Business strategies
34 plays in this category. Each one covers the mechanics, who it fits, and the estimated impact — then generates a deep dive against your own numbers.
- Business
QSBS §1202 Exclusion
Sell your C-corp stock for up to $10M tax-free.
Up to $2.4M+ federal tax on $10M gain - Business
SMB Acquisition with Earn-Out
Bridge valuation gap and reduce upfront cash with earn-outs.
20–40% cash-in-deal reduction - Business
Holdco + Management Fee Structure
Shift income between entities to optimize tax and asset protection.
Marginal-rate arbitrage across entities - Business
Management Buyout + Seller Note + Earn-Out
Buy the company you already run with minimal cash.
5–10% cash-in vs 100% cash purchase - Business
Search Fund / Self-Funded Search
Raise capital to find and buy a business you'll run as CEO.
20–40% equity at close via SBA path - Business
SBA 7(a) 90% Acquisition Financing
Buy a $1–5M profitable business with 10% down.
Control $1–5M asset with $50–250k cash in - Business
Micro-Acquisitions via 100% Seller Financing
Buy $100–500k businesses fully seller-financed.
Control $500k+ SDE with $0–25k down over 24 months - Business
Service Bootstrap → Recurring Roll-up
Start agency at $0, acquire competitors on seller notes.
Build $5–20M exit from $0 in 5–7 years - Business
E-commerce on Supplier Credit (Net-30/60)
Sell inventory before you pay for it — grow on supplier float.
$50–500k in free working capital via float - Business
Newsletter → Paid Community → Fund
Build audience free, monetize community, raise capital from readers.
$100k–$1M+ ARR + audience-funded capital raise - Business
License Others' IP on Rev-Share
Option patents, books, or products — pure distribution play.
Build $1–10M revenue product line with $0–10k invested - Business
Government Contract Set-Asides (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB)
Federal programs guarantee small-biz contracts with limited competition.
Access $50k–$5M contracts with reduced competition - Business
F-Reorganization Before Sale
Convert S-Corp to LLC pre-sale; add 10–15% to sale price.
10–15% purchase price uplift ($200k–$5M+) - Business
Personal Goodwill Allocation
Allocate C-Corp sale price to your personal goodwill — avoid double tax.
$100k–$5M+ tax savings on personal goodwill portion - Business
C-Corp vs S-Corp Election Analysis
The 21% flat rate can beat pass-through in some cases.
5–15% effective rate arbitrage - Business
Reg A+ / Reg CF Crowdfunding
Raise $5M/yr from unaccredited investors without full IPO.
Access $5–75M without VC dilution/control - Business
506(c) Syndication (General Solicitation)
Publicly advertise your deal; accept only accredited investors.
Scale capital raises via marketing vs private networking - Business
SBA 7(a) Loan Optimization
10% down on $5M business acquisitions; 10-yr terms.
Buy $5M business with $500K down + seller carry - Business
SBA 504 Real Estate Loan
10% down on owner-occupied commercial RE at fixed 25-yr rates.
Fix 40% of debt at sub-market rates for 25 yrs - Business
Franchise Acquisition Strategy
Buy an established franchise; leverage brand + SBA-friendly.
SBA finances 90%; break-even 12–24 months - Business
Equipment Financing Arbitrage
100% finance equipment; deduct 100% year 1 via §179 or bonus.
Instant 21–37% tax refund on 100% financed asset - Business
Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
Federal credit for hiring veterans, ex-felons, long-term unemployed.
$2,400–$9,600 per qualifying hire - Business
R&D Tax Credit (§41) + §174 Workaround
Software/product dev = 6–10% dollar-for-dollar credit.
$50K–$500K+ per year for qualifying R&D spend - Business
Sale-Leaseback of Business Real Estate
Sell your operating real estate; lease it back; free trapped capital.
Unlock 100% of real estate equity; deploy at higher ROI - Business
Rollup / Bolt-On Acquisition Thesis
Buy a platform, bolt on competitors, arbitrage the multiple.
3–5× multiple arbitrage per bolt-on - Business
Franchise Resale via SBA 7(a)
Buy an established franchise unit at 3× SDE with 10% down.
$250K+ annual SDE on 10% down - Business
§338(h)(10) / §336(e) Election
Sell stock legally, tax it as an asset sale — buyer gets stepped-up basis.
10–20% purchase-price uplift shared between parties - Business
Rollover Equity in PE Sale (Second Bite)
Roll 20–40% into buyer's newco tax-deferred — get a second exit in 3–5 years.
2–4x rollover value in 3–5 yrs, tax-deferred entry - Business
§280A(g) 'Augusta Rule' + Corporate Home Rental
Rent your personal home to your business up to 14 days/yr — tax-free rental income + business deduction.
$7K–$42K/yr tax-free rental income + full business deduction - Business
Search Fund (Traditional 2-Stage) — Investor-Backed Acquisition
Raise $400–600K from 10–15 investors to fund a 2-year search, then acquire and run a $5–30M business.
0 down payment path to $5–30M business ownership - Business
Self-Funded Search + SBA 7(a) (Solo Acquisition)
Skip investors — search on your own dime, then buy a $1–5M SBA business with 10% down and keep 100% equity.
100% equity in $1–5M business at 10% down - Business
Seller-Note-Heavy Acquisition (90/10 Structure)
Structure business acquisition as 10% cash + 90% seller note — tax-efficient for seller, near-zero-down for buyer.
80–90% financing at seller-friendly rate, no bank underwriting - Business
Earn-Out Structured Acquisition (Bridge Valuation Gaps)
Bridge buyer/seller price gap with performance-based earn-out — pay based on hitting revenue/EBITDA targets.
20–40% of purchase price deferred + performance-contingent - Business
ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) — Tax-Free Exit for Founders
Sell your C-corp to an ESOP + §1042 rollover into 'qualified replacement securities' = 0% federal tax on sale.
0% federal capital gains on business sale