Buying a small business usually starts with a letter that records what both sides intend before lawyers draft the contract. This Google Docs template sets out the price and how it is paid, the deal team, the diligence checklist, the conditions to proceed and a dated timetable, and it keeps binding clauses apart from non-binding ones.

The sample shows Lowmoor Works offering $2,400,000 for a Toledo bookbinder, with 85% paid in cash, 15% deferred, a 45-day review, 60 days of exclusivity and a July 2, 2027 completion. Replace the parties, figures and dates with your deal, then have a lawyer review the draft before anyone signs.