CIM Writing Services for a Main-Street Business Sale: Memorandum, Blind Teaser and Data Room Index
Our CIM writing service is a confidential information memorandum of fifteen to twenty sections, a one to two page blind teaser and a data room index, for a fixed $2,800 in 10 business days, and none of it is a valuation. No federal rule we read prescribes a CIM; the buyer's loan shapes ours. Under SOP 50 10 8.1, effective 1 October 2026, the buyer's SBA 7(a) lender "must verify the seller’s financial data" against IRS transcripts and, outside ESOP loans, "may not use a business valuation prepared for the Applicant or the seller". So the financials reconcile to your tax returns and the memorandum states no value.
We are not attorneys, CPAs, lenders or appraisers; some states license business brokers, and we are not one. The SBA rules quoted are from SOP 50 10 8.1 as they apply to a 7(a) purchase; confirm sale terms and tax treatment with your attorney and CPA.
What is this package, and who is it for?
A memorandum, blind teaser and data room index for an owner selling a main-street business without a broker to a buyer likely to use an SBA 7(a) loan. No federal rule we read (listed below) prescribes a CIM, and SOP 50 10 8.1 never uses the term. What a CIM is, and our structure, are in our guide to what goes in a CIM.
What do you receive?
Three documents: a memorandum of fifteen to twenty sections, a blind teaser and a data room index.
| Document | Contents |
|---|---|
| Memorandum: the business | Executive summary; highlights; history and ownership; products or services |
| Memorandum: operations | Customers and concentration, without naming them; operations and suppliers; staff and the handover; facilities and lease terms |
| Memorandum: financials | Financial summary; normalized earnings schedule that ties to the tax returns |
| Memorandum: outlook and sale | Growth opportunities; risks; asset list; transaction summary as your attorney has structured it; next steps |
| Blind teaser | One to two pages with no identifying details |
| Data room index | The seller documents for a buyer's SBA loan file, keyed to SOP 50 10 8.1 |
The index draws on Appendix 15 and on Appendix 20's application contents, including what to provide "if purchasing an existing business with loan proceeds". See our business sale documents checklist.
| Index entry | Basis |
|---|---|
| Purchase agreement, schedules and amendments | Appendix 15: "All related business, stock, and asset purchase agreements" |
| Three years of financial statements | Appendix 20: dated and "signed or certified by the seller within 120 days prior to submission to SBA" |
| Interim statements | "no older than 120 days from date of submission to SBA" |
| Pro forma balance sheet | "as of the date of transfer" |
| Lease | Appendix 20, general contents: "Copy of Lease, if applicable" |
| Three years of business tax returns as filed | The lender must verify your financial data against your IRS transcripts |
| Seller note and standby agreement, if any | Appendix 15: may count as equity if subordinated and on full standby, on the lender's "SBA Form 155 or its own equivalent Standby Agreement form"; alone or with other limited sources it "may provide no more than half of the required Equity Injection" |
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
$2,800, fixed, in 10 business days.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fixed fee | $2,800, agreed before work starts, payable whether or not a sale completes |
| Turnaround | 10 business days from the day we hold the items listed below |
| Included | Memorandum, blind teaser, data room index |
That is the same fee as our Premium business plan.
What is this package not?
It is not a valuation: the memorandum carries no valuation, opinion of value or indicative range. Whether to state an asking price is your decision; if you do, it appears in the transaction summary, and we do not advise on it. Nothing we write is the lender's business valuation or Quality of Earnings report. You decide who receives each document; we never send it to anyone.
How do SBA 7(a) rules shape a CIM?
In three ways; the full rules are on our SBA loan to buy a business page.
Your figures are verified. Section A, Chapter 5, Paragraph B:
For a change of ownership, the SBA Lender must verify the seller’s financial data, including a selling sole proprietor’s Schedule C.
For coverage, Appendix 15: "Adjustments to cash flow without the Lender’s supporting analysis and justification will be ineligible for purposes of determining this core underwriting requirement." So our earnings schedule starts from the returns as filed, and each adjustment carries its document.
Illustration, not a forecast or a quote. Coverage is "Initial Acquisition: 1.25:1" on history, not projections, except in buying an owner-occupied Special Purpose Property whose appraised value fully collateralizes the loan, where the ratio must be met within two years of funding (see SBA debt service coverage requirements). Suppose a memorandum shows normalized EBITDA of $400,000 but the verifiable figures support $320,000:
| Line | Memorandum | Verifiable |
|---|---|---|
| Normalized EBITDA, last fiscal year | $400,000 | $320,000 |
| Annual debt service at 1.25:1 | $400,000 / 1.25 = $320,000 | $320,000 / 1.25 = $256,000 |
| Loan carried, rounded down to the nearest $1,000 | $2,017,000 | $1,614,000 |
| Gap | $64,000 a year; $2,017,000 less $1,614,000 = $403,000 of debt | |
Inputs, not a quote: 10 years fully amortizing at 10.0 percent with no other debt, or $0.158581 a year per $1 borrowed. A price that assumed the larger loan would need the $403,000 from buyer equity, a seller note on full standby (see SBA equity injection requirements) or a lower price.
