The seller says it makes $412K. Find out what it really makes.
The Buy the Numbers Deal Screener puts Chris Kodad's due diligence method in your hands. It rebuilds the earnings, challenges every add-back, and tests the loan math in minutes. When a deal gets serious, Chris reviews it with you personally.
No subscription. Pay per deal, or not at all.
real earnings
Most bad deals look fine until someone checks the add-backs.
Business listings are recast to sell. Owner perks get added back that a new owner will still have to pay. "One-time" expenses show up every year. A spouse who works 50 hours a week is listed as a perk.
Buyers usually find out after they sign an LOI and spend $15,000 to $30,000 on a quality-of-earnings report and attorneys. Or worse, after closing, when the loan payment is due and the cash isn't there.
Buy the Numbers moves that scrutiny to the first hour, before you've spent a dollar or fallen in love with a deal.
Find deals anywhere. Check them here.
Keep finding deals wherever you already do: BizBuySell, a broker's email, a sourcing platform, a friend of a friend. Those tools are built to show you more deals.
Buy the Numbers is built to tell you which one is real. Paste in any listing and get a verified answer on what it earns, what it's worth, and whether you can afford it.
How it works
Screen it free
Enter the listing numbers. See the price multiple, the loan math, and a first verdict in two minutes.
Get the full Deal Report
$49 for a deal worth a closer look. Every add-back reviewed, red flags ranked, and the questions to send the broker.
Have Chris review it
Before you sign an LOI, get a personal review, a 60-minute call, and a written memo.
What's in every report
One page. Plain English. The same checks a disciplined buyer runs, in the order that kills bad deals fastest.
- Verified SDEEvery add-back reviewed, with the reasoning shown.
- Price vs. the marketYour multiple against typical ranges for that industry.
- Loan reality checkSBA payment, your salary, and debt service coverage on verified numbers.
- Red flags, rankedCustomer concentration, owner dependence, declining revenue, and more.
- Questions for the sellerSpecific to this deal, ready to paste into an email.
- A clear verdictA score out of 100 and what to do next.
Built for people buying their first (or next) business
Leaving a corporate job
You know how to run a team. You need to know if the business can pay you and the bank.
Searchers and ETA buyers
You're screening dozens of deals. Stop spending weekends in spreadsheets on ones that were never real.
Operators adding a bolt-on
Check whether a tuck-in actually adds cash flow once overlapping costs are gone.
Investors backing an operator
Get an independent read on the numbers before you wire equity.
The second opinion before you sign
Software can check the numbers. It can't sit across from you and say what it would actually do. That's what the Expert Deal Review is for.
A limited number of reviews each month. Chris does every one personally.
Send the deal
Listing, P&L, tax returns, and anything the broker sent you.
Chris reviews it
Earnings, price, structure, seller note, and the risks that would keep him up at night.
60-minute call
Walk through what he'd offer, what he'd ask for, and when he'd walk away.
Written memo in 5 business days
Your findings and offer strategy on paper, ready for your lender, CPA, and attorney.
Need help all the way to closing? Deal Partner ($5,000) adds LOI and term review, a diligence document review, lender package prep, and up to three more calls.
Why I built this
I've bought, run, and sold businesses. I built and sold a hospitality business, I own half of a behavioral health company, and I invest in real estate and private deals. The pattern I kept seeing: buyers who were smart about everything except the one number that matters, what the business actually earns for the next owner.
Buy the Numbers is the checklist I run on every deal, turned into a tool you can use at 11pm when a new listing hits your inbox. And when you're close to an offer, I review the deal with you myself.
Chris Kodad
Author of Buy the Numbers and host of The Investor's Playbook on YouTube
Pay per deal. No subscription.
Buyers screen hard for a few months, then close or pause. So you pay for the deals you check, not a monthly bill you forget to cancel.
Free screen
A first look at any deal.
- 1 screen per month
- Price multiple vs. industry
- SBA loan and debt coverage check
- First verdict
Deal Report
For a deal worth a closer look.
- Every add-back reviewed with reasons
- Verified SDE and real multiple
- Red flags, ranked
- Questions to send the broker
Buyer Pass
For an active search.
- Unlimited Deal Reports for 90 days
- Save and compare deals
- Doesn't auto-renew
Expert Deal Review
For the deal you're about to offer on.
- Chris reviews your deal personally
- 60-minute call on price, terms, and risks
- Written memo in 5 business days
- Includes a 90-day Buyer Pass
If a Deal Report doesn't give you at least one question worth asking the seller, email us for a full refund.
Questions
Why not just paste the listing into ChatGPT?
You can, and you'll get an answer. You won't get a consistent method, the add-back rules an experienced buyer applies, the loan math done right, or a person to call when the answer matters. The Deal Screener runs the same Buy the Numbers checks on every deal, and Chris is one click away.
I already use a deal sourcing platform. Do I need this?
Sourcing platforms help you find more deals. Buy the Numbers helps you decide which one is real. Most of our buyers use both: they find deals there and check them here.
Does this replace a quality-of-earnings report?
No. The Deal Screener is for screening, before you make an offer. It tells you which deals deserve a QoE, attorney, and CPA, and which to drop now. On any deal you close, you should still do full professional diligence.
Is this financial or investment advice?
No. Reports and reviews are educational analysis based on the information you provide. They're a starting point for your own diligence and conversations with your lender, CPA, and attorney.
What do I need to get started?
The asking price, revenue for the last few years, and the seller's SDE with add-backs, all of which are usually in the listing or broker's teaser. Pasting the full listing or P&L gives sharper results.
What size businesses does it work for?
Owner-operated service businesses selling for roughly $300K to $5M: home services, trades, cleaning, pest control, auto, care services, and similar.
Is my deal information private?
Your deal details are used only to produce your report. We never share or sell deal data, and you can delete saved deals anytime.
Does the Buyer Pass renew?
No. It runs for 90 days and stops. If you're still searching, buy another one.
