Half of new businesses close within five years. The ones currently for sale already survived. That single fact reshapes how investors and lenders should be reading the Maryland market right now. Owner-operators who built something real are aging out. They want exits, not drama. That is not a distressed signal — it is a supply signal. Our founder Mike DeBaugh breaks down exactly when buying beats building, and where acquisition deals go wrong. The analysis is grounded and direct: the opportunity is in the businesses already standing, not the ones being launched into uncertainty. For community bankers, MSBDFA participants, and angel investors looking at where capital has the highest-probability landing zone heading into 2027, this piece is worth the next ten minutes. https://lnkd.in/eyWXSa4j #MarylandBusiness #Baltimore #SmallBusiness #BusinessAcquisition #CommunityLending
