SBA, for the business you already run.
7(a) and 504 are not real-estate products. A dealer buying its lot, a manufacturer buying its building and a restaurant acquiring the shop next door are all SBA borrowers. One digital file is structured against all four programs below.
Four paths, one file.
Indicative only. Final terms are set by the lender and the SBA.
| Program | Amount | Term | Rate range | Best used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7(a) Standard | $500K – $5M | 10 yr working capital · 25 yr with real estate | Prime + 1.50% to Prime + 3.00% | Acquisition, expansion, partner buyout, debt refinance, working capital |
| 7(a) Small Loan | Up to $500K | 7–10 yr typical | Prime + 2.00% to Prime + 4.50% | Smaller working-capital needs, equipment, leasehold improvements |
| SBA Express | Up to $500K | 7 yr line · 10 yr term | Prime + 4.50% to Prime + 6.50% | Revolving line or term loan on delegated authority. The fastest SBA path |
| 504 | Up to $10M total project | 20–25 yr fixed | Fixed at debenture pricing, set monthly | Owner-occupied real estate, ground-up build, long-lived equipment |
What it takes to qualify.
Every program requires SBA eligibility, a personal guaranty from every owner at 20% or more, and business-purpose use of proceeds.
- 2+ years in business
- 680+ guarantor FICO
- 1.15x minimum DSCR
- 10% equity injection on acquisitions
- Profitable on the most recent filed return
- 2+ years in business
- 660+ guarantor FICO
- SBA credit score screen at intake
- Real estate not required
- Delegated authority for the fastest decision
- 2+ years in business
- 680+ guarantor FICO
- 1.20x minimum DSCR
- 10% borrower injection
- 51% owner occupancy on existing property
The same program, read for your business.
SBA requirements do not change by industry. What changes is what the loan funds and what the lender asks about.
Common questions
Does the SBA lend the money?
No. The SBA guarantees part of a loan that a lender makes. Qualified Commercial is not a lender either — we structure the file and take it directly to the Lender Service Provider and the SBA lender, without a broker chain in between.
How long does it actually take?
A request of $350,000 or less on a complete file typically reaches a term sheet within days and closes inside the month. Anything up to $10M goes through full underwriting with appraisal, environmental review and title work — 31 to 90 days. Appraisal, franchise consent and SBA processing times are outside our control and can extend either range.
Can this buy a business?
Yes. 7(a) is the program that wraps the building, the equipment inside it, the working capital to operate and the acquisition of the business itself into a single note, with one closing and one payment. A 10% equity injection is required on acquisitions.
Do I need real estate?
For 7(a) Small and Express, no. 504 is genuinely a fixed-asset programme: it finances owner-occupied real estate or long-lived equipment, and requires 51% owner occupancy on an existing property.
One file, four programs.
Submit once and we structure 7(a), 504 and Express against the same file. If SBA is not the right path, we say so before you spend the time.
All programs are subject to SBA eligibility, a personal guaranty from every owner at 20% or more, and business-purpose use of proceeds. Rate ranges are indicative and move with the Prime rate, SBA maximums and lender pricing at the time of approval. Qualified Commercial is not a lender and does not guarantee approval, funding, rate, term or timeline. Everything shown here is superseded by the executed loan documents.