SBA 7(a) loans are the cheapest commercial-bank capital available to most small businesses, but eligibility is strict and the timeline is 45-90 days. This calculator runs your file profile against typical SBA 7(a) thresholds and tells you whether SBA is the right product to pursue now or whether a non-bank alternative is the smarter route.
Quick answer: SBA 7(a) eligibility heuristic: time in business, FICO, revenue, profitability → likely / borderline / not right product.
Heuristic eligibility verdict: • All 4 inputs clear PLP thresholds (24+ mo, FICO 680+, $500K+ revenue, profitable) → likely • One or two soft fails (e.g., FICO 660–679 or 18 mo in business) → borderline (worth a conversation) • Hard fails (FICO < 640, < 12 mo in business, not profitable) → SBA is not the right product right now
Assumptions
Likely SBA 7(a) candidate at PLP banks. Plan for a 45 – 60 day timeline on a clean file.
680+ is the typical SBA 7(a) threshold. Some Preferred Lender Program (PLP) banks flex to 660 for otherwise strong files. FICO SBSS (the SBA's commercial credit score) is the gating signal under SOP 50 10 — minimum threshold is 155 of 300 for 7(a) Small Loans up to $500K.
Clean files at PLP banks close in 45-60 days. Non-PLP and complex files (real estate, multi-borrower, M&A) run 75-120 days. SBA isn't the right product for emergencies — it's the right product when you have time and want the cheapest pricing available.
Not automatically, but it's a soft fail in most PLP underwriting boxes. Under 12 months in business is typically a hard fail; 12-24 months is borderline and worth a conversation, especially if the owner has strong relevant industry experience or the file is otherwise clean (FICO 680+, profitable, adequate revenue). Under 12 months with weak financials usually means a non-bank alternative is the faster, more realistic path right now.
No — eligibility and approvability are different bars. This calculator checks whether your file clears the typical SOP 50 10 thresholds SBA requires (time in business, FICO, revenue, profitability). Actual approval also depends on FICO SBSS, collateral, industry, ownership structure, and each PLP bank's own credit overlays on top of the SBA baseline. A 'likely' verdict here means the SBA conversation is worth having, not a guaranteed yes.
Yes. SOP 50 10 excludes certain business types outright — passive real estate investment/rental income (unless it's an eligible passive company structure), lending and investment businesses, gambling operations, and businesses illegal under federal law (this currently includes state-licensed cannabis businesses, even where state-legal). This calculator doesn't check industry eligibility — confirm against SOP 50 10 directly if your business falls in a gray area.