Published July 7, 2026 · Updated August 21, 2026
Pedro Oliveira, Founder & Principal, Renova Strategy
Every year, international investors acquire American businesses for the same reasons: a stable legal system, a large domestic market, and in many cases a path to residency for themselves and their families. The opportunity is real. So is the friction, and most of it is avoidable if you understand how US deals actually work before you make your first offer.
Our team advises international buyers regularly, and works in English, Português, Español, and Schweizerdeutsch. These are the issues that come up in nearly every cross-border engagement.
In much of the world, business sales are relationship-driven affairs that unfold over long, informal courtships. The US small and mid-market process is more structured: a confidentiality agreement, a marketing package, an offer or letter of intent, a defined diligence window, and a closing. Sellers and their brokers expect buyers to move through these stages on a schedule.
The most common mistake international buyers make is treating the letter of intent as the beginning of negotiation rather than the end of it. In US practice, the LOI sets price and structure, and diligence is meant to verify, not to reopen. Buyers who habitually retrade after the LOI develop a reputation quickly, and in a small market, reputation travels.
Most small business acquisitions in the US are structured as asset purchases, not stock purchases. The buyer forms a new entity and purchases the assets, contracts, and goodwill, leaving historical liabilities behind with the seller’s entity. This surprises buyers from jurisdictions where share transfers are the norm. Asset deals have real advantages for buyers, but they also mean contracts, licenses, and leases may need to be reassigned, which takes time and cooperation.
Many international buyers are pursuing an acquisition alongside an immigration objective, most commonly the E-2 treaty investor visa. If that describes you, tell your advisors at the start, because it affects the deal itself:
We coordinate with immigration attorneys as a normal part of these engagements. The deal and the visa case need to be built together, not sequentially.
International buyers should plan around one hard fact: US SBA financing, the workhorse of American small business acquisition, generally requires US permanent residency or citizenship. Most cross-border deals are funded with cash, seller financing, or a combination. The upside is that cash buyers move faster and negotiate from strength. Sellers value certainty of closing, and an all-cash international buyer is often the most certain buyer at the table.
The friction points repeat: source-of-funds documentation that takes weeks to assemble, unfamiliarity with US escrow and closing mechanics, undervaluing the role of the accountant and attorney, and underestimating how much US sellers expect responsiveness. The fix for all of them is the same: build your US advisory team, including a broker, an attorney, a CPA, and where relevant immigration counsel, before you start looking, not after you find something.
Our team advises international investors through the full arc of a US acquisition, in your language. An initial consultation is free.