Buyers:
If you want to prove you’re ready to own a business, don’t prove it by forcing a close. Prove it by protecting the downside: demanding clean earnings, stress-testing the story, and letting the price adjust to reality. The goal isn’t ownership at any cost. The goal is ownership that doesn’t require hope to make the debt payment.

Lenders:
Leadership in lending often shows up in one place: what you do when momentum builds. If the file starts relying on exceptions, soft language (“we’re comfortable”), and future fixes (“we’ll grow into it”), treat that as a credit signal—not a closing strategy. Discipline isn’t obstruction. It’s a market stabilizer.