Glossary · Reading the business
In short
An employee whose expertise, relationships, or performance is critical to the business's ongoing success. A buyer needs to identify these individuals to understand potential operational risks post-acquisition.
In your due diligence, identify who the key employees are beyond the owner. Assess their roles, compensation, and likelihood of staying after the sale. Losing a key employee can significantly impact revenue and operations, so plan for retention or replacement.
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.
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