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For SBA lenders, buyers and sellers

Quality of earnings for your small-business deal.

A fixed-fee report, prepared personally by Sergei Mochtchenkov, CFA. From $4,500, ready in 7–10 business days after complete documents.

Book a free 30-minute callSee the sample report

5.0 from 135 Upwork reviews · CFA charterholder since 2016

Interactive sample report, Verdict tab

Verdict · 1 / 6

Open the full report →

Services and prices

Fixed fees, agreed in writing before you pay. No hourly billing.

Not sure the deal is worth a full review yet? Start with the $750 Deal Screen. If the earnings don't hold up, you have spent $750 instead of weeks of exclusivity and a lender's fees.

How it works

  1. Free 30-minute call

    Talk through the deal. No documents needed.

  2. Fixed fee in writing

    Scope and fee agreed before you pay.

  3. Share the documents

    Bank statements, general ledger and payroll records.

  4. Report in 7–10 business days

    Counted from complete documents. An Excel workbook and a written memo you can share.

Before the LOI

Is it worth pursuing?

Deal Screen

$750
Within 3 business days of complete documents · before the LOI
What's included
  • Earnings recast from the CIM, P&L and tax returns
  • Each add-back marked supported, partly supported or not supported, based on the documents you have
  • Modeled debt coverage against 1.25×, using historical cash flow and stated assumptions
  • A modeled purchase-price range at 1.25× coverage, with every assumption shown
  • Your side of the loan: the 10% equity, how much a standby seller note can cover, and what the lender will ask about you
  • Red flags, the questions to send the seller, and a 30-minute call
  • Full refund before any work if the deal isn't a fit
Buy now · $750

Secure payment by Stripe. By paying you agree to the terms.

Learn more about the Deal Screen
After the LOIRecommended

Will the lender see what I see?

Quality of Earnings

$4,500 under $2M price
$6,500 for $2–5M, quoted above $5M · 7–10 business days
What's included
  • Proof of cash: bank deposits tied to reported revenue, trailing twelve months plus two years
  • Add-backs traced to the general ledger and tax returns
  • Customer and vendor concentration
  • Net working capital and a proposed peg
  • Coverage model under the 2026 SBA tests, with downside cases
  • Excel workbook and a written memo you can share with your lender
  • $750 credited if you start within 60 days of a Deal Screen
Ask about your deal
Learn more about the Quality of Earnings report
Any stage

Not sure it's worth $750?

Free 30-minute fit call

$0
Pick a time on Sergei's calendar · no documents needed
What's included
  • Discuss the deal, fit and current availability
  • Confirm scope and which documents you will need
  • No document or earnings review on the free call
Book a free fit call
Selling

Sale-readiness review

Quoted to fit
Priced to the size and complexity of the business · before you list
What's included
  • Every add-back documented to its source
  • Proof of cash for the trailing twelve months and two years
  • Mock lender 1.25× coverage test at your asking price
  • Fix list before a buyer's lender looks at it
Ask about it
After closing

Fractional CFO

Quoted to fit
Priced to the size of the business after a short call · month to month
What's included
  • Monthly close review and management reporting pack
  • Rolling 13-week cash flow
  • Lender covenant and coverage tracking
  • One 60-minute monthly call with Sergei
Ask about it
Scoped with you

Also available

  • Lender package support after a Quality of Earnings report
  • Monthly bookkeeping and month-end close (QuickBooks Online, Xero)
  • Accounting cleanup
  • Financial models
  • Lender packages for refinancing

Scoped and priced with you. Deals above $15M or with unusual structures can be discussed too.

Ask about it

About

Sergei Mochtchenkov, CFA

CFA charterholder since 2016 · Founder, Bankable Deal

Sergei has spent more than 20 years in finance. As a CFO, he has seen where earnings break. Those are the places he tests in a seller's numbers.

He has worked on buy-side and sell-side deals, including the quality of earnings for a software acquisition of about $50M.

He does every engagement personally. No equity, no contingency fees: his only stake is getting the numbers right.

