Clear, practical loan guides
Concise guides that explain how SBA lending works, with lender-focused context and no rate or payment quotes. Every guide ends with the free tools that put it into practice.
Educational only. Verify everything against current SBA rules and your lender's own policies.
Comparing SBA loan options?
Side-by-side comparisons of the routes lenders discuss most: 7(a) vs 504, Express vs standard 7(a), equipment financing vs SBA, and SBA vs conventional loans.
See the comparisons →SBA 7(a) vs 504 — a clear comparison
The two big SBA loan programs, explained side by side — what each one is for, how the money is structured, and how to tell which conversation to start with a lender.
Read the guide →What lenders look at before saying yes
The handful of questions behind every business loan decision — cash flow, credit, collateral, equity, and character — and what you can do about each one before you apply.
Read the guide →Declined by a bank — what to fix and try next
A decline is information, not a verdict. How to find out why, which problems are fixable, and which lenders and programs to consider talking to next.
Read the guide →How much down payment an SBA loan really needs
The 10% rule for startups and acquisitions, how 504 contributions climb for new businesses and special-purpose buildings, what counts as your injection, and how lenders verify it.
Read the guide →Buying a business with an SBA loan
How SBA acquisition financing actually works — the 10% injection, seller notes on standby, the 1.25x cash-flow coverage minimum arriving October 2026, valuations, due diligence on the seller's numbers, and the transition story lenders need to believe.
Read the guide →SBA microloans for very small requests
When the need is $50,000 or less, the microloan program and community lenders are built for you — smaller checks, friendlier screens, and coaching that comes with the money.
Read the guide →The documents lenders ask for and why
The loan file, explained by purpose instead of by checklist — what each cluster of documents proves, which ones take longest, and how to gather them without drowning.
Read the guide →Business plans lenders actually read
What loan underwriters really do with your business plan, the sections that carry weight, the length nobody needs, and how to write clearly for a skeptical reader.
Read the guide →Free help — SBDC, SCORE, WBC, VBOC explained
Four national networks will help you prepare a loan file, review your plan, and talk through your options at no cost. Who each one serves and how to actually use them.
Read the guide →How this site protects your privacy
Loan preparation involves sensitive information. Learn how browser-first calculations, optional verified accounts, private workspaces, and strict data limits protect program users.
Read the guide →Market research lenders believe
How to swap "the market is huge" for numbers a skeptical underwriter can check — a defined trade area, free official data with a named source and year, and a modest share claim.
Read the guide →How lenders decide — and where SBA fits
The five Cs every lender weighs, how a bank's own credit box relates to an SBA-backed loan, and the questions worth asking a banker before you apply.
Read the guide →Business credit basics
Your business has a credit file of its own — who keeps it, what personal and business credit each tell a lender, and the next steps that build a file worth showing.
Read the guide →