What disqualifies you from a small business loan?
Not enough free capital or cash flow
Poor business performance
Lenders may be wary of giving a loan to businesses with low revenue because of concerns about the business's ability to pay back the loan. Oftentimes, the fix for this type of small business loan denial comes back to limiting your debt and strengthening your business's cash flow.
Lenders and loan programs have unique eligibility requirements. In general, eligibility is based on what a business does to receive its income, the character of its ownership, and where the business operates. Normally, businesses must meet SBA size standards, be able to repay, and have a sound business purpose.
- Be an operating business.
- Operate for profit.
- Be located in the U.S.
- Be small under SBA size requirements.
- Not be a type of ineligible business.
- Not be able to obtain the desired credit on reasonable terms from non-federal, non-state, and non-local government sources.
While there's no official required SBA loan minimum credit score from the Small Business Administration, lenders will often set minimum credit score requirements for both personal and business. An SBSS of 140 to 160+ or a personal score of 620 to 640+ are commonly needed to qualify.
In general, you'll need good credit — a personal credit score of 690 or higher — to get an SBA loan. Some lenders, like microlenders, may consider working with businesses with lower credit scores.
If you applied for a business loan but were denied, you're not alone. According to the 2024 Report on Employer Firms, 22 percent of employer firms were denied business loans in the past 12 months. Another 28 percent were only partially approved.
Many businesses can't qualify for an SBA loan, but that doesn't mean there aren't other options available. Once you review why your application was rejected, you can choose to apply again or explore alternatives.
Without cash on hand, you may not be able to get just any business loan. Most lenders want to see a flow of revenue and profit to consider you for a loan.
- Be a for-profit business of any legal structure.
- Be independently owned and operated.
- Not be nationally dominant in its field.
- Be physically located and operate in the U.S. or its territories.
What is the easiest SBA loan to get?
Thanks to the wide range of permitted loan uses, an SBA Express loan is financing that's easy to approve and is likely perfect for your startup's needs.
On average, most SBA loans take 30 to 90 days from applying to funding. 7(a) loan subtypes are backed directly by the SBA. The SBA's turnaround time is 2 to 10 business days, but approval from your chosen lender can take 30 to 60 days. Microloans are loans for smaller amounts of $50,000 or less.
Program | Loan size |
---|---|
SBA microloans | Up to $50,000. |
SBA disaster loans | Up to $2 million. |
SBA Export Working Capital loans | Up to $5 million. |
SBA Export Express loans | Up to $500,000. |
SBA 7(a) loan terms
7(a) loans do not have a minimum loan amount and max out at $5 million. The SBA guarantees 85% of your loan if it's less than $150,000 and 75% if it's more than $150,000. However, it limits guarantees to $3.75 million. SBA loans aren't easy to qualify for.
While you can get up to $5 million for a standard SBA 7(a) loan, most borrowers in 2022 took out just under a million dollars at $999,210. The average for all SBA 7(a) loans, including the Small Loan and Express programs, was $538,903. Express loans, which are limited to a $500,000 maximum, averaged $97,097 in 2022.
While LLCs can be started at any credit level, there will be some notable disadvantages for business owners who have bad credit. Here are a few examples: Money will be hard to come by. Having bad personal credit will generally make it more difficult to get a bank loan to start or expand your LLC.
To increase your chance of qualifying for a $10,000 unsecured loan, you should have a credit score of 600 or higher. Some lenders start their minimum credit score requirements at 600, however, there are some lenders that require a credit score in the high 600s or low 700s.
SBA-qualified lenders usually set their own criteria when assessing your eligibility. Most lenders will require a minimum FICO score of 620 or higher for their SBA Loans. Ready to apply for an SBA Loan?
You have a low credit score
Because an SBA loan is guaranteed by the government, they don't necessarily want to take chances on borrowers with poor personal credit scores. Having a credit score of at least 680 and a mostly unblemished credit history may help you qualify and get lower interest rates.
The business owners personal credit history and personal credit score are very important in the businesses credit worthiness in the eyes of the SBA. It's important to have excellent credit history and a good personal credit score, with a standard minimum credit score of at least 680 to have the best chance of approval.
How many small businesses fail SBA?
8. About 50% of all new businesses will fail within 5 years. The SBA reports that 49.7% of businesses will fail in half of a decade.
SBA lenders will take note of this attention to detail, and it could affect whether you get approved for funding. It's also important to note that you'll be required to wait 90 days before applying for another SBA loan. Even if you're confident you'll qualify, you'll need to wait until that time has passed.
A down payment for an SBA 7(a) or 504 loan ranges from 10 percent to 20 percent. For loans from banks, credit unions and alternative lenders, you may see down payment requirements that range from 10 percent to 30 percent — and some lenders that don't require any down payment.
- Identifying the 'why' behind the loan and specific needs it would cover.
- Making your estimates for each item as exact as possible.
- Describing how each item would support business growth.
- Writing a compelling business plan.
Lender | NerdWallet Rating▼ | Min. credit score▼ |
---|---|---|
Accion Opportunity Fund - Small Business Working Capital Loan Read Review | 5.0/5 Best for Easy business loans for women and minority groups | 570 |
View Details | ||
AltLINE - Invoice Factoring Read Review | 4.5/5 Best for Easy invoice factoring | 300 |
View Details |
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