{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/seasoning","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/seasoning","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":"seasoning","term":"Seasoning","group":"Reading the business","definition":"Refers to the length of time a business has been in operation or the period funds have been held in an account. Lenders prefer businesses with a longer operating history and require buyer funds to be \"seasoned.\"","what_it_means":"Lenders look for businesses with at least two years of consistent financial performance, which is a form of business \"seasoning.\" Your equity injection funds also need to be seasoned, meaning they must have been in your control for at least 90 days to prove they aren't \"round-tripped\" or recently borrowed.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/seasoning","official_sources":[{"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":"seasoned-funds","term":"Seasoned funds","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/seasoned-funds"},{"slug":"equity-injection","term":"Equity injection","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/equity-injection"},{"slug":"round-tripped","term":"Round-tripped","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/round-tripped"},{"slug":"financial-projections","term":"Financial projections","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/financial-projections"}],"related_questions":[]},"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 — Seasoning","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/seasoning","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}