Own a small business without it becoming your job

It can be. Some return more per dollar than a rental or an index fund and some do not. Someone has to run it, and the profit a listing shows is the seller's own figure, which often includes the owner's pay. A typical US business priced $250,000 to under $2 million asks about 2.91 years of its yearly profit. Compare your options in our free calculator.

With an SBA loan, at least 10% of the total project cost. That is the price plus stock, closing costs and working capital. For a business listed at $600,000, 10% of the price alone is $60,000, but the SBA counts the whole project, so with stock, closing costs and working cash the cash needed is about $69,000. The SBA rulebook (SOP 50 10 8.1) also tests whether profit covers the loan payments, at 1.25 to 1. Its test uses EBITDA (profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and all debt after the purchase. Our rough 1.25 test uses seller-stated profit against an assumed loan. Confirm the details with a lender.

Almost never with nobody at all. Of 228 businesses that got a closer AI read, 0 could run with nobody. In 70, what stays with a person is one group of tasks, usually supplier relationships and choosing products. A few are skilled work such as teaching or legal hearings. Moving the routine work to software keeps that group small.

After you buy a business, Palavir learns how it runs and moves the routine work to software one step at a time, then keeps it working. You own everything in your own accounts. Palavir does not find, broker or sell businesses.

Yes, as a consultant for up to 24 months in total under the SBA rule effective October 1, 2026 (it was 12 months). After a complete change of ownership, the seller cannot stay as an owner, officer or employee. A lender or SBA attorney should confirm how this applies to a specific deal.