This wasn't Georgia, but we had the same requirement for our in NC. GM had his license so we gave him 5% equity and the seller was under contract for 12 months so he could take a secondary licensee position which satisfied the requirement. However, we felt that situation was a bit precarious so as soon as we closed we offered incentives for anyone else who wanted to get licensed. 3 other guys stepped up and within 2 months we had 5 licensees total. FWIW, and this may be NC specific, you can't set up additional GMB locations without a unique licensee assigned so having multiple licensees allows additional locations which is a huge bump to LSA visibility

Hi ^redacted‌ - nice to meet you and glad to give a comprehensive answer on this one. Under the new rules, if you don’t personally hold the required license, SBA lenders must see a licensed individual committed to staying with the business for multiple years. This goal requires the employee to be on a multi-year agreement alongside retention bonuses. Be mindful that each state has their own rules and requirements for individuals holding licenses depending on the industry. The seller can fill that role for up to 12 months after closing, but beyond that the licensed person must be either an employee or a part-owner. Some lenders also require that employee to hold a small equity stake (typically 0.5% to 2%). In rare cases, lenders may even ask the licensed employee to provide a limited or personal guarantee. We have a lot of experience financing licensed trade businesses like plumbing, HVAC, and electrical via the SBA. If you ever need help talking through a deal, I am happy to help. We work with all the major SBA lenders. The bank pays us after your loan closes, so this is a 100% free service for you. You can email me directly at redacted or schedule a meeting with me: redacted. Look forward to chatting!