How much would you offer?

***Additional info*** Situation Overview: The company has 3 equal owners: Owner A: Retired, not contributing operationally. Owners B & C: Actively involved in daily operations. Owner A’s spouse serves as office manager. The 2 active owners wish to remain on payroll. Team Composition Beyond Owners: 1 Office Manager (retired owner’s spouse) 1 Engineering Leader 4 Software Developers 1 Creative Leader 1 UX Designer 2 Customer Success Specialists 1 Sales Rep Key Considerations: Cash flow constraints: Paying owner salaries plus debt service may be unsustainable. Potential friction: Owners may have differing views of how to run/grow business and might cause friction if remain involved Potential Acquisition Structures in Mind: 1) Full Buyout + Short-Term Payroll... Buy all owners. Keep active owners and office manager on transition contracts. Reduce salaries after purchase. 2) Earnout / Deferred Compensation... Mix of upfront payment and seller note or earnout. Defer some owner compensation until business performs. 3) Buy Retired Owner Only... Purchase only the non-contributing owner’s equity. Maintain current salaries for active owners. I could get taste of business ownership while keeping my day job. How would you proceed? --- Additional context: - Niche web development - 25 years old - 11 employees + owners - Legacy, outdated technology in dying space but could pivot to modern tech