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There no better feeling
than getting a company to profitability and still owning and
controlling 100% of your equity. If you have a scalable company then
you probably have the ability to generate considerable personal wealth
and the freedom to do as you please with the company moving forward.
Of course this can also get you into trouble. Taking that company to
the next level will require a different set of skills too. I am
not talking as much about a service business where your scaling is
limited but one with product leverage.
One way to do this is
to bet on yourself by using your own personal resources and
bootstrapping, bootstrapping, bootstrapping. See our complete course
on this at:
www.StartupPlanet.com
Another way is to
develop a mosaic of financing that includes personal resources,
friends and family and then loans. These can be had much easier
using government guarantee programs that reduce the lenders risk and
lower the bar on what banks need to OK that loan thanks to Uncle
Sam's desire to create jobs.
Basic 7(a) Loan
Program
7(a) loans are
the most basic and most used type loan of SBA's business loan
programs. Its name comes from section 7(a) of the Small Business
Act, which authorizes the Agency to provide business loans to
American small businesses.
All 7(a) loans are provided by
lenders who are called participants because they participate with
SBA in the 7(a) program. Not all lenders choose to participate, but
most American banks do. There are also some non-bank lenders who
participate with SBA in the 7(a) program which expands the
availability of lenders making loans under SBA guidelines.
7(a) loans are only available on a
guaranty basis. This means they are provided by lenders who choose
to structure their own loans by SBA's requirements and who apply and
receive a guaranty from SBA on a portion of this loan. The SBA does
not fully guaranty 7(a) loans. The lender and SBA share the risk
that a borrower will not be able to repay the loan in full. The
guaranty is a guaranty against payment default. It does not cover
imprudent decisions by the lender or misrepresentation by the
borrower.
Under the guaranty concept,
commercial lenders make and administer the loans. The
business applies to a lender for their financing. The
lender decides if they will make the loan internally or if the
application has some weaknesses which, in their opinion, will
require an SBA guaranty if the loan is to be made. The guaranty
which SBA provides is only available to the lender. It assures the
lender that in the event the borrower does not repay their
obligation and a payment default occurs, the Government will
reimburse the lender for its loss, up to the percentage of SBA's
guaranty. Under this program, the borrower remains obligated for the
full amount due.
All 7(a) loans which SBA guaranty
must meet 7(a) criteria. The business gets a loan from its lender
with a 7(a) structure and the lender gets an SBA guaranty on a
portion or percentage of this loan. Hence the primary business loan
assistance program available to small business from the SBA is
called the 7(a) guaranty loan program.
A key concept of the 7(a) guaranty
loan program is that the loan actually comes from a commercial
lender, not the Government. If the lender is not willing to provide
the loan, even if they may be able to get an SBA guaranty, the
Agency can not force the lender to change their mind. Neither can
SBA make the loan by itself because the Agency does not have any
money to lend. Therefore it is paramount that all applicants
positively approach the lender for a loan, and that they know the
lenders criteria and requirements as well as those of the SBA. In
order to obtain positive consideration for an SBA supported loan,
the applicant must be both eligible and creditworthy.
WHAT SBA SEEKS IN A LOAN
APPLICATION
In order to get a 7(a) loan, the
applicant must first be eligible. Repayment ability from the cash
flow of the business is a primary consideration in the SBA loan
decision process but good character, management capability,
collateral, and owner's equity contribution are also important
considerations. All owners of 20 percent or more are required to
personally guarantee SBA loans.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Other Articles On Executive Management and Organizational Development (printable PDF
Files):
-
The 11 Required Elements of a Successful Vision - What is a "Vision" and How to Develop and Use It - (1.3
Meg. PDF File)
-
Modes of Management - Shifting Management Gears As Your Company's Stage of Development Evolves
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