Community Business Finance

09/19/2021

HOUSTON, Texas, September 13, 2021—Community Business Finance, an SBA licensed Certified Development Company and provider of the SBA 504 program, announced that Vince Calicchia has joined the company as President. Company founder Bill Ebersole will continue as Chief Executive Officer.

Calicchia has served on the company’s Board of Directors since its inception in 2005. Throughout his 31-year career, Calicchia has distinguished himself as a premier banker in Houston. He led a $65 billion regional bank as a senior business banking relationship manager, directed the SBA Lending Division for a $4 billion Houston-based community bank, and earned accolades as a top producing SBA lender. In 2008, Calicchia acted as President of the Houston Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, an SBA industry trade organization, and he was honored by the SBA as Financial Services Champion of the Year for 2010. He received his BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and his MBA from the University of Houston.

Ebersole stated, “The Company chose Vince to prepare and implement the Community Business Finance growth plan with concentration on process, marketing, and regulatory compliance. Vince is a seasoned commercial lender with an executive background in SBA operations and management. He is a valuable addition to the highly experienced Community Business Finance team and his leadership skills will be crucial to identify, develop, and carry out the strategies necessary to continue to grow the business over the next decade and beyond.”

“I am excited for the opportunity to shift my responsibilities from the board to the operations of Community Business Finance,” said Calicchia. “The company currently services a loan portfolio of over $125 million focused solely on small owner-operated companies. Business growth in our market continues to outpace the rest of the country, and capital at affordable and attractive terms to fund startups and expansions is in high demand. Bill and I both believe that we have just scratched the surface of the company’s true potential.”

As the founder of Community Business Finance, Ebersole has successfully built a Certified Development Company that has provided $226 million in long term fixed rate financing to 272 small business borrowers, creating over 5,000 jobs in the communities the company serves. Ebersole was the SBA’s Financial Services Champion of the Year in 2011. He received his BA from Boston University and his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

10/16/2019

SBA Loans Make Up Only 6% of Funding for Women-Owned Businesses

According to the 2019 Small Business Trends report by Guidant Financial, 35% of women business owners report that their greatest challenge is a lack of capital and cash flow. This is very likely in part due to their struggles to obtain traditional financing. In fact, 35% of women owners list cash as their method of business funding, while SBA loans total a dismal 6% of funding for women-owned businesses. Part of Community Businesses Finance’s mission is for everyone that wants an SBA 504 Loan to have access to that program.

Partner with Community Business Finance to offer the 504 Loan Program to women entrepreneurs.

Community Business Finance is dedicated to providing business loans for business dreams. Partnering with Community Business Finance means having the experience, the efficiency, and the relationships to create a success story for your business.

10/09/2019

Help Women Achieve Their Business Dreams

Community Business Finance continues its celebration of National Women’s Small Business Month by demonstrating how the 504 Loan Program provides the critical funding that women-owned businesses need to establish or expand their companies and improve their communities. After one client was turned down for a traditional loan, we helped her obtain financing through the 504 Loan Program to purchase a condominium with six offices, so she was able to offer a variety of therapeutic services to help her community.

Read the rest of this success story. http://www.communitybusinessfinance.com/blog/504-loans-help-dreams-come-true

10/02/2019

Celebrate Women Business Owners in October

October is National Women’s Small Business Month, and Community Business Finance recognizes the entrepreneurial women whose talents help sustain our nation’s economy. Did you know that Austin, Texas is the second-best city in the country in terms of economic clout for women in business according to the 2018 AMEX State of Women-Owned Business Report? Community Business Finance is proud to help women in Texas and Louisiana get access to the financing they need to grow their businesses, achieve their dreams, and increase their economic power.

Discover how the 504 Loan Program offers affordable financing that helps women-owned businesses grow. http://www.communitybusinessfinance.com/blog/women-owned-businesses-still-struggle-access-capital

FOR JEANNE ONLY: source https://www.nwbc.gov/2019/07/31/recap-women-in-small-business-roundtable/

09/25/2019

Make a Big Impact with a Small Loan

When it comes to growing a business, even a small loan can make a big impact on a company’s financial future. Projects as small as $250,000 can qualify for the 504 Loan Program, and usually with only a 10% down payment. This means that your clients can save valuable working capital and build equity in an asset, while you enjoy first-lien position and low risk. Partner with Community Business Finance to make a big impact with your clients.

