Glossary · Reading the business
In short
Postponed or put off until a later time. In financing, it often refers to payments or expenses that are not due immediately, impacting a business's short-term cash flow.
You might encounter deferred revenue, where customers paid in advance for services not yet delivered, or deferred expenses. Your seller note might also be structured with a "deferred principal payment" period, where you only pay interest initially. Understand how deferred items impact the business's true financial picture and your repayment capacity.
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 2026-06-15 · 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.
Pressure-test the numbers before you make an offer
Send us the asking price and the seller's cash flow — we'll show whether the deal services SBA debt and where the add-backs are likely to hold up.
Free · No documents · Usually same-day