#financing
Business financing options and funding strategies
CDFIs are Treasury-certified mission-driven lenders that approve roughly 23-30% of small business applicants versus 13-15% at large banks, fund true startups with no hard credit minimums, accept ITINs in place of Social Security numbers, and offer fixed rates as low as 7%. Here's how CDFI underwriting works, who qualifies, and how to apply.
On July 1, 2026, the FDIC, Federal Reserve, and OCC lowered the Community Bank Leverage Ratio from 9% to 8%, making roughly 477 more banks eligible for the simplified capital framework and freeing lending capacity at institutions under $10 billion in assets. Here is what the change means for small business borrowers — and how to keep your books loan-ready.
A term loan charges interest on the full lump sum from day one; a line of credit only charges for what you draw. This guide compares 2026 rates (bank term loans 6.8%–11%, SBA 7(a) 9.75%–13.25%, bank lines 8%–14%), qualification bars, and a three-question framework for choosing the right product.
How ag equipment dealerships should track floor-plan interest per unit, re-mark trade-in inventory as used tractor prices fall, and measure parts-department absorption rate — where the national average sits in the mid-60s percent and under 50% signals trouble.
DSCR equals net operating income divided by total debt service. Most conventional lenders require at least 1.25, SBA programs 1.1 to 1.25, and a ratio below 1.0 is an automatic decline. Here is how to calculate yours, the mistakes that sink applications, and how to improve a weak ratio before you apply.
Search funds have returned a 33.9% aggregate IRR and 4.75x invested capital across 862 funds since 1984, per Stanford's 2026 study. Here's how entrepreneurship through acquisition works — traditional and self-funded search structures, SBA 7(a) financing, typical deal metrics, and why quality of earnings diligence decides the outcome.
The Rule of 78 front-loads loan interest so a lender on a 48-month, $8,000-interest equipment loan has earned about 74% of that interest by month 24 — gutting the savings from early payoff. Here's how precomputed loans work, where they're still legal under 15 U.S.C. § 1615, and how to spot one before you sign.
The SBA's $50 million Manufacturing in America E2G grant funds ~10 intermediary organizations — not manufacturers directly. Here's how small manufacturers access the free training, technical assistance, and government-contracting help it pays for, plus how it pairs with the Made in America 7(a) loan enhancement.
Georgia's SB 69, effective January 1, 2026, requires litigation funders to register with the Department of Banking and Finance via NMLS, makes funding agreements of $25,000 or more discoverable, caps funder fees at net recovery, and bars foreign-adversary funding. Here's what small business owners should verify before accepting a litigation funding offer.
The CFPB's nationwide medical debt credit reporting ban was vacated by a Texas federal court in July 2025, leaving protection to 15 state laws and the bureaus' voluntary policies — paid debts, collections under $500, and a 365-day grace period stay off reports everywhere. Here's what still applies in your state and how to keep a medical collection from raising your business loan rate.
The SBA's 90% Grocery Guarantee, launched May 2026, raises the federal guarantee on food-supply-chain loans from 75% to 90% — up to $5 million over 25 years — and approved $30 million in its first month. Here's who qualifies, how it differs from a standard 7(a) loan, and what lenders need to see in your books before you apply.
The SBA's 2026 Grocery Guarantee raises its loan guarantee from 75% to 90% for roughly 20 qualifying food-supply-chain NAICS codes, covering loans up to $5 million with terms up to 25 years, and backed 19 loans totaling more than $30 million in its first month.