  • CFO, AI platform business
  • CFO, construction and development group
  • CFO, hardware company
  • 100+ business valuations for private companies

Check the record yourself

As shown on each profile, October 2026

CFA Institute member directoryActive member · charter awarded 24 Oct 2016Open the directory entry
UpworkTop Rated Plus · 100% Job Success · 5.0 from 135 reviews · 304 jobs · 20,000+ hours
LinkedInVerified profile · 16,000+ followers · career historyOpen the LinkedIn profile

Contact Sergei

Replies within one business day
Book a free 30-minute call

What clients say

Client reviews from Sergei's finance and deal work on Upwork.

Rated 5.0 out of 5

“Sergei did an incredible job for us! His key insights and in-depth research helped us immeasurably. Can highly recommend Sergei for any financial research and due diligence work.”
Financial Due Diligence & Background Investigation Expert for Real Estate Investment Opportunity May 2023 Upwork client

Rated 5.0 out of 5

Transaction Due Diligence Audit Analysis Support Mar 2025 Upwork client

Rated 5.0 out of 5

“Sergei helped us evaluate an M&A opportunity and the merger of two companies.”
Excel M&A Model for two early stage companies Aug 2023 Upwork client

Rated 5.0 out of 5

“Excellent work on our company valuation.”
Valuation for ecommerce apparel company Aug 2023 Upwork client

Rated 5.0 out of 5

“Sergei was amazing to work with, he exceeded all expectations with his technical knowledge, execution and communication”
Buildout 3 statement LBO Model Nov 2023 Upwork client

Rated 5.0 out of 5

Financial modelling for private equity Jan 2025 Upwork client

Rated 5.0 out of 5

“Sergei is absolutely phenomenal to work with. A true professional, he has significantly helped my company and provided invaluable support on multiple important business calls.”
Sales projections and growth rate Chantell P. · Feb 2025 Upwork client

Rated 5.0 out of 5

“Sergei is honest, hardworking and knows what he's doing.”
Financial model for an investment fund Matt H. · Sep 2024 Upwork client

Where small-business deals come apart.

Short guides on add-backs, proof of cash, debt coverage and the 2026 SBA rules.

All guides
$3M+purchase price at which SBA requires a QoE SBA rule

Does SBA require a quality of earnings report?

Yes, at a purchase price of $3M or more. The lender orders it.

Read the guide 3 teststhat catch most weak add-backs Add-backs

How to verify a seller's add-backs

An add-back is a claim, not a fact. Check each one against documents.

Read the guide 5 recordsto reconcile for a proof of cash Proof of cash

How to verify revenue before you buy

Tie bank deposits to the income statement and the tax return, period by period.

Read the guide 1.25×the SBA debt coverage floor Cash flow test

How much cash flow an SBA 7(a) loan needs

Enough to cover the new debt 1.25 times over on a straight acquisition.

Read the guide

Questions clients ask first

Which deals do you work on?

Businesses priced about $1M–15M, with roughly $300K–3M in SDE or EBITDA. SBA 7(a), bank or seller financing, in the US and Canada.

When should I get in touch?

When the LOI is close or signed. Before that, the $750 Deal Screen gives a first read from the CIM, P&L and tax returns.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

A fixed fee: $4,500 under a $2M price, $6,500 for $2–5M, quoted above $5M. The report takes 7–10 business days after complete documents.

My lender orders its own reports. Why pay for this?

The lender's reports come after the loan application and work for the lender. Ours comes earlier and works for you, while you can still renegotiate or walk.

Can an SBA lender use your report for the $3M+ requirement?

Yes, when the lender engages Sergei directly. SBA rules require the lender, not the buyer or seller, to order that report.

What do you need from me?

Bank statements for two years and the trailing twelve months, the general ledger and payroll records. A data request list goes out on day one.

Is my deal kept confidential?

Only Sergei works on your deal, and he signs an NDA first. Files go to a private folder and are deleted 90 days after delivery.

Contact us

Sergei replies personally within one business day. Prefer to talk? Book a free 30-minute call.

Please don't attach documents here. Sergei sends an NDA and a private upload folder first.

Book a free call