Lessons Learned from Deals that Died | Ep. 78

Welcome back to The BDO Show—where the ups and downs of SBA lending drives BDOs to overconsumption of coffee (even at 7 PM) and sweet little threats to their borrowers.

SBA lending isn't just about spreadsheets; it's an emotional roller coaster. This week, the panel gets real about the crushing deals that died, the shock of fraud, and the unexpected "therapy session" that happens when a loan finally funds.

Join Emily Detor, Andrew Chong, John Chung, Daniel Park, and Zach Bennett as they share their most painful (and triumphant) deal stories:

Tune in as they break down:

• 💀 Time Kills Deals: Andrew is living this out right now with a deal that – if they listened – would have gotten done.

• 💔 The Year-Long Loss: Zach recounts his most crushing career deal: a purchase that took a full year to underwrite, only to be killed at the finish line by a new Chief Credit Officer who just had a "different set of eyes."

• 🚨 The Fraud Flag: Zach and John detail the terrifying reality of encountering tax fraud and the common issue of sellers being leery of providing real tax returns.

• 🥊 Fighting Credit: The panel agrees that the key to dealing with the credit team is credibility. You must anticipate weaknesses, hit them head-on, and mitigate issues upfront—otherwise, they can sink your deal later.

• ⏱️ Borrower Deadlines: John explains why you must give the borrower deadlines and make them responsible for the timeline: "We can close as fast or slow as you get us everything we need."

This episode is packed with war stories, mental strategies for surviving sales, and a reminder that you're an essential part of the American Dream.

👉 What was your most heartbreaking deal loss? Share your story in the comments or email us at [e-mail].

🎙This episode is sponsored by:

Rapid Business Plans

Rapid Business Plan is a trusted partner that can help your borrower get their story on paper. Whether they're acquiring, starting, or expanding, Rapid Business Plans delivers powerful, fast SBA and USDA-ready business plans with projections and assumptions. For more information go to https://rapidbusinessplans.com/the-bdo-show

Peak Business Valuation

Our partner, Peak Business Valuation, has a free resource for BDO listeners, listing rule-of-thumb formulas for common SBA industries. Don't make the rookie mistake of missing the valuation at the prescreen phase. Go to peakbizval.com/bdoshow to get yours today.