The memorandum carries no valuation. Appendix 15, outside ESOP loans: "The Lender may not use a business valuation prepared for the Applicant or the seller." Total debt, including a seller note not on full standby, "is limited to the business valuation amount", and "If the amount paid for the business exceeds the business valuation, the difference must be made up by equity." See our SBA business valuation requirements guide.
The handover must fit the SOP. In a Business Expansion or Initial Acquisition the seller "may not remain as an officer, director, stockholder, or employee of the business" but may consult "for a period not to exceed 24 months (in aggregate, including any extensions)". For any 7(a) change of ownership, "Seller earnouts are prohibited".
What do we need from you?
- Three years of business tax returns as filed, financial statements at the highest level you have, and interim statements.
- Each earnings adjustment you propose, with its document.
- Revenue by customer group, staff roles and tenure, the lease, asset list, licenses and main supplier agreements.
- Your attorney's transaction structure, including any seller note, and one call.
Our Pricing Analysis is $1,250, a confidential information memorandum with blind teaser and data room index $2,800, and an acquisition business plan $1,800, or $2,800 with the acquisition model, all fixed. We never charge a percentage of anything you borrow, invest, raise or sell, and no part of our fee depends on a transaction completing. Every price we charge is on one page: /pricing. The section starts at exit and acquisition documents.
Business Plan Firm is the US practice of Avvale, a London consultancy. We have written 1,000+ plans for 500+ founders across 30+ countries, and our clients have raised $500M+.
How we work, and what we do not do
Business Plan Firm is the US practice of Avvale Ltd, a London management consultancy. We are not authorized or regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, not registered with the SEC or FINRA, and not a licensed business broker, real estate broker, investment adviser or appraiser in any state. We prepare documents on your instructions from information you supply. We do not introduce buyers or sellers, solicit offers, negotiate, hold funds or bind any party. You decide who receives any document we prepare, and you are responsible for the law that applies to sending it. Our fees are fixed before work starts, payable whether or not any transaction completes, and never calculated by reference to any amount raised, borrowed, paid or sold. We do not advise on whether to structure a sale as shares or assets, on the merits of any security, or on whether to accept any offer; those are matters for your attorney, your CPA and, where needed, a registered adviser.
How we verified this
Every quotation was checked against raw source text retrieved on 30 October 2026.
- SBA SOP 50 10 8.1, effective 1 October 2026, the Word file SBA posted on 7 October 2026: Appendix 15, Appendix 20 and Section A, Chapter 5.
- No match for confidential information memorandum, teaser or data room in the SOP, 15 U.S.C. 78o and 642, 26 U.S.C. 1060, 13 CFR 103.1, 103.5 or 120.150.
Not verified, so not on this page: a usual CIM length, add-back or concentration percentages (Appendix 15 of SOP 50 10 8.1 sets none) or what other writers charge.
Frequently asked questions
Who is your CIM writing service for?
Business Plan Firm's CIM writing service is for an owner selling a main-street business without a broker to a buyer likely to use an SBA 7(a) loan. The $2,800 package holds a memorandum of fifteen to twenty sections, a blind teaser and a data room index; SBA SOP 50 10 8.1 never uses the term CIM.
How much does it cost to have a CIM written?
Our CIM writing service is a fixed $2,800 for the memorandum, a one to two page blind teaser and a data room index keyed to SOP 50 10 8.1, delivered in 10 business days and payable whether or not a sale completes.
Does your CIM package value my business?
No. Our CIM package carries no valuation, opinion of value or indicative range, because under Appendix 15 of SOP 50 10 8.1, outside ESOP loans, the buyer's SBA lender "may not use a business valuation prepared for the Applicant or the seller". Whether to state an asking price is your decision; we do not advise on it.
Will the buyer's SBA lender check my tax returns?
Under Section A, Chapter 5 of SOP 50 10 8.1, for a change of ownership the SBA lender "must verify the seller’s financial data" against your IRS transcripts. So our CIM's financial section starts from your tax returns as filed and documents each adjustment.
Do you find buyers or send the CIM out for me?
No. We write the CIM, blind teaser and data room index from what you supply, and you decide who receives each document. We do not introduce buyers or sellers, solicit offers, negotiate, hold funds or take any percentage of a sale.
This page summarizes SBA SOP 50 10 8.1 as retrieved on 30 October 2026. It is general information, not legal, tax, lending or investment advice, and does not recommend selling, buying or accepting any offer.