Pillar
Buying Out the Boss
Buying your employer's A/E/LS firm is one of the most reliable paths to business ownership for a senior engineer or project manager, because the firm already has revenue, clients, and the track record a bank needs to approve a loan. SBA 7(a) financing makes the transaction accessible: buyers can come in with as little as 5% down. SBA loans call for a 10% equity injection, and the bank finances the rest so the seller gets paid at closing. The key is understanding how lenders evaluate management depth, debt service coverage, and client concentration before they approve. Sellers who want to retire and buyers who want to own can both get what they need from a single, well-structured deal.
Buying Out the Boss
Younger Partners Can Buy Out the Senior Partner, and He Still Gets Paid at Closing
Your partnership agreement may pay a departing partner monthly over years. That is a funding choice, not a rule. Bank financing pays him at closing instead.
Buying Out the Boss
How Much Cash Does an Employee Need to Buy a Business?
How much cash an employee really needs to buy a business: the 5 percent down math, where the money comes from, and how co-buyers shrink the number.
Buying Out the Boss
How to Buy Out Your Boss: A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to buying out your boss with SBA financing, from confirming the numbers privately to closing the deal and taking ownership.
Buying Out the Boss
Key Employee Buyout: What Happens After You Say Yes
What happens after you commit to a key employee buyout: valuation, financing, the letter of intent, closing, and the transition into ownership.
Buying Out the Boss
Risks and Red Flags Before Buying Out Your Employer
The risks and red flags to check before buying out your employer, from client concentration to cash flow quality, and how SBA underwriting protects you.
Buying Out the Boss
What It Takes to Buy the Company You Work For
What you actually need to buy the company you work for: the down payment, the cash flow banks require, and the personal readiness that makes a buyout work.
Buying Out the Boss
Why the Spouse Belongs at the Table in A/E/LS Firm Buyouts
Every A/E/LS firm buyout has four decision-makers, not two. Bring the buyer's spouse in early so the household is aligned before the bank is.
Buying Out the Boss
Buying the Boss Out: 2026 SBA Financing Guide
Updated 2026 SBA rules make employee buyouts viable with 10% down and cash at closing. Step-Up Legacy Plan beats ESOPs for $1M-$10M A/E firms.
Buying Out the Boss
How to Sell Your Engineering Firm to Key Employees
A/E firm owners can sell to key employees using SBA 7(a) loans with 5-10% down. The Step-Up Legacy Plan pays cash at closing, without turning you into the bank.