how much do you tell the seller about your financials as a buyer?

searcher profile

February 16, 2021

by a searcher from Helsinki University of Technology in Helsinki, Suomi

I have a funny (not so funny) problem. Together with the seller loan, we have 42% of equity, 58% would be loan from the bank. I think that would be enough, the banks in Finland require 30-40% of capital. For Finnvera 20% would be enough (where we buy the loan guarantee). But now the seller thinks our model is too tight and he will not sell. He does not like the idea, that we put all the precious profits to the loan abbreviations. But what to do? our model is of course to use dividents to pay back the loan. Have you had this problem?
(so the seller thinks we would run the company bankrupt and he would not get his rent money - we cant buy the premises with current equity)

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Reply by a searcher
from University of Pennsylvania in New York, NY, USA
One path would be to lay out a super simple financial model showing just how much coverage you have on the loan payments and rent payments. I would do one with fairly conservative (ideally 0% growth) assumptions.

Challenge the Seller -- if he doesn't think the business will sustain even flat performance in the near-term as you pay down debt, then the whole deal is riskier than it seems...put the onus back on him a bit.
commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from Concordia University in Dubai - United Arab Emirates
I would make sure they know I have the money so they take me seriously which is why I have my financials ready when asked the question. Usually I show them (not give) to the broker so he vets me and increases my chances to meet the owner.
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