Glossary · Reading the business
In short
Physical assets you can touch and value, such as equipment, inventory, and real estate. Buyers care because these assets provide collateral for your loan, contribute to the business's liquidation value, and are essential for operations.
When acquiring a business, you'll assess its tangible assets to understand their value, condition, and how they secure the SBA loan. Lenders will appraise these assets as part of their collateral analysis, especially if the business has substantial equipment or inventory that can be liquidated. Understand the fair market value.
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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