Loans For Veterans To Start A Business – Business Loans for Veterans: What You Need to Know and Top Veteran Loans for 2022-2023 A comprehensive guide to business loan options available specifically to veterans, including government and private sector financing options to help ex-military members running a veteran-owned business exit their company.
According to the Small Business Association, veteran-owned businesses make up 9.1 percent of all US businesses — and they need capital to get them up and running. But financing a startup or small business is never easy. And it can be even more difficult for veterans, who may have gaps in their financial history due to active duty time.
Loans For Veterans To Start A Business
Fortunately, there are some options for business loans for veterans. Some are government funded, while others are from the private sector. Let’s first look at government-backed small business loans for veterans and then dive into the private sector.
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The Small Business Association (SBA) administers the most popular small business loans for veterans: the Veterans Advantage Program – which includes the 7(a) loan and the Express Loan – as well as the Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster (MREIDL) loans.
The SBA’s Veterans Advantage Loan Program applies to loans up to $350,000. The program applies to two SBA loans: SBA Express and SBA 7(a) loans.
To qualify for a Veterans Advantage loan, small businesses must meet the following requirements:
While the SBA 7(a) loan program is not a dedicated veteran business loan, as it is for both veterans and non-veterans, there are some special perks for vets under the Veterans Advantage program.
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For loans up to $125,000, vets can get zero upfront guarantee fees. For loans above $125,000, vets are guaranteed a 50 percent reduction in guarantee fees. Loans can be up to $350,000.
The 7(a) loan program is the most popular SBA small business loan. 7(a) Loan Program SBA small business loans can be used to purchase fixed assets, and for working capital, financing, purchasing an existing business, and loan repayments.
To qualify, a company must first meet the Small Business Administration’s size criteria. Because SBA loans are specifically for small businesses, they have created a “size criteria tool” that helps founders and small business owners determine whether or not they qualify.
Once you’ve determined whether or not your company qualifies under the size criteria, here’s a checklist of the remaining requirements to qualify for a 7(a) Loan Program SBA Small Business Loan:
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Although most small businesses qualify for the 7(a) Loan Program SBA Small Business Loan, there are certain characteristics that disqualify a small business or startup.
An SBA Express Loan is essentially a 7(a) loan, but with a faster turnaround time. Applicants can expect to hear back from the SBA within 72 hours of applying.
Under the Veterans Advantage program, all advance loan guarantee fees on loans between $150,001 and $350,000 are waived.
Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster (MREIDL) loans are for small businesses and their owners – or “essential employees” – called up for military service.
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The goal of these loans is to provide those businesses with working capital to help them survive when service members leave. This loan is not to replace lost profits but to pay off liabilities and replace working capital.
These loans have an interest rate of 4 percent, maximum loan terms of 30 years and a loan amount limit of $2 million.
Once you’ve determined whether or not your company qualifies under the SBA size criteria, here’s a checklist of the remaining requirements to qualify for a Military Reserve Economic Injury Disaster (MREIDL) loan:
SBA determines whether the amount of credit necessary to achieve full recovery from non-governmental sources is available without creating undue financial hardship to the applicant.
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That means if you can get paid anywhere else without taking too many hits, you don’t qualify. However, 90 percent of businesses that apply for this loan meet this requirement.
Loans over $50,000 require collateral. However, SBA does not deny loans due to lack of collateral.
StreetShares is an online, peer-to-peer lender started by veterans, for veterans. They offer business loans between $2,000 and $100,000 and lines of credit between $5,000 and $100,000.
Once you apply, funders compete to fund your business. Take some time to craft your personal story to take advantage of that point.
Va Small Business Loans For Veterans
The APR ranges from 8.00 percent to 39.99 percent and if you have excellent credit, you may qualify for a single-digit APR.
Loan terms are relatively short — three to 36 months — and weekly payments can be difficult for some founders.
While not technically loans, we decided to include venture capital and angel investment firms in this roundup because they are a unique opportunity for military and veteran startup founders to access funding.
Heavers & Strivers is an angel investment group that invests in early-stage startups founded and run by graduates of US military academies.
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Their investors are military servicemen, who are often senior executives in a range of industries. He believes that young military graduates are the best investment and that they “provide good returns”.
They are willing to partner with other investors if their typical investment is looking for $250,000 to $1 million and more.
They are also committed to active involvement, advisory and board roles and guidance to ensure the success of their investee companies.
There are also several veteran entrepreneurship training programs, many – but not all – of which are run by the SBA.
How The Grant Process Works
The Service-Disabled Entrepreneurship Development Training Program is a training grant available to six grantees with an award of a minimum of $50,000 and a maximum of $150,00.
Its purpose is to support organizations currently delivering entrepreneurship training program(s) to service-disabled veteran entrepreneurs who aspire to become small business owners or currently own a small business.
The Veterans Institute for Procurement (VIP) is an accelerator program with three training programs: VIP GROW, VIP START and VIP International.
All three programs are residential training programs for owners, principals and C-level executives of veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
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The programs consist of a 27-hour, 3-day comprehensive certification program and cover more than 20 topics including contracting, team agreements, human resources, accounting, finance, program controls, and business development.
It is held four times a year in Washington, DC and is offered at no charge to qualifying businesses.
Boots to Business is a two-phase program offered by SBA at military installations around the world as a training track of the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) Transition Assistance Program (TAP).
The Introduction to Entrepreneurship course is available 24/7 through DOD’s Joint Knowledge Online. Upon completion, service members can continue training through the eight-week online Foundations of Entrepreneurship course.
Small Business Grants For Veterans (2023)
Boots to Business Reboot expands the entrepreneurship training offered at TAP on military installations to veterans of all eras.
Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) is an SBA-funded program provided by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families.
VetsInTech is a private sector training program that connects current and returning veterans with reintegration services and the tech ecosystem.
They provide tech-related educational opportunities, connections with tech jobs, and workshops and boot camps to help experienced startup founders grow their businesses.
Small Business Loans & Advisory Services
Experienced business owners deserve to have as much support as possible. Many companies offer small business loans to veterans, but finding them can be a task in itself. Traditional financial institutions don’t always support VA business loans, especially if you have bad credit. If you’re a small business owner ready to apply for a seasoned business loan, here’s a list we’ve compiled to help you on your journey.
There are many different options for veteran-owned businesses who need financial support without maxing out any business credit cards in the process. Business loans can be a helpful option – but make sure to do your research and understand the fine print before making any commitments.
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Business Loans & Grants For Veterans
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