{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ownership-structure","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/ownership-structure","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"ownership-structure","term":"Ownership Structure","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"How a business is legally organized and who owns what percentage (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation). This dictates how the business is bought and managed.","what_it_means":"Understanding the seller's ownership structure is critical because it determines whether you're doing an asset purchase or a stock purchase. Your SBA lender will review the ownership structure to identify all \"key principals\" and guarantors. Verify all owners are properly identified and agree to the sale terms.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ownership-structure","official_sources":[{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"},{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"}],"related":[{"slug":"llc","term":"LLC","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/llc"},{"slug":"corporation","term":"Corporation","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/corporation"},{"slug":"partnership","term":"Partnership","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/partnership"},{"slug":"asset-purchase","term":"Asset purchase","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/asset-purchase"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"If I am buying out a partner, what is the minimum equity injection required for the new ownership structure?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/if-i-am-buying-out-a-partner-what-is-the-minimum-equity-injection-required-for-the-new-own"},{"question":"How does the purchase agreement structure affect an SBA partner buyout?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-the-purchase-agreement-structure-affect-an-sba-partner-buyout"},{"question":"Can I change my business structure after getting an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/can-i-change-my-business-structure-after-getting-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"How does seller financing structure impact the required equity injection for a business acquisition?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-seller-financing-structure-impact-the-required-equity-injection-for-a-business-ac"},{"question":"Are there specific requirements for the business entity structure for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-there-specific-requirements-for-the-business-entity-structure-for-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Does my business legal structure (like LLC or Sole Proprietorship) affect SBA 7(a) loan eligibility?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/does-my-business-legal-structure-like-llc-or-sole-proprietorship-affect-sba-7-a-loan-eligi"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Ownership Structure","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ownership-structure","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}