An Experienced Lender’s Perspective on Acquisition Financing
From Think Big, Buy Small by Harvard Business School
September 29, 2025 · 53 min
About this episode
Bruce Marks shares his insights on acquisition financing and the role of SBA lending in the acquisition process.
In this episode, we’re joined by Bruce Marks, a veteran SBA lender with decades of experience and well over 1,000 business acquisition deals under his belt. Bruce draws on his deep expertise in the acquisition lending space to reflect on the role of SBA financing in ETA, how lenders assess deals, the importance of debt service coverage, along with evaluations of risk, and factors that searchers should consider when evaluating SBA and conventional financing options. Rick and Royce lead a practical, insightful conversation covering deal structures, loan terms, and the importance of transparency with lenders, making this episode a must-listen for anyone exploring or navigating the acquisition process.
People in this episode
Hosts: Rick, Royce
Guest: Bruce Marks
Topics covered
- acquisition financing
- SBA lending
- debt service coverage
- risk evaluation
- deal structures
- loan terms
Keywords
- acquisition
- financing
- SBA
- lending
- debt service
- risk assessment
- deal structure
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: SBA, Harvard Business School
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