Some of these banks offer assistance in completing the SBA forms for a fee and offer quick turn- around on decisions. If any banks in your area offer this service,

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on reading your business plan. Loan approvals sometimes take place as soon as a week or so after you complete all the paperwork. The SBAs past reputation of being hard to deal with and not very cooperative seems to be changing! Thats true for the guarantee program, at least.     Your chances of receiving a direct loan in a reasonable time from the SBA will be greatly enhanced if you qualify for a preference category. For example, if you are disabled or a Vietnam veteran, requirements are slightly less restrictive. Ask your local SBA bank or SBA office about some of the direct loan programs.     There are also small private business lending companies that perform a function similar to a banks function in assisting small businesses obtain SBA financing. To get names and addresses of organizations in your area, write the SBA, Financial Assistance Division, Office of Lender Relations, Non-Bank Lender Section, Washington, DC 20416.     2. Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs)     A Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) is a corporation established with the assistance of the SBA to lend money to small businesses. Some SBICs serve minority enterprises, and are called Minority Small Business Investment Companies (MSBICs). An SBIC can borrow up to four times its invested capital from the SBA. It then lends out these funds to other businesses, aiming to make a profit on each loan transaction. There are some 400 of these across the country, each with different investment goals and objectives. To obtain a list of SBIC addresses and areas of investment specialty, contact your nearest SBA office.     3. Farmers Home Administration (FmHA)     This loan program is aimed at businesses that provide jobs in rural America. Business loans through the FmHA are guaranteed in towns with a population of 50,000 or less or in suburban areas where the population density is no more than 100 per square mile. Use of the loans varies considerably; loans have been made to enable a grocery clerk to buy the store he worked in and for someone to buy a McDonalds fast food franchise. FmHA loans are normally made through a local bank. To start the process, look under U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture, Farmers Home Administration, in the local phone book and make an appointment with the FmHA supervisor. Loans under this program often take months to complete, so allow plenty of lead time.     4. Economic Development Administration (EDA)     The EDA, which is part of the Department of Commerce, makes or guarantees loans to businesses in redevelopment areas-city areas with high unemployment. Eligible areas are listed in a publication available quarterly from the regional EDA director. Contact your local SBA office to locate the regional EDA director. If youre in one of the designated redevelopment areas, this program bears looking into.     5. Federal, State and Local Programs     Other federal programs are published in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 for $20, or at your library. There always seems to be a variety of programs available from the federal government, so this directory is worth checking if youre interested in government money.

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