Small Business Administration FAQs

SBA stands for U.S Small Business Administration, a government agency that provides support and resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Yes. We offer a variety of SBA loan solutions with a commitment to work closely with you to identify your needs and find a program that works for you and your business.

SBA loans are typically used to for business expansion, purchasing a business, purchasing real estate for your small business, purchasing equipment, construction or tenant improvements, financing accounts receivables and inventory, and funding start ups.

If your business is growing, you need to preserve as much capital for reinvestment into that growth. SBA loans allow both lower down payments and longer terms than conventional loans. As a result, you will have more money for reinvestment.
If you are buying a business or need funds to expand your business, SBA is often the only way the loan can be approved because you need a longer term to repay and you need the bank to overlook a shortfall in collateral.
If you are buying real estate or equipment, the lower down payment typically means that you can maximize your return on investment because your business should generate a higher return than the real estate
Finally, SBA often means you can afford to expand your business sooner than you would qualify conventionally.

SBA guarantees allow the bank to overlook certain risks that would not be approved conventionally. The SBA guaranty is not a substitute for a personal guaranty or collateral. The SBA requires that we do all that we can to reduce the risk to the taxpayer (since this is a government guaranteed program). All 20% or more owners must guaranty the loan, and if the assets purchased with proceeds are not sufficient to fully secure the loan, there is a shortfall of collateral, they must pledge any personally owned real estate with 25% or more equity, and may be required to provide an assignment of life insurance.

Since 2004, the fees on SBA 7a loans have been matched to long-term loss rates in the program. The fees cover the costs of the SBA guarantees that are paid when a borrower fails and the guaranty is called upon. That means the SBA program is permanently self-funded and these loans are not funded by taxpayer dollars.
The fees allow the programs to exist to support entrepreneurship and economic development in our communities. The fees are similar to mortgage insurance premiums, which allow higher advance rates and more flexible underwriting requirements than conventional loans.

A loan approval when you otherwise wouldn’t qualify.
A lower down payment, which allows you to invest in other growth opportunities sooner.
A longer time to repay, which allows you to more easily afford the payments.
Funding when collateral doesn’t fully support the request.

No. Some of the most well-known brands in the country have used SBA loans to support their growth. SBA loans exist to help growing small businesses gain access to capital when conventional loans don’t quite fit. SBA loans offer borrowers access to more financing over longer terms, and that means they can expand earlier and take the savings and reinvest it in growth. That means more jobs and a more robust local economy, which generates more taxes.
SBA loans are available to businesses with annual net profit after tax as high as $5,000,000 and tangible net worth as high as $15,000,000.

Under the SBA 7a Program, a borrower and its affiliates can qualify for as much as $5,000,000 in total outstanding SBA guaranteed loans. In most cases, the maximum guaranty allowed is $3,750,000; but exporters can qualify for as much as $4,500,000 in guaranty under the International Trade Loan, Export Working Capital, and Export Express loan programs.
Under the SBA 504 Program, most borrowers can qualify for as much as $5,000,000 in aggregate outstanding guarantees (100% of the bond is guaranteed). Manufacturers and projects that qualify under special energy production and reduction programs can boost the limit to $5,500,000 for each project. Since the 504 program is part bank loan and part SBA bond financing, the limit is much higher and (for very strong clients) can exceed $13,750,000 per project.

Yes, we have many clients that have multiple SBA loans. Those loans have allowed them to buy a business, purchase their owner-occupied real estate, purchase equipment, expand their business, and provided access to permanent and temporary working capital.

Temporary working capital should be thought of as the amount needed to support fluctuations in the timing between paying for inventory or labor and getting paid by your client. Here, the working capital is used temporarily and repaid when your client pays you for the service.
Permanent working capital is needed when a business adds a location, product line, or service and needs to invest in one-time marketing, expanded staffing or builds up permanent levels of inventory and accounts receivable. Here, the working capital gets used up over a short period of time as the investment is made, and gets repaid from profits over a longer period of time.

Because we have demonstrated a proficiency in processing and servicing SBA-guaranteed loans, we have been designated as an SBA Preferred Lender. That means we can streamline the loan process by making decisions and servicing the loan locally.

SBA loans are backed by the U.S Small Business Administration and have different eligibility requirements than small business loans.