Buying A small business IS risky.

We mitigate that risk for you.

Find out why countless clients trust us to vet their SMB acquisitions.

Our Blog

Get the latest free resources
and tips on due diligence.

Free Intro Call

Completely free.
No commitment required.

Contact Us

Reach us by phone or email.
We’re here to help.

About Us

Rapid Diligence was founded by a group of experienced acquisition entrepreneurs and M&A analysts. We’ve set out to provide world class due diligence and consulting services for small business buyers everywhere. We realize that buying an SMB may be a daunting process, from finding the right business to verifying the abundance of claims made, all while competing with other buyers to not let your dream business get away! That’s why we’re here to help.

Whether you’re a novice buyer or an experienced investor, our wide range of services can help you find the perfect small business for you, ensure its reliability and verify the claims made, thus mitigating a majority of the risk associated with a small business purchase. Whether it’s obvious problems or obscure issues, our experienced team of analysts has seen it all. With our combined experience, we’re confident your next acquisition will be your best one yet!

We strive to provide effective, data-driven due diligence services for each and every one of our customers. We strongly believe that buying a small businesses should not be limited to skilled, financial analysts and tech savvy investors. Our mission is for anyone interested in becoming an acquisition entrepreneur to be able to do so with complete ease and comfort and we’ve set out to make that happen!

Efficient Processes.
Flawlessly Executed.

Don't know what you don't know?
We'll break it down.

SMB acquisitions are tough because, well, you don’t know what you don’t know. With so many moving pieces and components to look into, the challenge is focusing on what’s relevant and ignoring what’s not.

That’s why we break down our due diligence into five, manageable components: Operational, Financial, Market, Strategic, and Technical. This allows us to focus on what’s important in each segment so we can break it down and make sense of it all.

Not sure if the business has really been around for ten years? Think there are costs the seller may not be disclosing? Site traffic look suspicious? We look into it all, without you even asking.

Our Services

Transaction Type Filter

Quality of Earnings

$8,900+
Our highly experienced M&A CPAs conduct a comprehensive analysis of the the target acquisition’s financials and meticulously comb through every line item to ensure there are no discrepancies. This includes reconstructing the P&L.

Live Verification Report

$5,900+
Our “flagship” report. A holistic assessment of the target acquisition with a focus on online businesses. Includes review of operational, website traffic, technical, strategic, and financial risks, as well as assessing growth opportunities.

Start to Finish Plan

$11,900+
Comprehensive offering aimed at novice online business buyers that are currently in the search phase. Includes helping with preliminary vetting of businesses, deal structuring, negotiations, assisting with the LOI submission, and post-LOI due diligence.

QoE “Lite”

$6,700+
Our highly experienced M&A CPAs conduct a comprehensive analysis of the the target acquisition’s financials and meticulously comb through every line item to ensure there are no discrepancies. More affordable but just as comprehensive.

Preliminary Vetting Report

$750
A high-level and preliminary review of the target acquisition with a focus on pre-LOI diligence. Includes review of high-level operational risks, website traffic, strategic, and financial risks.

Codebase & Tech Stack Analysis

$5,900+
A comprehensive analysis of the codebase and technology stack for any software. This includes a review of the codebase, as well as the surrounding development and testing processes.

Financial Modeling Service

$2,950
Robust financial model created by our highly experienced M&A CPAs using the target’s historical financials and projection. Includes business valuation by DCF and key investment calculations to help support your business plan or investment decision.

Fractional CFO Services

$1840 / mo+
Have an experienced CFO lead financial strategy, oversee cash flows and risks, lead finance teams, optimize and implement financial strategies, and promote growth and financial success for your current business or target acquisition.

Testimonials

Ashley de Souza
First Time Business Buyer

As a first time business buyer I was pretty apprehensive about what really might be under the hood of the business I’m buying, but from my very first meeting with Ahmed, Rapid gave me the perfect amount of assurance about their experience, their comprehensive investigation/report, and ultimately the confidence in my purchase, safe in the knowledge that every area had been looked into by someone experienced and independent.

