What business loan options are available in Fort Worth, Texas?

Fort Worth small-business landscape

Fort Worth is the 13th-largest city in the United States and the anchor of Tarrant County's economy. The Fort Worth–Arlington–Grapevine MSA is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country, driven by aerospace manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and a nationally recognized higher-education anchor in Texas Christian University. According to U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns, Tarrant County's small employer establishment count has grown well above the national average over the past five years. Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility — the primary production site for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter — anchors a deep aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing supply chain of hundreds of small and mid-size supplier businesses. Fort Worth's Stockyards and agribusiness heritage continues to support agriculture-adjacent supply businesses, veterinary practices, and food-manufacturing SMBs. BLS metro labor data confirms manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services as Fort Worth's largest SMB employer sectors.

Top SMB sectors in Fort Worth

• Aerospace and advanced manufacturing — Lockheed Martin's F-35 facility and Bell Helicopter's operations drive a dense supply chain of precision machining, composites, IT, and logistics SMBs with strong contract-receivables profiles.
• Healthcare — Texas Health Harris Methodist, Baylor Scott & White, and Cook Children's Medical Center anchor a medical staffing, equipment, and ancillary healthcare services ecosystem across Tarrant County.
• Higher education services — Texas Christian University (~12,000 students) and Tarrant County College fuel education services, hospitality, and creative economy SMBs in the TCU corridor.
• Logistics and distribution — Fort Worth's position at the intersection of I-20, I-30, and I-35W, plus Alliance Airport's cargo hub, supports warehousing, freight brokerage, and last-mile delivery businesses.
• Construction and real estate services — Fort Worth's rapid residential and commercial growth sustains high demand for general contractors, specialty trades, and building-material suppliers.

SBA District Office serving Fort Worth

The SBA Dallas/Fort Worth District Office serves Tarrant County and the Fort Worth–Arlington MSA. It administers SBA 7(a), 504, and Microloan programs and partners with the Fort Worth SBDC (hosted at Texas Wesleyan University), SCORE Fort Worth, and Women's Business Center North Texas. The same district office's territory extends into Central Texas, covering Waco and McLennan County. The SBA 504 program is actively used for owner-occupied industrial and commercial real estate in Fort Worth's expanding aerospace and logistics property market.

Local CDFI partners

• LiftFund (Fort Worth/DFW) — regional CDFI with Texas-wide coverage including Fort Worth; U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund certified; SBA Microloan intermediary and small-business lender providing $500 to $1 million to underserved entrepreneurs including women-owned, minority-owned, and low-income business owners in Tarrant County.
• PeopleFund — Texas-based CDFI providing loans from $1,000 to $350,000 statewide; SBA Microloan intermediary with Fort Worth area presence; serves minority-owned and lower-income entrepreneurs who face barriers at conventional banks.
• Fort Worth SBDC at Texas Wesleyan University — SBA-funded development center providing free advising, loan-readiness preparation, and lender introductions. Does not lend directly.

Common SMB lender categories for Fort Worth businesses

• SBA 7(a) loans — up to $5M; working capital, equipment, renovation, business acquisition. Texas has no state income tax, improving cash-flow projections for Fort Worth SBA underwriting.
• SBA 504 loans — up to $5.5M for owner-occupied commercial real estate or equipment; active in Fort Worth's industrial, aerospace, and logistics property market.
• SBA Microloans — up to $50,000 via LiftFund and PeopleFund for Fort Worth startups and micro-businesses.
• Equipment financing — for aerospace suppliers, manufacturers, construction, and healthcare businesses; equipment and machinery serve as primary collateral.
• Contract receivables financing — for Fort Worth aerospace and defense-contractor SMBs waiting on Lockheed and government payment cycles; factoring advances against government purchase orders.
• Revenue-based financing — for Fort Worth's healthcare staffing, logistics, and professional services businesses with consistent monthly deposit histories.