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.

06/17/2026

Anonymized HVAC client (details changed):

Founder built the business for 31 years. Two service trucks to twelve. Hundreds of recurring service contracts. Strong reputation in his region.

He was ready to retire. His three kids had built their own careers — none wanted the business. He had a faithful service manager who'd been there 14 years but didn't have the capital to buy.

We ran an SBA 7(a) acquisition with the service manager as the buyer:
→ $2.4M purchase price
→ $240K buyer equity (manager + small partner)
→ $1.92M SBA 7(a) loan
→ $240K seller financing on full standby
→ Closing in 88 days

Founder got his retirement. Service manager got the business he'd helped build. The team kept their jobs. Customers kept their service.

This is what SBA financing is FOR — not just deals, but transitions.

If you're a founder thinking about exit, or a key employee who could be the buyer — let's talk through what's possible.

06/15/2026

HVAC week starts here.

If you own an HVAC company, this is the strongest market environment we've seen in 5+ years for acquisition and expansion. The reasons:
→ Aging owner demographics — a huge wave of HVAC owners (60+) are looking to sell in the next 36 months
→ Strong cash flow businesses are commanding premium multiples but are still acquirable with SBA financing
→ Equipment costs continue to climb, making the OWNED route increasingly valuable vs. renting

The SBA 7(a) is built for HVAC acquisitions. Most HVAC deals close in the $750K - $3.5M range, which fits the SBA sweet spot perfectly.

This week I'm going deep on what's working in HVAC right now — typical deal structure, financing terms, what banks look for, and the red flags that kill deals.

If you own HVAC and you've been considering buying out an aging competitor — start watching the page Monday through Saturday.

06/12/2026

Real anonymized case from this quarter — and a structural lesson for any restaurant owner:

Client needed $185K in new kitchen equipment. New ovens, walk-in cooler upgrade, dishwashing system. Critical to expand their catering side.

Equipment finance company quote: $185K, 5 years, 16.5% rate. Monthly payment: $4,550. Would have eaten almost all their kitchen-side profit margin.

We restructured as part of an SBA 7(a) loan that ALSO refinanced their existing higher-interest debt:
→ $185K equipment
→ $140K to pay off old equipment loans (12-14% rates) and a credit card balance
→ Total: $325K at SBA 7(a) terms
→ Monthly payment: $4,810 across all of it

Same approximate monthly outflow as the original equipment loan alone — but they got the new equipment AND eliminated three high-interest debts.

The story isn't 'SBA loans are cheaper.' The story is: SBA structure lets you consolidate AND finance new growth in one package. That's the difference.

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.

Address

2219 Sawdust Road Ste 903
The Woodlands, TX
77380

Website

https://sbaloanguy.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SBA Loan Guy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to SBA Loan Guy:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Business in The Woodlands?