The process
The SBA loan process, step by step
From “could I get one?” to funded: the whole journey, with the right tool or guide at each step. Most SBA loans take about 30–90 days end to end.
See if an SBA loan fits
SBA 7(a) and 504 loans fund working capital, buying a business or franchise, real estate, and equipment, with long terms and low down payments, because the SBA guarantees part of the loan.
What you’ll need: A for-profit U.S. small business (or one you’re buying).
Check your eligibility
Confirm the basics before you invest time: for-profit, operating in the U.S., small under your size standard, and an eligible business type.
What you’ll need: Your industry and business details.
Pick the right program
7(a) is the flexible, general-purpose loan; 504 funds owner-occupied real estate and major equipment; microloans cover smaller needs.
What you’ll need: To know what the money is for.
Estimate the cost
Work out how much you need, the monthly payment, and the down payment, before you ever talk to a lender.
What you’ll need: A loan amount and a rough rate.
Find your lender
The decision that matters most. Different lenders fund different businesses, states, and loan sizes, and their track records vary widely. Shortlist a few that actually fund businesses like yours, ranked by the data, not by who pays.
What you’ll need: Your state, industry, and loan size.
Find your SBA lenderApply with your lender
You apply directly to the lender you chose. They collect your documents: financials, tax returns, business plan, and your use of funds.
What you’ll need: Tax returns, financial statements, a business plan, and a personal financial statement.
Underwriting & SBA guaranty
The lender underwrites your loan (credit, cash flow, collateral) and secures the SBA guaranty. Preferred lenders can approve faster with delegated authority.
What you’ll need: Quick responses to document requests.
Close & get funded
You sign closing documents and the lender disburses the funds. From application to funding usually takes about 30–90 days (SBA Express can be faster). Once approved, the median borrower has money in about three weeks, and it varies widely by lender.
What you’ll need: To review the terms carefully before signing.
This page maps the road to funding, which is only the first leg. The full map, the middle years, the life events, and the three ways a loan ends, lives at the whole life of an SBA loan. And if you already have an SBA loan and the payments are slipping, start with what happens if you default.
How long the funding leg takes
The famous "30 to 90 days" covers the whole journey from application. This is the measured leg after your loan is approved, from the SBA record, by program.
Days from SBA approval to first disbursement, FY2024–FY2025, computed from 119,555 funded 7(a) loans. This is the leg after approval only; the application-to-approval time is not in the public record, so the full journey is longer (commonly cited as 30 to 90 days).
See the full time-to-funding study, by year, loan size, and lender →
Ready to start?
Jump to the lenders that fund businesses like yours, or let the guided finder walk you through it.
Timelines vary by lender and loan; SBA Express is faster, 504 can take longer. SBA Loan Index is independent and not a lender, broker, or the SBA. See our methodology.