Has anyone done more than 1 deal within 2-3 months via SBA debt?

May 07, 2026

by a searcher in New York, NY, USA

I have a deal under LOI that will be closing soon with an SBA loan. In the meantime, as I've been running my pipeline, I have another deal that has gotten close to an LOI and wants to go forward into exclusivity. The other deal is adjacent but not an immediate roll-up opportunity, so it would be a standalone business (but is more hands-off operationally than the first one). I am curious - has anyone successfully closed another deal 2-3 months after closing their first one, with SBA debt?

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Reply by a lender
from Cornell University in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Yes, people do this. I have been involved in deals like this. But 2-3 months is aggressive. We typically recommend 6 months minimum between acquisitions. Lenders want to see you have settled into deal #1, that the transition went smoothly, and the business is performing under your ownership. Walking in 60 days later asking for another loan before the ink is dry on the first one makes underwriters uncomfortable. A couple things to be aware of. NAICS codes matter. If the two businesses have different first three NAICS digits, the SBA treats them as separate industries and you get up to $5M in exposure per business. That is $10M total. Same first three digits, they share one $5M cap. Worth checking before you get deep into deal #2. Cash is king. You need equity injection on both deals and still have real post-close liquidity sitting in your accounts. If deal #1 drains you, deal #2 is dead on arrival. This is the number one thing that kills back to back acquisitions. Global DSCR has to hold. The second lender is underwriting ALL your debt now, including the new payment from deal #1. The math has to work across everything. Geography and management. Both businesses need to be close enough that you can credibly manage them day to day. You need a clear, active management plan for both. Do not tell a lender one of them is "hands-off." They want to hear the opposite. Can it be done in 2-3 months? Yes. Should you? Only if you have the liquidity, the cash flow, experience, and if the geography makes sense. More importantly, its critical to find a lender who has actually done this before. We have a lot experience financing various companies via the SBA. If you ever need help reviewing a deal, I am happy to help. We work with all the major SBA lenders. The bank pay us after your loan closes, so this is a 100% free service for you. You can email me directly at redacted or schedule a meeting with me: https://cal.com/francodeguzman/30min. Look forward to chatting!

Reply by a searcher
from University of South Carolina in Alpharetta, GA, USA

I've seen others do it as well. Just make sure you know what you are signing up for before you do it though. If you've done acquisitions and operated before, then I'm sure you are good. If not, digesting 2 new businesses mostly in parallel is going to be a lot to deal with especially if they are different.

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