The Live Verification report was very thorough, and its inclusion of potential risks and growth areas (amongst others) allowed me to go into the purchase with my eyes fully open, which is all I can ask for.

Also, Ahmed is super calm, friendly and approachable, which made the whole process a pleasure. Any question I had about the business or on his or Fahaad’s experience of the industry (even my dumb newbie questions) he’s always happily and comprehensively answered, responsive too. They provided me the calm, assured and experienced partner I really needed for my first purchase.

I plan on acquisitions in future too and I’d use Rapid again without any hesitation.

Greg Thomas
Serial Acquisition Entrepreneur

I have worked with Rapid Diligence on a couple of projects. Here is why I’m giving a 5-star review: Ahmed is a first-class person! Honest, high character, easy to communicate with and a genuinely enjoyable guy to interact with and work together with. The Rapid Diligence team has loads of experience analyzing digital assets/businesses. They know what to look for and how to find the “ghosts in the closets”. Ahmed is patient and a steady influence through the sometimes stressful and time intensive process of business acquisition.

Dennis Christner
CEO @ Blue Orion

My experience with Rapid Diligence has been nothing short of incredible. Having someone in your corner who can through every deal with you start to finish as your mentor and sounding board, especially when you have never purchased a business before, has been priceless. Ahmed helped prevent me from making bad decisions throughout our journey to find the right business and assured me that we had found the one when we did. He continued to be both resourceful and helpful all the way through closing.

Throughout all of this, Ahmed has been the single most helpful person I’ve interfaced with throughout the entire process of my search and I’d hire him again.

Kenneth Crotty
First Time Business Buyer

I had an exceptional experience working with Rapid Diligence during my business acquisition process. Ahmed, my main point of contact, was an outstanding mentor and advisor throughout the entire journey. His guidance and expertise were crucial, and he provided constant support throughout the process. As a first-time business buyer, his knowledge and presence played a key role in helping me avoid common mistakes. Additionally, Ahmed went above and beyond to assist me with additional tasks during the closing process. I would highly recommend Ahmed and the Rapid Diligence team to anyone looking to purchase a business. They were truly exceptional in every aspect of the process.

Andrew A. Weidinger
First Time Business Buyer

Locating Rapid Diligence and Ahmed was quite the godsend. Finding a company or person with the expertise and experience in due diligence is hard enough, yet alone one that specializes in eCommerce, SaaS, and websites in general. I am not usually one to write reviews but working with Ahmed was quite refreshing. I found working with him to be quite unique in today’s world, primarily due to his honesty, thorough and precise attention to detail, and professionalism. If you want to ensure you are acquiring a quality business or not, Ahmed is your man. He is not just going through the motions like most. He is doing the work just as he would if it was for him, yet he has unparalleled expertise and experience and will be able to give you the most accurate health of any business you are looking at.

I initially came to him for due diligence on a business I had already made an offer on. I did not end up going through with the deal due to his findings, which was a good thing as he probably saved me quite a bit of money and heartache. I have also hired him for the Start to Finish Plan and have the utmost confidence in his ability to help me find and acquire the business I am looking for.

Latif Jamani
First Time Business Buyer

I dealt with Ahmed to evaluate my online content business. He provided a detailed report of all the information I should be aware of and also a starting negotiation price along with an optimal price. He made me feel comfortable to pull the trigger on the business.

Sudheer Bayanker
CEO @ Robi & Co.

Working with Ahmed and Fahaad, at Rapid Diligence, has been nothing short of fantastic. The responsiveness, attention to detail, and timely follow-up set a high bar for client service. I plan to engage Ahmed and team on future acquisitions and highly recommend his work.

