SMB Loan Support is an SBA loan advisory service run by seasoned M&A professionals who do more than simply help you find a lender – we strategically position your deal and guide you through closing.
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Drew began his career as an M&A attorney at Frost Brown Todd, where he closed over 30 transactions totaling ~$500 million across founder‑owned businesses, independent sponsors, and private equity deals. He later served as VP of Portfolio Management at Bionatus, a venture studio supporting early-stage companies, before joining one of its portfolio businesses, Bluon, as SVP of Sales. At Bluon, Drew drove revenue growth nearly 10x in just two years and expanded distribution nationwide, gaining hands-on operational experience scaling a small business.
In 2024, Drew joined the SMBootcamp team to lead our SMB Loan Support brokerage service and strengthen partnerships with top MBA search‑fund programs. As SMB Educator, he draws on his hands‑on M&A and operational experience to empower self‑funded searchers with the financial and deal‑structuring skills they need to close deals. Drew holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson, a JD from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, and a BS in Finance from the University of Louisville.
Discuss your deal specifics and understand your needs
Assist you in gathering and refining required materials
Use our insights to identify lenders most likely to fund your deal
Present your loan package to selected lenders. Manage foollow-ups and facilitate communication
Provide guidance as needed during underwriting. Help navigate any challenges until the loan is funded.
Absolutely— you can approach SBA lenders on your own (before engaging with us), but you should be aware it can limit our ability to help you later if you want to use SMB Loan Support. It may also lead to extra time, mismatches between your deal and the bank’s credit box, and a steep learning curve on presenting your deal in the most attractive way to the lender.
In short, you’re free to go it alone— but most searchers discover that a specialized, no‑fee advocate saves weeks of friction and materially improves approval odds. Just know that if you decide to use SMB Loan Support, we will ask for exclusivity.
Plan on 60–90 days from signed LOI to SBA loan closing, assuming you engage us early.
We build the file upfront and usually hit the finish line closer to 60 days than to 90 days, but we advise budgeting a full 90 days for the many delays that can pop up in SMB deals. Setting clear expectations with your seller and staying organized on diligence items are the biggest levers for finishing on the shorter end of that window.
No. SMB Loan Support is compensated by the lender only after your loan successfully closses. You pay nothing up front and nothing if the deal falls through, so our incentives stay fully aligned with yours.
We typically focus on acquisitions between $1M and $10M in total enterprise value. We have worked with a wide range of industries, including home services, B2B services, franchise (restaurant and non-restaurant), light manufacturing, distribution, and more. If your deal falls outside that range, reach out anyway— we can usually point you in the right direction.
