SBA Loan Guy

SBA Loan Guy counsels business owners seeking SBA Loans.

We match you with interested bank lenders and garner pre-approvals as well as help in writing the lengthy, complicated portions of your SBA loan application.

06/10/2026

From 1 location to 3 — and it all came down to loan structure. (Anonymized restaurant client)

Family-owned Mexican concept. Single location for 11 years. Owner approached us in March 2025 wanting to open a second location across town.

First lender quote: $850K conventional, 8% rate, 7 years. Monthly payment too high for the cash flow to support.

We re-ran it as an SBA 7(a) with a restaurant-specialist lender. $950K to cover the second location buildout PLUS working capital. 10-year term. Monthly payment 27% lower than the conventional quote.

Second location opened August 2025. Cash flow was so strong by January 2026 that we ran a SECOND SBA 7(a) for a third location — under construction now.

The difference wasn't the entrepreneur. It was the structure of the financing.

If you've been turning down expansion because the numbers 'don't work' — they probably do, just not with the lender quoting you.

06/08/2026

Restaurant week kicks off here.

If you own a restaurant and you've been told SBA isn't for you, that's almost always wrong. There are three SBA products specifically useful for restaurants:
1. SBA 7(a) for working capital and acquisitions. Up to $5M. Covers building out a new location, buying a competitor, refinancing existing high-interest debt, or just funding growth.
2. SBA 504 for owning your building. If you've been leasing 8+ years, math is almost always in favor of buying. Down payment as low as 10% on the real estate piece.
3. SBA Express for fast working capital (up to $500K). Equipment, sudden cash needs, or quick renovations.

The wrong move is usually conventional restaurant equipment financing at 14-18%. The right move is structuring your purchases through SBA at much better terms.

The restaurant deals that work best: 2+ years operating, positive owner discretionary earnings, and a clean tax return story.

06/06/2026

Heads up — next week (June 8-13) I'm publishing a full series on SBA financing for restaurants. Five posts. Real deals, real math.

Why this week, why restaurants?

Restaurant owners are the most underserved borrowers in the SBA market. The reasons:
→ Restaurants are 'thin margin' businesses, which spooks generalist lenders
→ Cash-heavy operations require specific underwriting
→ Franchise restaurants have their own eligibility maze (SBA Franchise Directory)
→ Most loan officers don't know the specifics, so they decline rather than learn

If you own a restaurant — single location, multi-unit, or franchise — next week is for you.

Save the page and check back Monday. If you know a restaurant owner who'd benefit, send them this.

06/03/2026

First-half-of-year client story (details changed for privacy):

She called me in February. Service business, $1.8M revenue, 8 years in business. She'd been turned down by two banks and was convinced she'd never qualify for SBA.

What actually killed those first applications: her two prior lenders didn't fully understand her industry's cash flow seasonality. They flagged her March/April dip as a credit risk. It wasn't — it was just how her business runs.

We took the deal to an SBA-preferred lender who underwrites service businesses well. Same numbers, different lender mindset. Approved. Closed in 67 days.

She used the proceeds to acquire a competitor and is now running both shops.

The deal you got told no on isn't necessarily a no. It might just be the wrong lender.

06/01/2026

June 1 — we're officially at the midpoint of 2026. This is the month I sit down with every active client and we ask one question: are you on track for what you said you'd do this year?

For business owners considering SBA financing, mid-year is the most useful checkpoint of the year. Here's why:

→ If you start an SBA loan now, you can realistically close by September — before year-end taxes get complicated.
→ Refinance opportunities are easiest to evaluate after H1 financials are in.
→ You still have time to act on a Q3 acquisition window.

This month I'm dropping more content than usual on the timing side of SBA — when to start, when to wait, when to act fast. Follow along.

And if 'on track' isn't what's happening, DM me.

05/29/2026

Closing out the month with an open invitation:

If you've been reading along, thinking about a loan, a business purchase, buying your building, or just exploring — I do free 20-minute consult calls. No pitch. No pressure. No 'let me send you to my team.'

You'll get:
→ An honest read on whether you're SBA-qualifiable
→ A realistic timeline
→ Which lender(s) would be best for your specific deal
→ What to fix first if you're not ready yet

June calendar is open. Drop a comment with 'JUNE' or DM me and I'll send the link.

05/27/2026

May's almost over. Some things I noticed across every client conversation this month:

→ More people are asking about SBA financing in 2026 than I've seen in several years. Buyers are active.

→ The #1 block is still information. Too many owners don't know what they qualify for.

→ Referral partners (CPAs, attorneys, brokers) are realizing how much value early SBA consultation adds for their clients. Relationships are deepening.

→ The deals that closed fastest this month all had one thing in common: the borrower had their documents organized before the first lender call.

If June is your month to pick up the conversation — I'm here. Same as every other month.

05/25/2026

Today we honor the men and women who died in service to this country.

That includes the small business owners who served — many of whom came home, started businesses, employed their communities, and quietly kept the country running.

No pitch today. Just gratitude.

05/22/2026

If you're considering an SBA loan and want to self-educate this weekend, here's what I actually send new clients:

1. The SBA's own 7(a) program page (sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans) — boring but accurate. Know the source of truth.

2. The SBA Franchise Directory — if you're buying a franchise, this tells you whether it's SBA-eligible before you waste any time.

3. My own pre-application checklist (DM me 'checklist' and I'll send it) — the 12 documents every lender will ask for, so you can start gathering them before you even pick a lender.

That's it. No courses, no gurus. Just the actual info.

Address

2219 Sawdust Road Ste 903
The Woodlands, TX
77380

Website

https://sbaloanguy.com/

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