6 min read
SBA 7(a) vs. SBA 504: Which Loan Program Fits Your Deal?
Two SBA programs, two very different structures. Get this one right and you save six figures over the life of the deal. Get it wrong and you're refinancing in two years.
The government's small business loan program, mapped out step by step: 7(a), 504, prequalification, and the paperwork that decides whether you close.

Two SBA programs, two very different structures. Get this one right and you save six figures over the life of the deal. Get it wrong and you're refinancing in two years.
Both offer serious capital — but they're built for wildly different businesses. Here's a plain-English breakdown of when each one wins.

The documents lenders actually ask for, the numbers they actually check, and the two hours of prep that will save you two weeks of back-and-forth.