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When Investors Say No - Maybe Your Bank Will Say Yes (With A Little Help From The Government)
By: Howard Schwartz
Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are provided to loan seekers under
section 7(a) of the Small Business Act. This Act gives power to the Agency to
sanction loans to American Small Businesses. Founded on July 30, 1953, the U.S.
small Business Administration has provided loans, loan guarantees, contracts,
counseling and other type of assistance to small businesses. Most American banks
and non-banking lenders participate with SBA in 7(a) loan program.
SBA loans are provided to the borrowers against a guarantee for a percentage of
loan amounts, if deemed necessary by the SBA loan providers. In case of default,
the Agency is, in no way responsible to pay the entire amount – it only
reimburses the guaranteed amount to the commercial lender. The borrower is
obligated to pay the entire loan. The Government or the Agency (SBA) can neither
offer loans as it does not have resources nor can it compel the lender to
provide the loan. A loan applicant should contact the lender directly and not
SBA.
Loan seekers repayment ability is the top consideration in sanctioning these
loans. Other important considerations like good character, management
capability, collateral and business owner equity also play an important role in
sanctioning of a loan. Apart from the above conditions, the eligibility
requirements are quite flexible and accommodate a varied range of small business
financing. Factors like size, type of business, use of proceeds and availability
of funds from other sources are taken into consideration. Business should be
earning profit and should not already be using its internal sources. The
business head, is required to submit a “Statement of Personal History” to check
his past credit record and other tangible matters and to prove his credit
worthiness.
There are certain provisions that apply to most of the SBA loans. Variations can
occur for some loan programs such as the limit of maximum loan amount to be
provided, maturity terms, rate of interest applied, percentage of Guaranty, Loan
fee charged by SBA and pre-payment penalties. All these terms and conditions are
settled between an applicant and the participating financer, according to the
requirements of the SBA.
About the Author:
Howard Schwartz is a partner in several business strategy groups, including HJ
Ventures International, Inc. Howard has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs
worldwide with a focus on writing Business Plans for companies interested in
raising capital from Venture Funds. For more information: http://www.hjventures.com/sba/sba-loan-terms.html
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