Glossary · Doing the deal
In short
SBA's term for buying a business. Complete means you buy all of it; partial means you buy a piece (equity purchases only).
The SBA classifies business acquisitions as changes of ownership, and the rules differ depending on whether it's complete (you buy 100% of the business) or partial (you're buying into an existing ownership structure). Complete changes of ownership can be structured as asset purchases or stock purchases. Partial changes of ownership require a stock or equity purchase and have additional SBA requirements. Most individual buyers pursue complete changes of ownership via asset purchase.
13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans
Office of the Federal Register · Federal regulation
SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
U.S. Small Business Administration · SBA Standard Operating Procedure
Last checked 2026-06-14. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Defined by DealRoom.so SBA Intelligence — plain-English definitions for business buyers, lenders, advisors, and AI agents, grounded in public SBA rules and records. Last reviewed 2026-06-14 · Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision. Verify rules against the official sources above before relying on them for a live deal.
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