Private Credit and Angel Investors as an Alternative to SBA

Traditional SBA and bank lending aren’t always the right fit for every acquisition. As the ETA landscape evolves, more buyers are exploring private credit and angel-backed capital as flexible, operator-aligned alternatives. This is a practical, buyer-focused session designed to help you understand when private credit makes sense, what trade-offs it introduces, and how to structure deals beyond conventional lending. We’ll walk through how angel investors are getting involved in acquisition entrepreneurship, why traditional lending can fall short on smaller or time-sensitive deals, and how creative capital structures can help buyers close with confidence while retaining meaningful ownership. This is an interactive, open Q&A session. Bring your real questions about funding structures, deal execution, SBA alternatives, and aligning capital with your acquisition strategy. Who it’s for: First-time acquirers and self-funded searchers evaluating financing options Format: Live, interactive office hours