Common questions, plain answers.

An SBA loan is a small business loan partially guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Because the SBA guarantees a portion of the loan, lenders take on less risk — which means better rates and terms for borrowers than conventional bank loans. The most common type we work with is the SBA 7(a) loan.

SBA 7(a) loans can be used for a wide range of business purposes: buying an existing business, purchasing commercial real estate, working capital, refinancing existing debt, or startup costs. The right loan type depends on your specific situation — we help you match the loan to the goal.

SBA 7(a) loans go up to $5 million. For commercial real estate (SBA 504), loan sizes can be significantly higher. Most of our clients borrow between $250,000 and $5 million. We work with loans across the full spectrum and will match you to the right lender for your amount.

It varies. A streamlined SBA Express loan can close in as few as 30–45 days. Standard SBA 7(a) loans typically take 60–90 days from application to closing, depending on the complexity of the deal and how quickly documents are submitted. We track every step in our deal tracker so nothing falls through the cracks.

Yes — completely. Lenders pay us a referral fee when a deal closes. You never pay us anything, not upfront and not at closing. Our fee comes out of the lender's side of the transaction, not yours.

Pre-qualification takes about 2 minutes. You tell us your loan purpose, desired amount, and basic contact info. We review your situation and give you an honest answer: if we think you're fundable, we move forward. If we don't, we tell you — and often explain what it would take to get there.

Don't give up. Banks have strict in-house requirements that are often more conservative than SBA guidelines. Many of our clients were declined by their local bank before coming to us and getting funded. A previous rejection is not a disqualifier.

Absolutely. A large portion of our clients are first-time buyers. We specialize in guiding people through the process who've never done this before. We'll explain every step, every document, and every decision in plain language.

Most SBA lenders look for a credit score of 650 or higher, though some programs have flexibility. Credit score is just one factor — we also look at your overall financial picture, business history, and the deal structure. A lower score doesn't automatically disqualify you.

For business acquisitions, SBA typically requires a 10% equity injection. For commercial real estate (SBA 504), it's typically 10–15%. Working capital and refinance loans often require no down payment. The equity can come from personal savings, seller financing, or a combination.

Documents vary by loan type, but commonly include: 3 years of personal and business tax returns, a personal financial statement, 3 months of bank statements, and (for acquisitions) the business's financial statements and purchase agreement. We walk you through the full list after pre-qualification.

For acquisitions, lenders look at the target business's cash flow — it needs to service the debt. For working capital or startup loans, projections and industry experience carry more weight. We help you build the strongest possible file regardless of your situation.