The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Empowers the American Dream.

Every business starts with a dream. Turning this dream into reality requires confidence, grit, knowledge, and funding. Wherever you are in growing your small business, the SBA has your back.

Increase confidence and business smarts with free or low-cost mentoring, counseling, and training offered through your local SBA District Office, resources on SBA.gov and SBA’s network of Resource Partners, including:

• SCORE
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)
• Women’s Business Centers (WBCs)
• Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs)

 

Build capacity as business develops through education and counseling on federal contracting and access to capital, such as:

• Federal contracting education/support
• SBA-backed loans

 

Reimagine potential as business branches out, with executive entrepreneurship education and training, mentorship opportunities, and export assistance, such as:

• Financing options for exporting
• Emerging Leaders program
• SBA’s Resource Partner network

 

 

Access to Capital

 

Capital is the lifeblood of a small business. For lenders, SBA-backed loans mean reduced risk. For business owners, these SBA-backed loans result in competitive terms, lower down payments, and flexible overhead requirement.

Need a loan? Use SBA’s Lender Match tool to find an SBA-approved lender that is right for your business. Businesses located in Opportunity Zones have access to increased advantages.

 

504 Loan Program

 

Provides small businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing to acquire fixed assets (e.g., real estate, buildings, machinery). For businesses located in Opportunity Zones:

 

• SBA designated Opportunity Zones as additional areas where the 504 Program’s job creation or retention requirements will be more relaxed, to incentivize lending by Certified Development Companies (CDCs) and Third-Party Lenders in these areas.
• For businesses in specially designated areas (which now includes Opportunity Zones), the requirement is to create or preserve one job for every $85,000 guaranteed by SBA, in comparison to $75,000 per job created or preserved for most other businesses.

 

 

Community Advantage Loan Pilot Program

 

Expands small business access to capital in underserved markets by allowing mission-focused, community-based lenders to make 7(a) loans to small business with an SBA guarantee as high as 85% for loans up to $250,000.

SBA expanded the Pilot Program definition of “underserved markets” to include Opportunity Zones. Community Advantage lenders are required to make at least 60% of their loans in underserved markets.

 

7(a) Loan Program

 

Provides small businesses with access to capital to finance a wide variety of business activities, including purchase of machinery, furniture, fixtures, supplies and materials; improvements to land and buildings; and working capital.

 

HUBZone Government Contracting Opportunities

 

The SBA’s Historically Underutilized business zones (HUBZone) program promotes job growth, capital investment, and economic development to qualified businesses that undergo a certification process. Once certified, HUBZone-certified businesses can compete for set-aside contracts. (There is a goal to award 3% of all government contracts to certified HUBZone businesses.)

There is significant overlap between HUBZones and Opportunity Zones. Contact your local SBA District Office to learn about the benefits of becoming HUBZone-certified.

Search for Opportunity Zone activity in your community or state to learn more about opportunities near you. Contact your local SBA district office by visiting SBA.gov.