Most first-time entrepreneurs are under the impression that SBA funding stage process loans are an easy, viable route to funding any startup. While the SBA is an excellent government program to assist American small business,
Business Startups And The Small Business Administration (SBA) Funding Stage Process
Most first-time entrepreneurs are under the impression that SBA funding stage process loans are an easy, viable route to funding any startup. While the SBA is an excellent government program to assist American small business, keep in mind that it is a government program, with all that distinction means - the process is slow, the restrictions are strict, and the hurdles to approval are high. Before you commit countless hours and effort to pursuing an SBA approval, be sure you understand the realities of the programs as well as your alternative opportunities for financing your startup.
The SBA is well-organized with distinctive programs to cover various sizes of businesses at various stages. The most common SBA funding stage process program for entrepreneurs is the 7a Regular, which provides loan guarantees to approved businesses for startup or expansion needs including working capital, equipment purchases and the like. These guarantees are not actual loans but are intended to improve the chances of obtaining a formal bank loan. After all, if the federal government is promising to repay 75% or more of the loan if the borrower defaults then the banks should be clamoring to provide the loans, right? Not so much. In fact, banks are less and less inclined to service SBA-backed loans because of the requirements (read paperwork) set forth in the SBA guarantee regulations and the higher risk of helping out small business. Finding a bank to service an SBA loan is even more difficult if you are trying to fund a startup. The SBA requires a good personal credit score to even have a chance at a 7a guarantee, and the banks will require excellent credit plus your personal guarantee and collateral before they even think about lending the cash.
If you are looking to start your own business, don't make the SBA funding stage process loan your first choice for startup financing. Determine how much you can get done out-of-pocket and look to family and friends investors to round out the funding. Financing your business yourself and through people who know you and want you to succeed provides you far more control and can be a stronger incentive to watch the pennies throughout the life of your venture. However you decide to fund your business, the first step is to develop a detailed plan, including financials, so you know exactly how much you need and when. If the total is more than you can finance yourself, the work you have put in to the planning can be easily organized into a formal business plan to entice investors, including the SBA funding stage process.
