Online Application For An Instant Answer

Ready to Apply? Click here to Apply Online Now.

Need more information before you apply? Read this section first. Before you begin, please call us. Many people have questions about the Program before they begin. We would be happy to answer your questions, but most importantly, we can help you expedite the process by giving instructions. Alternatively, you can call us while you are filling out the online application. (925) 899-8449.

Also, if you would like someone to review your credit report confidentially, simply pull out a copy of your report (within the last 90 days) or if you do not have one, go to www.freecreditreport.com  and on the home page, click onto the link at the left halfway down, in blue lettering, which states "free credit report and credit score". You will be able to receive the report online in a matter of minutes. You have to use your credit card, but when done, you can opt out of the system and cannot be charged. Call us and we can go over the report without charge.

Step 1: Apply online. When you are ready to proceed, click here to begin the online application. This is a confidential and proprietary software program that will give you a quick, tentative, and secure answer within approximately fifteen minutes. Simply follow these instructions (pint this page as a guide as you go through the online application):

	On the first page, select: "Click here to create a personal account".
	Review the loan terms and then click: "Start loan pre-qualification".
	Enter your e-mail address, then click: "Start loan pre-qualification".
	Type your name. You will be linked to the next page and complete the process. In doing so, here are some of the guidelines:

First Page:

All the questions must be answered: "no". As to #1, 2, and 3, if you answered "yes" to any of them, you will not be able to continue. But we can process the application manually. Call us and we can explain how it works.

Next page—"Business Information":

Products / Services sold: The closest match will do. Type in a brief description of your business. For example: "janitorial services" or "child’s day care". Then click: "Find industry codes".

Tax ID / EIN or SSN: If you have an EIN (Federal Employer Identification # —nine digits—not your state tax ID #), enter that number. If you do not have one yet, put in the social security number for principle 1. If you are a partnership, corporation, or LLC, you will have to later furnish that number for funding.

Legal name of business: Do not use a personal name. "DBA Name" means "doing business as". For example: Legal Name of Business—"ABC corporation". DBA Name—"Best Value Jewelry".

Time in Business: If you begin the business as a sole proprietor and then become an LLC or corporation, the length of time in business is when you first began performing services or selling a product. This would be before you incorporated or received your business license.

Average monthly sales: The average gross income (not net), over the last several months.

Industry experience: The experience in the same general industry as your current business. Includes years working for someone else and years owning the business. For example, if you worked for someone else for five years and have been in business for five years, the total industry experience would be ten. Add together the experience of all persons having a 20% or more interest in the business (for example, 50% owner #1 has ten years and 50% owner #2 has fifteen years--total is 25 years).

Rent or Own: This is your residence, not business.

Liquid Assets/Cash in the Bank: This is not selling all your assets. Instead, the average balance you maintain in your checking account.

Step 2: Call us and we will explain the result. We will give you an idea of what to expect, how the loan amount may vary, the factors that may have been included, and your chances for a higher or lower amount, including a re-consideration. To ensure privacy, only the lender reviews your credit report. However, if you have a recent copy of a report or can remember what may be showing up, we would be happy to discuss more details with you.

(925) 899-8449 or info@strategiesforsmallbusiness.com

Step 3: Send in the paperwork. Within approximately four hours, we will e-mail you the required original paperwork (by email with an attachment) with detailed instructions. The forms have been specifically devised by the SBA to be brief and simple to fill out. The original documents will be filled out and signed, with mailing directions to the lender.

Step 4: Contact by Lender. The lender prides itself with a quick turnaround. Usually within one or two days you will be contacted and they will go over last minute paperwork to finalize the process (it takes longer if the paperwork is not filled out correctly--so we have detailed instructions to help).

Step 5: Funding. Once completed, the lender requests the issuance of an SBA loan number which usually takes two to three days. Once received, loan funds are typically wired by the next day and received into your account. It is not unusual for your bank to require one or two days to receive full credit. From finalization to funding usually takes seven to ten days. You are done!