Chaya Jadhav
Serial Acquisition Entrepreneur

Fahaad and Ahmed were amazing and added ton of value during the due diligence process in our last acquisition. They are definitely our go to team for all our future acquisitions.

Ashley Davis
First Time Business Buyer

I hired Ahmed to do a short notice due diligence on a site I had submitted an offer on. He was able to complete the process quickly and was extremely thorough. He was so responsive with the questions I had about the site, and he went above and beyond to make sure I was well-informed. Buying a website can be scary, but Rapid Diligence makes it so much easier. For the first time in my buying journey I felt confident in my decisions and was able to come to a conclusion on the site. I can’t wait to work with him again!

Nathan Pennington
First Time SaaS Business Buyer

I’d been wanting to buy a little SaaS business for almost a year before hiring Rapid Diligence. In fact, I’d even gotten a signed LOI on a deal at one point. But purchasing a business is a murky landscape for a first-time buyer. My deal fell through, and I lost my confidence in pulling the trigger on another. I came to realize that without someone else to help guide, I’d likely never have the confidence to close on a deal alone. So, I got in touch with with Ahmed here, and it has worked out well for me. Having him to double check everything through the process has made all the difference in getting to a deal on my own business.

Ashley de Souza
First Time Business Buyer

As a first time business buyer I was pretty apprehensive about what really might be under the hood of the business I’m buying, but from my very first meeting with Ahmed, Rapid gave me the perfect amount of assurance about their experience, their comprehensive investigation/report, and ultimately the confidence in my purchase, safe in the knowledge that every area had been looked into by someone experienced and independent.

The Live Verification report was very thorough, and its inclusion of potential risks and growth areas (amongst others) allowed me to go into the purchase with my eyes fully open, which is all I can ask for.

Also, Ahmed is super calm, friendly and approachable, which made the whole process a pleasure. Any question I had about the business or on his or Fahaad’s experience of the industry (even my dumb newbie questions) he’s always happily and comprehensively answered, responsive too. They provided me the calm, assured and experienced partner I really needed for my first purchase.

I plan on acquisitions in future too and I’d use Rapid again without any hesitation.

Nathan Pennington
First Time SaaS Business Buyer

I’d been wanting to buy a little SaaS business for almost a year before hiring Rapid Diligence. In fact, I’d even gotten a signed LOI on a deal at one point. But purchasing a business is a murky landscape for a first-time buyer. My deal fell through, and I lost my confidence in pulling the trigger on another. I came to realize that without someone else to help guide, I’d likely never have the confidence to close on a deal alone. So, I got in touch with with Ahmed here, and it has worked out well for me. Having him to double check everything through the process has made all the difference in getting to a deal on my own business.

Greg Thomas
Serial Acquisition Entrepreneur

I have worked with Rapid Diligence on a couple of projects. Here is why I’m giving a 5-star review: Ahmed is a first-class person! Honest, high character, easy to communicate with and a genuinely enjoyable guy to interact with and work together with. The Rapid Diligence team has loads of experience analyzing digital assets/businesses. They know what to look for and how to find the “ghosts in the closets”. Ahmed is patient and a steady influence through the sometimes stressful and time intensive process of business acquisition.

Dennis Christner
CEO @ Blue Orion

My experience with Rapid Diligence has been nothing short of incredible. Having someone in your corner who can through every deal with you start to finish as your mentor and sounding board, especially when you have never purchased a business before, has been priceless. Ahmed helped prevent me from making bad decisions throughout our journey to find the right business and assured me that we had found the one when we did. He continued to be both resourceful and helpful all the way through closing.

Throughout all of this, Ahmed has been the single most helpful person I’ve interfaced with throughout the entire process of my search and I’d hire him again.

