We find, check and help you buy a business in the U.S.
Buyer-side support for foreign investors: business search and selection, due diligence, valuation, negotiation, closing and launch. For budgets from $100,000, with the documentation your immigration attorney needs for an E-2 visa.
Minimum budget$100,000
- Buyer-side only, no commissions from sellers
- Independent attorneys, CPAs and escrow agents
- No visa guarantee: your attorney files, the consulate decides
Minimum budget
$100,000
for the purchase, plus working capital. Deals of $500K to $10M are led by our M&A partner
- businesses launched for foreign investors¹
- 400+
- invested by our clients in 20+ states
- $15M+
- helping foreign investors in the U.S.
- Since 2018
Is an acquisition the right route for you?
A good fit
- Citizens of E-2 treaty countries who prefer buying a business with a track record to starting one
- Investors with $100,000 or more for the purchase, plus working capital
- Buyers who will run the business or control a hired manager
- Investors already under LOI who need an independent check of the target
Usually not a fit
- Budgets under $100,000: a new small business is usually the more realistic E-2 route
- Passive investments such as rental property or stocks: they do not qualify for E-2
- Anyone looking for a guaranteed visa: no one can honestly promise one
How we help you buy a business
Each service can be taken on its own or as one buyer-side engagement from search to launch.
Business Search
How to find businesses for sale that fit your budget, experience and E-2 plan: criteria, broker and off-market sourcing, screening and a verified shortlist.
Read more →Business Valuation Services for Buyers Before You Make an Offer
Business valuation services for buyers: verified earnings, SDE and EBITDA multiples, asset and income approaches, a written valuation opinion before an offer.
Read more →Business Acquisition Consultant on the Buyer's Side
A business acquisition consultant working only for the buyer: search, valuation, negotiation, due diligence and closing for foreign buyers of U.S. businesses.
Read more →Deal Structuring and Offers
Acquisition advisory on the buyer side: how to make an offer on a business for sale, negotiate price and terms, and structure the deal for an E-2 investor.
Read more →Closing and Transition
Business acquisition support from signing to day 90: closing coordination with attorneys and escrow, licenses, lease, staff, bank and the seller handover.
Read more →Due diligence
Buyer-side due diligence for U.S. small business acquisitions: financial, business and legal checks, red flags, deliverables and how it supports an E-2 case.
Read more →From first call to closing, step by step
Each step has a deliverable you can check and a decision point where you can stop.
- 01Week 1
Qualification call
Budget, source of funds, nationality, experience and goals. We tell you whether an acquisition is realistic before any fee.
You get: Go or no-go and search criteria
- 024 - 12 weeks
Search and screening
We set criteria (industry, state, size, owner involvement) and screen listed and off-market businesses through brokers and our network.
You get: Shortlist with first-pass numbers
- 031 - 3 weeks
Valuation and LOI
We value the target, support the price negotiation and agree LOI terms with your deal attorney, including an escrow released on visa issuance where needed.
You get: Signed LOI with exclusivity
- 0430 - 60 days
Due diligence
Financial (P&L rebuilt from three years of bank statements), business and operational review, legal review through qualified counsel.
You get: Investment memorandum and risk list
- 052 - 6 weeks
Closing
Purchase agreement by your attorney, escrow, licenses, lease assignment and employee transition, coordinated by us.
You get: Business owned by your U.S. company
- 06Before filing
Visa documentation
Ownership records, investment trail, source-of-funds narrative and the E-2 business plan, prepared for your immigration attorney.
You get: Package for the attorney
Every payment on one page
Who receives each payment, how much and when. Business broker commissions are normally paid by the seller.
| Item | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| TealBridge, buyer-side advisory | ||
| Initial consultation | No charge | Before any agreement |
| Search and advisory retainer | Fixed quote after the first consultation | On signing the mandate |
| Due diligence on a selected target | Fixed quote after the first consultation | After the LOI |
| Success fee | Fixed quote after the first consultation | At closing |
| E-2 business plan | $1,500 to $2,500 | Before the visa filing |
| Independent professionals, paid directly | ||
| Deal attorney | Quoted by the attorney, depends on deal size | From the LOI |
| Immigration attorney | Usually from $10,000 | Before filing |
| Your capital | ||
| Purchase price | From $100,000 | At closing |
Why you can rely on the numbers
Acquisitions led by Anton Trunin
Ex-Managing Partner of venture holding ABRT, whose portfolio included three unicorns, and strategic and investment advisor to U.S. businesses with $200M+ in combined revenue. Anton leads valuation, negotiation and deal structure.
400+
businesses launched for foreign investors in 20+ states
The team of founder Mira Sariyeva has helped foreign investors build and buy U.S. businesses. Businesses we built supported a 99% E-2 approval rate¹.
What we do not promise
We do not guarantee a visa, a return or a price. The consulate or USCIS decides on the visa and your attorney files. We tell you when a deal is weak, including when the right move is to walk away.
- Asking price
- $850,000
- Seller-reported SDE
- $310,000
- Revenue in the seller P&L vs bank deposits
- $46,000 a year higher than deposits
- Add-backs that were recurring costs
- $26,000 a year
- Verified SDE
- $238,000
- Price at the same multiple
- about $650,000
Details changed. The buyer either renegotiates on verified numbers or walks away before closing.
¹ Businesses we built supported a 99% E-2 approval rate. Filings by independent partner attorneys. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Industries we help foreign investors buy into
- Cleaning
- Construction and renovation
- E-commerce
- Franchise resale
- Auto repair
- Car wash
- Daycare
- Gas station
- Home care
- Landscaping
- HVAC
- Motel and hotel
- Plumbing and electrical
- Pest control
- Laundromat
- Manufacturing
- Restaurant
- Trucking
Buying a business by state
- Arizona
- California
- Georgia
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- New Jersey
- New York
- Washington
- Texas
Questions we hear on calls
Yes. Most buyers sign the purchase while still abroad. Your deal attorney can place the purchase funds in escrow and release them only when the visa is issued, which E-2 rules accept as an investment that is committed and at risk.
No, but for E-2 you need at least 50% ownership or operational control through a corporate position. Buying with a partner of the same treaty nationality is possible; the structure should be agreed with your attorney before the LOI.
Often yes for the business, but a loan secured by the business assets does not count toward your E-2 investment. The part you pay from your own funds must still be substantial for the price of the business.
No. We work only for the buyer and are paid only by the buyer. Brokers who list businesses usually represent the seller; we deal with them on your behalf.
Operating businesses with employees and a verifiable history: home and commercial services, logistics, healthcare support services, light manufacturing, B2B services, restaurants and franchise resales. We avoid passive assets and businesses whose income depends on the seller personally.
Typically 3 to 9 months from signing the mandate to closing. The search takes the most variable share; due diligence usually takes 30 to 60 days after the LOI.
That risk is managed in the deal structure. With a visa-contingent escrow, funds are returned under the escrow terms agreed with the seller. Your attorney advises on the terms; we make sure they are in the LOI from the start.
On E-2 you are expected to develop and direct the business, so most owners live nearby. We include your preferred states in the search criteria from the first call.
Tell us about your plans
Your answers let us say on the first call whether an acquisition fits your budget and goals, and what the next step is.
TealBridge is a business consulting firm, not a law firm or a business broker. Visa filings are prepared by independent licensed immigration attorneys. No visa outcome is guaranteed.