The business acquisition analyzer
See the cash you would need, what could remain after debt payments, and the questions to ask before you go further.
Your first result needs no signup or card. Create a free account to save up to 3 personal analyses, with no expiry.
Built for self-funded SMB buyers, starting with one business.
Illustrative example · not customer data
Asking price
$750,000
Seller-reported earnings
$220,000 /yr
Cash needed, including reserve
$235,000
Owner cash flow before tax
$107,847 /yr
A cash gap worth catching early
This example needs $10,000 more than the buyer's available cash.
Assumes 20% buyer equity, 10.5% interest over 10 years, an owner operator, and the example's costs. Earnings are unverified. Open the example to inspect every input.
Explore the assumptions →See past the asking price
Change the earnings, financing, or cost assumptions. See what happens to your cash and income before you commit to the next conversation.
Change the example's numbers →One business, three possible outcomes
Illustrative scenarios · owner cash flow before personal tax
Downside
$55,609 /yr
$176,000 earnings · 12.5% interest
Base case
$107,847 /yr
$220,000 earnings · 10.5% interest
Upside
$129,847 /yr
$242,000 earnings · 10.5% interest
01
Account for buyer equity, closing costs, working capital, and the reserve you want to keep.
02
See what remains after modeled debt payments, capital spending, and any replacement manager salary.
03
Test lower earnings and higher borrowing costs, then identify the evidence you still need.
Enter the asking price and earnings from a listing, seller summary, or documents you have reviewed.
Add your available cash and income target. Adjust financing, costs, and the downside scenario.
Create a free account to save up to 3 personal analyses. Return to refine the numbers or continue into a paid workspace when needed.
No signup to calculate. No card to save. No expiry on your free personal analyses.
Every result starts with the figures you provide. The analyzer makes the calculation visible so you can challenge the assumptions.
Buyer equity, closing costs, working capital, and retained reserve shown separately.
An annual estimate after modeled debt service, capital spending, and replacement salary, before personal tax.
Editable rates, repayment terms, buyer equity, and seller financing assumptions.
Compare the modeled cash requirement and owner cash flow with the targets you enter.
See how lower earnings and higher interest could change your room to operate.
Keep seller claims, your assumptions, and your document references visible beside the result.
The first result is a preliminary screen. It is not a valuation, financing approval, or a recommendation to buy.
A listing or seller summary is a starting point. Earnings and add-backs still need supporting evidence.
Name the document and period you used. This records your source; it does not independently verify the figures.
Your financing terms, reserves, and income goals remain editable. They are assumptions, not an offer from a lender.
The analyzer is free for as long as you need it. Add a paid workspace when you want to organize your pipeline, investigate a shortlist, or coordinate an acquisition. Paid plans are optional, billed monthly.
Start here
$0
Answer the first question: could this business work for you?
Optional workspace
$49/mo
Keep the businesses worth pursuing in one working pipeline.
Optional workspace
$149/mo
Investigate your shortlist with deeper diligence and risk tools.
Optional workspace
$399/mo
Coordinate active acquisitions and prepare evidence for human review.
Already have a workspace? Open Billing.
Free personal analyses are separate from workspace opportunities. Workspace AI tools have both run limits and a monthly AI allowance; whichever limit is reached first pauses further AI work. No automatic overages.
Paid access starts only after you choose a plan and confirm payment. Existing subscriptions keep their current billing terms in Billing. The free analyzer remains available if you cancel.
For first-time SMB buyers and experienced searchers reviewing listings from brokers and marketplaces. Bring the numbers you have; make the missing information part of the decision.
A conversation can help you think. Forge95 gives you a consistent place to calculate, save, and revisit the businesses you are considering.
Use the same calculation across businesses. Change an assumption and see how it changes the result.
Save up to 3 personal analyses free, reopen the inputs, and refine your screen as you learn more.
Record where your earnings figure came from and keep the missing evidence alongside the numbers.
When a business deserves more work, bring it into an optional paid workspace for deal notes, documents, tasks, and diligence tools.
Prefer a checklist alongside your analysis? Get the pre-LOI checks for buyer fit, financial evidence, and financing questions.
See your cash requirement, income scenarios, and next questions. Your first analysis is free.
No signup to calculate. Save up to 3 personal analyses with a free account.
An illustrative services business, with every assumption open to inspection. Change the asking price, your cash, or financing terms and see how the answer changes. No customer data or claimed performance results.