Kenneth Crotty
First Time Business Buyer

I had an exceptional experience working with Rapid Diligence during my business acquisition process. Ahmed, my main point of contact, was an outstanding mentor and advisor throughout the entire journey. His guidance and expertise were crucial, and he provided constant support throughout the process. As a first-time business buyer, his knowledge and presence played a key role in helping me avoid common mistakes. Additionally, Ahmed went above and beyond to assist me with additional tasks during the closing process. I would highly recommend Ahmed and the Rapid Diligence team to anyone looking to purchase a business. They were truly exceptional in every aspect of the process.

Andrew A. Weidinger
First Time Business Buyer

Locating Rapid Diligence and Ahmed was quite the godsend. Finding a company or person with the expertise and experience in due diligence is hard enough, yet alone one that specializes in eCommerce, SaaS, and websites in general. I am not usually one to write reviews but working with Ahmed was quite refreshing. I found working with him to be quite unique in today’s world, primarily due to his honesty, thorough and precise attention to detail, and professionalism. If you want to ensure you are acquiring a quality business or not, Ahmed is your man. He is not just going through the motions like most. He is doing the work just as he would if it was for him, yet he has unparalleled expertise and experience and will be able to give you the most accurate health of any business you are looking at.

I initially came to him for due diligence on a business I had already made an offer on. I did not end up going through with the deal due to his findings, which was a good thing as he probably saved me quite a bit of money and heartache. I have also hired him for the Start to Finish Plan and have the utmost confidence in his ability to help me find and acquire the business I am looking for.

Latif Jamani
First Time Business Buyer

I dealt with Ahmed to evaluate my online content business. He provided a detailed report of all the information I should be aware of and also a starting negotiation price along with an optimal price. He made me feel comfortable to pull the trigger on the business.

Sudheer Bayanker
CEO @ Robi & Co.

Working with Ahmed and Fahaad, at Rapid Diligence, has been nothing short of fantastic. The responsiveness, attention to detail, and timely follow-up set a high bar for client service. I plan to engage Ahmed and team on future acquisitions and highly recommend his work.

Chaya Jadhav
Serial Acquisition Entrepreneur

Fahaad and Ahmed were amazing and added ton of value during the due diligence process in our last acquisition. They are definitely our go to team for all our future acquisitions.

Ashley Davis
First Time Business Buyer

I hired Ahmed to do a short notice due diligence on a site I had submitted an offer on. He was able to complete the process quickly and was extremely thorough. He was so responsive with the questions I had about the site, and he went above and beyond to make sure I was well-informed. Buying a website can be scary, but Rapid Diligence makes it so much easier. For the first time in my buying journey I felt confident in my decisions and was able to come to a conclusion on the site. I can’t wait to work with him again!

Frequently Asked Questions

Nope! We’ve done numerous deals involving traditional SMB acquisitions, including but not limited to manufacturing companies, car washes, restaurant franchises, health spas, and more. We have more options available for online businesses but have both the capacity and experience to work on traditional businesses. In fact, we’ve now worked on more traditional deals than online!

For online businesses, we cover everything from operational, technical, financial, and more. We don’t cover legal in-house but for US-based clients, we have partnered with a law firm that specializes in SMB acquisitions. This allows us to work in tandem with the legal team during the due diligence process.

For traditional SMB acquisitions, this varies deal by deal. Depending on our team’s experience with that particular industry or sector, we may be able to provide one or more of our due diligence offerings. When we can’t help with something, we’ll simply tell you so. No beating around the bush.

We try to keep our out of the box offerings as simple as possible to create a streamlined and seamless experience for clients. However, we often do offer “ad hoc consulting” for services not explicitly listed. If you have something in mind, feel free to contact us or book a free intro consultation and we’d be happy to chat more about it!

Free access to all the deal data we've collected:

After assessing countless deals, we’ve gained exclusive insight into what buyers are actually paying for businesses, not simply what sellers are asking.

Does longevity of a business affect its valuation more than growth? What’s the primary difference between an eCommerce business that sells at 3x vs. 7x EBIDTA?

We have the answers and the data to back it up. And we’re willing to share it. 😏