Marketing and Information Department 390 North Orange Ave., Suite 1300 Orlando, FL / Fax: 407/ PARTNER INFORMATION

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1 Marketing and Information Department 390 North Orange Ave., Suite 1300 Orlando, FL / Fax: 407/ PARTNER INFORMATION Small Business Administration 7A Loan Guarantee Program How It Works The 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program is one of the SBA s primary lending programs. It provides loans to small businesses unable to secure financing at reasonable terms through normal lending channels. The program operates through privatesector lenders that provide loans, which are in turn, partially guaranteed by the SBA. The agency has no funds for direct lending or grants. Generally, the borrower must contribute a reasonable cash equity injection as determined by the lender and SBA. The private lender provides the balance and a portion of the loan is guaranteed by the SBA. Eligible Uses, Lending Limits, Terms and Fees The 7(a) loan can be used for most any business purpose including: Land or building acquisition Expansion, renovation, construction of facilities Machinery, equipment, fixtures, and leasehold improvements Working capital Inventory Purchase Refinancing business debt The amount of the loan made by the private lender may be for any amount. The SBA will guarantee up to 75% or $1,000,000, whichever is lessthe guarantee for loans less than $100,000 is 80%. The maturity of a 7(a) loan depends on the use of the proceeds. Usually 5 to 10 years for working capital Up to 25 years for fixed assets such as the purchase of real estate or equipment In no situation, may the maturity be greater than the useful life of the collateral.

2 Interest rates are determined between the borrower and private lender. Rates can be either fixed or variable, but generally cannot exceed the prime rate plus 2.25% for loans less than 7 years or prime plus 2.75% for loans of 7 or more years. There are fees charged in order for the SBA to guarantee a loan. Guarantee Fee - The SBA charges the private lender a fee for the loan guarantee, which is typically passed on to the borrower. The fee is based on the maturity of the loan and the dollar amount which the SBA guarantees. The fee ranges from 2% To 3.875%. Packaging Fee - Some lenders will complete the loan guarantee application internally, others will require you to have it prepared elsewhere. Certified Development Companies are set up throughout the United States to assist with the 7(a) loan packaging process (for a list of CDC s that service Florida, see Exhibit 1). Servicing Fee - all loans will be subject to a 0.5% annualized servicing fee, which is applied to the outstanding balance of the SBA s guaranteed portion of the loan. The 7(a) program cannot fund businesses that are: Real Estate Investment or speculative in nature Lending activities Pyramid sales plans Illegal activities (seems obvious, but is specifically stated by the SBA) Gambling activities Charitable, religious, or other non-profit institutions Principally owned by a person who is incarcerated or on parole Collateral Assets, to the extent that are reasonably available, are required to adequately secure the loan. Personal guarantees are required from all the principal owners of the business. For this purpose, the SBA considers a person owning 20% or more of the business a principal owner. Liens on personal assets of the principals may also be required. Eligibility The Small Business Act defines an eligible small business as one that is independently owned and operated and not dominant in its field of operation. The Act also states that in determining what a small business is, the definition shall vary from industry to industry to adequately reflect industry differences. The SBA has therefore developed size standards that define the maximum size of an eligible small business. The size standards listed below have been adopted by the SBA and are based on the number of employees during the preceding 12 months or on annual sales averaged over the past 36 months:

3 Manufacturing varies from between 500 and 1,500 employees Wholesale no more than 100 employees Retail and Service varies from $3.5 million to $13.5 million in annual sales Agriculture varies from $0.5 million to $3.5 million in annual sales Construction varies from $7.0 million to $17.0 million in annual sales A potential borrower is encouraged to contact the local SBA office (see Exhibit A) to determine specific eligibility requirements based on the nature of the specific business. Information needed for the Private Lender and SBA 7(a) Approval History of the business and description of the project (For new businesses) a business plan Use of the loan proceeds Personal history form on all principals (provided by the SBA or private lender) Current personal financial statements and tax records for the previous 3 years from all principals Business financial statements and tax records for the previous 3 years Current business financial statement Monthly cash flow projections for 2 years after project completion Financial projections for 2 years after project completion Names and financial statements of affiliates Resumes of principals and managers For corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies, provide a list of principals, partners or stockholders reflecting percent of ownership/partnership. Schedule of all business debt Copy of franchise agreement (if applicable) Schedule of previous government financing Resolution from the business Board of Directors to borrow (if applicable) Copy of existing or proposed lease or purchase agreements Number of jobs created or retained or other objectives Appraisal on an as-completed basis Environmental Site Assessment if real estate is involvedcopy of warranty deeds on all real estate being offered as collateral Plans and specifications on construction, cost quotes on construction and equipment Collateral offered Typical Loan Application Process The following describes the general steps in the loan proposal and application process: Small business principal contacts the lender for a loan.

4 Small business principal provides information required for evaluation by the private lender. Private lender determines eligibility and feasibility of loan project with loan guarantee program. Loan proposal is presented to private lender Board of Directors for approval. Lender or loan packager completes the 7(a) loan package. SBA reviews the loan package and determines any terms and conditions necessary for approval. Upon SBA approval of the loan guarantee, private lender closes the loan. After closing, the borrower makes scheduled payments to the private lender. The private lender provides periodic reports to the SBA on the business and the loan.

5 Florida Based SBA Offices and Certified Development Companies SBA website: or the Florida SBA offices: Florida SBA Offices North Florida SBA District Office 7825 Baymeadows Way, Suite 100B Jacksonville, Florida (904) South Florida SBA District Office 100 S. Biscayne Blvd. 7 th Floor Miami, FL (305) Certified Development Companies in Florida Statewide CDC: Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. P.O. Box 4166 Tallahassee, FL Contact: Todd Kocourek, President & CEO (850) Website: Area of Operation: Bay, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Glades, Gulf, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Pasco, Polk, Sarasota, Santa Rosa, Seminole, Sumter, Wakulla, Walton, Washington and Volusia Counties. Local/Regional CDCs: Business Development Corporation of Northeast FL 9143 Phillips Highway, Suite 350 Jacksonville, FL Contact: (904) Area of Operation: Baker, Clay, Flagler, Lake, Nassau, St. Johns, Seminole, Putnam and Volusia Counties. Florida Business Development Corporation 6801 Lake Worth Road, Suite 209 Lake Worth, FL or 780 NW LeJune Rd., Suite 520 Miami, FL Contact: Manny Manos, President (561) Area of Operation: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Dade, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, St. Lucie and Sarasota Counties Jacksonville Economic Development Company, Inc. City Hall Annex, 4th Floor 220 East Bay Street Jacksonville, FL Contact: Joe Whitaker (904) Area of Operation: Duval County

6 North Central Florida Areawide Development Co., Inc Northwest 67th Place, Suite A Gainesville, FL Contact: Jim Emerson, Director of Business Finance (352) ext 107 Area of Operation: Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Marion, Suwannee, Taylor and Union Counties St. Petersburg Certified Development Corporation dba Gulf Coast CDC 227 Second Avenue North St. Petersburg FL Contact: Malachi Jones, Interim Director (727) Area of Operation: Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas Counties Southwest Florida Regional Development Corporation 4980 Bayline Drive, 4th Floor North Fort Myers FL Contact: Principal Planner (888) Area of Operation: Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Sarasota Counties Tampa-Bay Economic Development Corporation 2105 North Nebraska Avenue Tampa FL Contact: Ken Hornung, Vice President (813) Area of Operation: Hillsborough County