Straight answers, no sales language. If your question isn't here, ask us directly.
Yes, if you'll own 20% or more of the company after close, SBA rules make a personal guarantee non-negotiable. That's federal policy, not something New Wave or any lender can waive.
What we control is how much risk that guarantee actually carries. We only structure deals where the business clears a strong debt-service-coverage ratio after your salary, taxes, and a cash buffer are layered in. We also push for seller notes and holdbacks on standby, so the seller carries real post-close risk alongside you. That's what actually lowers the practical weight of the PG, not the paperwork.
Yes, through a ROBS structure (Rollover for Business Startups). It lets you roll retirement funds into a new C-Corp, tax- and penalty-free, that then buys the target company. We coordinate with specialist ROBS custodians who handle the plan documents and IRS/DOL compliance. This typically runs 3–4 weeks and moves in parallel with diligence, it does not add time to your closing timeline.
Day one, structurally. Deals are modeled so that at funding you have access to a working-capital injection financed inside the SBA loan itself, plus whatever working capital the seller leaves in the business as part of the deal terms.
That said, we recommend keeping personal distributions modest for the first 90 days while you confirm the business's actual cash conversion matches what was modeled pre-close, and while you stay inside loan covenants. Structurally available and prudent to withdraw immediately are two different things.
Once you have a signed letter of intent, expect roughly 90 days to close. That's the standard SBA underwriting and closing runway, assuming diligence doesn't surface issues that need renegotiation. Delays typically come from the seller's side, incomplete records, slow document turnaround, not from the lender or the process.
Because the process is what protects the deal. Timelines, documentation order, and decision points are the same for every buyer we work with, because that consistency is what keeps a lender's underwriting confident and a seller's confidence intact through a multi-month closing. Where we do customize is the deal itself: which employee, which business, which valuation approach, and how the structure fits your specific situation.
An outside buyer changes everything overnight, your customers, your team, and sometimes your name on the door. Selling to someone who already runs the business day to day means continuity for the people who depend on it, and a transition you can actually help shape instead of hand off blind.
Most structures combine an upfront amount at closing, funded by the SBA loan, with a seller note for part of the price. The note is typically placed on full standby, meaning no payments to you during the SBA loan's term, with payment resuming afterward. Your attorney and accountant should review the exact split for your situation.
A conversation first, no obligation. If it looks like a fit, we'll want a look at recent financials and a sense of timeline. We move at your pace until you decide to proceed.