In this episode of The Intentional Owner, co-hosts Kaustubh Deo and Sam Rosati dive into one of the most misunderstood yet critical concepts in small business ownership: Debt Service Coverage Ratio, or DSCR. Drawing from Kaustubh’s experience running Blooma Tree Services and Sam’s ongoing involvement with operators and investors across the ETA community, the discussion unpacks how DSCR directly affects an owner’s ability to invest, grow, and sleep at night.

They break down what DSCR really means—not just in theory, but in the everyday cash flow decisions operators face. Whether it's hiring a new team member, buying equipment, or weathering seasonal slowdowns, Kaustubh and Sam explain how even well-capitalized businesses can find themselves squeezed when the math on debt coverage gets too tight.

Other key insights include:

• How DSCR impacts hiring timelines, capex decisions, and strategic flexibility

• Real-world frameworks for understanding payroll, margins, and revenue mix

• The tradeoffs of financing with SBA debt and how to build in early breathing room

• Why many operators underestimate cash volatility even in profitable businesses

• Strategies for aligning long-term vision with the financial realities of leverage

This episode is a must-listen for anyone currently running a small business—or planning to buy one—who wants to avoid being blindsided by the very structure that made their acquisition possible. It’s a candid, tactical, and grounded conversation about what it really means to operate within financial constraints.

Links:

Kaustubh on Substack - https://bigdealsmallbusiness.substack.com/p/read-me-first

Sam on X - https://x.com/Sam_Rosati

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:01:05) - Tax day For SMB and ETA folks

(00:04:42) - Podcast origins

(00:07:26) - Is SMB just micro-PE?

(00:09:38) - What Searchers are hoping to get out of ETA and SMB

(00:18:08) - The growing interest of PE in tree-care

(00:26:04) - Kaustub’s intentions with Blooma

(00:32:49) - DSCR issues in SMB

(00:42:28) - Staying involved in the search community post-acquisition

(00:46:06) - Investing in Searchers