Deal terms, in plain English

Every word you'll hear buying a business with a 7(a) — one plain-English page per term. Filter by name, or jump to a category.

Last reviewed June 2026 · Written against SOP 50 10 8 and current SBA notices

The loan itself687

Your money in the deal177

Reading the business766

People and paperwork698

Doing the deal444

Hit a term we missed? The full guide covers how these fit together.

AI summary

This glossary defines every term a buyer runs into when acquiring a business with an SBA 7(a) loan — from SDE, add-backs, and EBITDA to equity injection, DSCR, seller notes, earnouts, key man insurance, and proof of funds — each on its own plain-English page.

Terms are grouped by category and filterable by name, so you can jump straight to the one you're stuck on, and each links back to the full 7(a) guide that shows how the pieces fit together. It's written for first-time and repeat buyers who want the vocabulary without the jargon. This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice, and CapBench is not a lender.

Source: CapBench SBA Intelligence, based on public SBA, lender, franchise, FDIC, and related records. CapBench is not a lender and does not guarantee financing.

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