000 against $247,500 SDE on roughly $450,000 in annual revenue. That works out to a 1.52x SDE multiple in a category that typically trades at 2.71x median. Full SBA 7(a) math at 10% down, 9.3%, 10 years. Three due diligence priorities, one yellow flag on a 55% SDE margin, and a pursue verdict with one specific broker question.

    7 min
See All (14)

About

How to buy a small business without an MBA, private equity, or a search fund. Every Monday: a live BizBuySell deal breakdown — purchase price, SBA 7(a) financing math, red flags, and what the seller's P&L actually shows. Every Thursday: a buyer's story — HVAC, laundromat, auto shop, bowling alley — and what happened after close. Built for self-funded searchers, ETA buyers, and main street operators who want to own what they run.

Information

  • Creator
    MainStreet Media
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © MainStreet Media
  • Show Website
    The Main Street Deal