SBA Loans

What Every Founder Needs to Know About Getting Approved, Buying a Business, and Working with Lenders

By: William McNarland CFA

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Most founders apply for an SBA loan without understanding how the process actually works. This book changes that.

The SBA does not lend you money. It guarantees a portion of a loan that a bank makes to you. That single fact trips up more founders than any other, and the confusion only gets worse from there. What is the difference between a 7(a) and a 504? What does a personal guarantee really mean for your house and savings? Why did the bank reject your application before even looking at your business?

SBA Loans is the tenth book in the series A Founder's Conversations with a Fractional CFO. Written in the same direct, first-person style as the previous nine books, it walks founders through everything they need to know about SBA lending, with real dollar amounts, real timelines, and the mistakes that cost real money.

Inside, you will learn:

How the SBA guarantee works and why it protects the bank, not you

When an SBA loan makes more sense than venture capital or a conventional bank loan

How to use a 7(a) for working capital and growth, and a 504 for real estate and equipment

What fees, rates, and repayment terms you need to model before signing

Why the SBA 7(a) is the most common tool for buying a small business

How seller notes, goodwill, and deal structure work in SBA acquisitions

How the bank underwrites the target business using adjusted EBITDA and debt service coverage

What kills an application before it reaches underwriting

How to choose the right SBA lender and why Preferred Lender status matters

The most expensive mistakes founders make and when to walk away

This is not a textbook. It is a practical guide written by a fractional CFO who has sat across the table from founders making these decisions for more than twenty-five years. Every chapter is built around a real question that a real founder asked.