See a 504 Loan in action http://www.communitybusinessfinance.com/blog/small-loan-makes-big-impact-504-loan-action

09/18/2019

504 Loan Prepayment Penalty Explained

Community Business Finance wants to dispel the myth that the SBA 504 Loan prepayment penalty is much higher than for conventional loans. Actually, the prepayment penalty is based on the loan’s debenture rate and not the effective rate. It is assumed that the prepayment penalty is a 10% step down (10% the first year, 9% the second year, etc.), but this is not the case. It is the debenture rate that sets the percentage and not an arbitrary rate of 10%.

Learn more about the 504 Loan prepayment penalty. http://www.communitybusinessfinance.com/blog/504-loan-prepayment-penalty-explained

09/09/2019

SBA 504 Loans Are Great for Family Owned Businesses with Multiple Guarantors
Family-owned restaurants with multiple guarantors that have other affiliate businesses are still perfect candidates for the 504 Loan Program. The SBA requires a personal guarantor on any loan, including 504 Loans, where they require an unlimited full personal guaranty for any individual owning 20% or more of the operating company. If no individual owns more than 20%, then the majority owners will be required to be personal guarantors. No matter what, partnering with Community Business Finance means that even multiple loan guarantors are no problem, as our experts make sure all documentation is correct and in order.

See a 504 Loan in action.

29 Aug All 504 Loans Are Not the Same By Jeanne Bergeron 504 Loan Program, 504 Loan, interest rate, down payment When searching for business financing, there are many aspects of a loan that can vary widely from one lending institution to the next. Interest rates, amortization schedules, and fees are...

07/09/2019

Celebrate America by Lending to Entrepreneurs
On July fourth, we celebrate not only our nation’s independence, but also the spirit of the American Dream. What better way to honor that dream than to support America’s entrepreneurs? New and young companies not only inject competition into markets, they spur innovation and are the primary source of job creation in the American economy. The 504 Loan Program is a perfect way for lenders to offer a low, fixed-interest rate loan with a low down payment to entrepreneurs, helping them to build America.

See how a 504 Loan helped finance a new business. (www.communitybusinessfinance.com/blog/buying-business-504-loan-action)

28 Jul Buying a Business: A 504 Loan in Action By Bill Ebersole 504 Loan Program, 504 Loan, start-up When recently discussing some myths that surround Community Business Finance's 504 Loan Program, we noticed something amusing. There is a prevalent belief that 504 loans are not really meant for star...

07/02/2019

Financing a Special Purpose Property? We Can Help

While the 504 Loan Program offers more favorable terms for all types of property, this is most obvious when purchasing a special purpose property. Most conventional financing offers restrictive and rigid loan terms for properties classified as special purpose, and sometimes will classify a property as special purpose when the SBA does not. Consider a 504 Loan for properties such as bowling alleys, car washes, gas stations, and assisted living facilities.

What exactly does special purpose property mean? (http://www.communitybusinessfinance.com/blog/what-exactly-does-special-purpose-property-mean)

06/24/2019

Help Small Businesses Succeed with the 504 Debt Refinancing Program

One of the most significant challenges for small business owners is maintaining a healthy cash flow. As interest rates rise, businesses that carry a conventional loan with a variable interest rate for real estate or equipment may suddenly face a cash crisis. Fortunately, the 504 Debt Refinancing Program can help these businesses stay solvent by refinancing qualifying debt into a long-term, fixed-rate 504 Loan. Help your small business clients refinance their commercial loans before the next rate hike kicks in.

Understand which debt qualifies for the 504 Debt Refinancing Program.

Community Business Finance is dedicated to providing business loans for business dreams. When you partner with Community Business Finance, our experience, efficiency and lending relationships will help you create a success story for your business.