Down Payment to Buy a $3M Business With an SBA Loan
About $334,212 in cash with a standard SBA 7(a) loan, or about $167,106 if the seller carries a note on full standby for part of the down payment. Not 10% of the price: 10% of everything the loan pays for.
What buying a $3,000,000 business takes
The SBA minimum for buying a business is 10% of the total project, and the project is more than the price: it includes closing costs, the SBA guaranty fee and working capital for the first months. A seller note can cover up to half of that 10% only if the seller takes no payments for the life of the SBA loan (the seller note rules).
| Cash only | With a seller note | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Working capital | $250,659 | $250,659 |
| Closing costs (starting at) | $9,350 | $9,350 |
| SBA guaranty fee | $82,097 | $82,097 |
| Total project | $3,342,120 | $3,342,120 |
| SBA loan | $3,007,908 | $3,007,908 |
| Seller note on full standby | None | $167,106 |
| Your cash | $334,212 | $167,106 |
Working capital is included at 7.5% of the total project, the same assumption as the calculator; borrow more or less to suit the business. Closing costs are a starting point.
What the payment looks like
The $3,007,908 loan in the cash-only column is about $39,334 a month over 10 years at 9.75%, or $472,014 a year. Lenders commonly look for the business to earn at least 1.25 times that after paying the owner, about $590,017 a year.
Where the down payment can come from (savings, a gift, an investor, a seller note) is set by the SBA rules, and lenders can ask for more than the minimum (SBA down payment rules).
Questions
How much do I need to put down to buy a $3M business?
About $334,212 with a standard SBA 7(a) loan, because the 10% minimum applies to the total project (price, closing costs, guaranty fee and working capital), not the price alone. With a seller note on full standby covering half the injection, about $167,106.
What is the monthly payment on a $3M business purchase?
With a $3,007,908 SBA loan over 10 years at 9.75%, about $39,334 a month.
Estimates for planning, not a loan offer. Rates use Prime of 7.00% as of September 17, 2026. Your lender sets your actual rate, fees and terms.
Straight from the SBA's rulebook
The SBA rules behind these numbers
- Can a gift be used for an SBA loan down payment?
- Can an investor provide the down payment for an SBA loan?
- Can a personal loan or HELOC be used for the SBA down payment?
- Can I use my 401(k) or a ROBS for an SBA down payment?
- How much down payment does an SBA loan need?
- Are earnouts allowed in an SBA business acquisition?
- Can an SBA loan be paired with a conventional loan (pari passu)?
- Can an SBA loan be used for a stock purchase or an asset purchase?