An independent, data-driven reference for U.S. Small Business Administration lending. Compare programs, screen eligibility, locate approved lenders, and assemble a submission-ready application — without intermediaries, fees, or marketing spin.
Six focused modules cover the full borrowing journey — from program selection and eligibility screening through lender selection, document preparation, and post-submission tracking. Every module references the SBA Standard Operating Procedure (SOP 50 10 8) and the most recent agency program guides.
Side-by-side reference for 7(a), CDC/504, Express, Microloans and EIDL — terms, caps, fees and use of proceeds.
Search 1,800+ SBA-approved lenders by ZIP, state and program. Includes Preferred Lender (PLP) status.
A short structured questionnaire that matches your business profile to qualifying programs in under three minutes.
An interactive checklist of every form, financial statement and supporting document required at submission.
Active EIDL declarations, application deadlines, and processing timelines for FEMA-designated areas.
Headline SBA spreads, prime-rate movement and historical context drawn from FRED and SBA publications.
Approval volume and headline pricing — sourced from SBA weekly lending reports and the St. Louis Federal Reserve. Use this to benchmark timing, structure expectations and calibrate the lender shortlist.
Five federal vehicles cover nearly every borrowing scenario for the small American business — from a $5,000 microloan to a $5.5M owner-occupied real-estate facility. Each is structured differently, and the right choice rarely follows from headline rate alone.
The SBA's flagship working-capital and acquisition vehicle — broad eligibility, partial federal guaranty.
Long-term, fixed-rate financing for owner-occupied real estate and major fixed assets.
Streamlined 7(a) variant with a 36-hour SBA response and a 50% guaranty.
"The SBA does not lend money. It lends confidence — to a bank, about a borrower the bank would otherwise decline. Understand that, and the rest of the program designs itself."
Short, dated notes on rate movement, agency rule changes, and the quiet mechanics of how a file actually clears a credit committee.
Most lenders price 50–100 bps below the published ceiling because the secondary market for guaranteed strips trades on credit, not coupon. A look at PIMCO's recent purchases of large 7(a) pools.
Long before the credit memo, the analyst is reading line 31 of Schedule C and line 28 of the 1120-S. The DSCR conversation begins there — not in your projections.
Beyond the headline equity-injection clarifications, the most consequential shift is buried in Subpart B: a new affiliation test for management contracts that catches more applicants than the old rule.
The Capital Brief is a reference, not a broker. Nothing here is monetised by lender placement, referral fees, or sponsored placement. The path below is the same path a careful borrower would walk on their own — only faster.
Three minutes of plain questions about industry, size, ownership and intended use of funds.
We score your profile against each of the five SBA programs and surface a short, ranked list with reasons.
Your application kit is generated — every form, every statement, every supporting schedule, in submission order.
Pick from a vetted shortlist of approved lenders by ZIP, with PLP status, average loan size and decision time.