Commitment to Privacy -- Processing a SBA Small Business Loan

Some companies offering unsecured small business loans on the Internet, either by phone or e-mail, ask for confidential information, such as a Social Security Number or date of birth. Strategies never asks you to divulge such sensitive information to any of our representatives. In today's age of I.D. theft, internet fraud, and the selling or disclosing of your personal data, one cannot be too safe. To preserve unscrupulous confidentiality, our loan process works as follows:

• Confidential information required to determine SBA loan eligibility is privately typed by you alone into our secure online qualification software program. This is the program that allows you to apply online. We are not able to observe that data while it is being inputted.

• Once you apply for a small business loan online, we immediately see your name, business, addresses, phone numbers, and the loan approval on our computer, but it purposely does not contain social security numbers or employer identification numbers.

• For speed and handling, we customarily have approved and original loan documents mailed directly to our licensed SBA lender, as opposed to our office. However, if you do not have access to a computer, you will have to mail or fax the loan papers to us. Our employees have agreed to keep such information strictly confidential.

• The information we view on our computer goes into a "lapse mode" every fifteen minutes, requiring us to re-enter a secure password and username, to prevent unauthorized access and roving eyes.

• We divulge information about your loan approval only to the borrower(s) listed on the application, and not third parties, such as landlords or your employees. When we do leave a message for you, we disclose only limited information to your employees, simply letting them know who we are. An example would be: "Hi, this is Cliff from Strategies for Small Business on the SBA loan application. Is Mr. Johnson available?"

• Neither your identity nor any of the information disclosed is ever sold, communicated, transferred, or shared with any third parties or entities, other than as necessary to process your application with our own employees, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the participating lender. We know how frustrating it is when you make a purchase or inquiry on the Internet and the next day find a solicitation in your e-mail inbox (after someone has sold this information). We have never done that and never will.

All Data Secured by Encryption-- Applications for SBA small business loans

Our dedication to confidentiality does not stop with our office policies that keep your data private. There has also been a great deal of time and effort put into the online software program developed by our lender for these SBA loans.

Here is how it works: you are linked to a secure portal for the online application. This is a proprietary software program designed and owned by our lender, the purpose of which is to let you apply online and receive a quick tentative answer. You type in your personal and business information and the program analyzes the data, reviews your Experian credit report, and then comes up with an answer. Usually, it takes about fifteen minutes. Any tentative approval is subject to going higher or lower after the final decision is made. We urge you to call us after you have completed the process and we can explain your options. The encryption built into the system safeguards this sensitive information.

Before, during, and after the process, you can call us at any time. For security purposes, we will not be able to observe the inputting of the data. Nor is that data shared, sold, transferred, disclosed, or sold to any third party or entity, at any time.

So that we can answer your questions and monitor the process, when completed, we will see on our screen the pertinent information, but we will not have access to your Social Security number.

We take pride in ensuring the confidentiality of your personal information and welcome any further questions.

Sue Malone. Strategies for Small Business.