Pre-qualification: Fill out a brief questionnaire to instantly see what LoanBox financing options are available to you. This initial screening step checks for base level eligibility for a combination of factors and criteria.

Loan Package: Within the LoanBox portal, you answer targeted questions and upload financial documents (e.g., tax returns, balance sheets, P&L statements). Our system compiles these into a comprehensive package.

Lender Matching: LoanBox’s algorithms analyze your package to identify lenders whose criteria align with your loan package details.

Lender Selection: Choose one or multiple lenders you match with to review your package and submit proposals, all within our secure platform.

Receive Proposals: Lenders securely access your package and submit standardized proposals, allowing easy comparison of terms, rates, and requirements.

Select Lender: Accept a proposal with a simple e-signature, initiating the next steps with your chosen lender.

LoanBox Advisor:

Although the app is easy enough to do everything yourself, some prefer someone to just take care of everything for them. If this sounds like you then we’ve got you covered.

Get free advice, guidance, and hand-holding from beginning to end. A LoanBox Advisor is a friendly human who supports you in all aspects of the LoanBox and helps handle everything from getting started and answering questions, to providing support along the way.

LoanBox’s Unmatched Matching

LoanBox is unmatched in its ability to secure big loans with the right lender for each small business. We match small business and franchise owners with the right lenders tailored to their specific loan requirements and unique circumstances.

The larger small business loans are often used for purposes like acquisitions, expansions, partnership buyouts, joint ventures/mergers, succession buy-ins, and commercial real estate. In these critical scenarios, the last thing a business owner needs is a prolonged approval process ending in rejection or an unfavorable agreement. Delays in securing necessary funding can significantly impact a business, sometimes resulting in lost opportunities.

LoanBox employs advanced technology to ensure your significant small business loan is paired with the most appropriate lenders. When business owners submit their loan packages—comprising their application and documentation—LoanBox algorithms immediately begin calculating and cross-referencing against the criteria of top-ranked lenders. This includes national lenders, specialty niche lenders, SBA lenders, conventional only lenders, and local lenders in every state. The platform’s next-level filtering and matching system considers multiple criteria such as:

1. Credit scores

2. Debt service coverage ratio

3. Years in business

4. Startup status

5. Guarantor and collateral requirements

6. Debt-to-income ratio

7. Loan-to-value ratio

8. Industry

9. Franchise brand

10. Borrower type

11. Loan type

12. Loan purpose

    + Other qualifying metrics

By targeting loans with precision, LoanBox saves business owners valuable time, reduces costs, and alleviates stress from working with unsuitable lenders.

Why is Matching with the Right Lender So Hard?

Each SBA lender has different policies, requirements, and underwriting criteria stacked on top of the those required by the SBA. Lenders vary on their preferences and focuses with loan amounts, borrower types, loan purposes, and industry. Credit scores, cash flow requirements, and collateral requirements all vary by lender. Each lender has a different culture and leadership team, and varying levels of experience and expertise for different industries and loan types. Each SBA lender layers unique policies atop SBA rules, creating a complex mix of criteria that makes finding the right match for big loans burdensome.

Here are common ways lenders differ:

·       Varying Criteria: Policies vary on DTI , LTV , and DSC, leading to approvals at one bank and rejections at another.

·       Interest Rates: Some lenders offer variable and fixed rates with often stricter criteria for lower rates or higher rates for broader approvals.

·       Bank Culture: Some banks treat borrowers as partners; others make you feel you’re begging.

·       Cash Flow: DSCR minimums (1.25–1.75) affect loan sizes—e.g., $350K at 1.75 vs. $525K at 1.15 for the same cash flow.

·       Loan Amounts: Some avoid loans under $350K or over $1M (over half haven’t approved above $1M); others target specific ranges.

·       Credit Scores: For loans over $500K, minimums range from 625 to 680, with varying flexibility.

·       Human Decisions: Approvers’ biases and experiences influence outcomes, even for qualifying loans.

·       Industry Expertise: Familiarity with your sector varies; some reject loans based on industry alone.

·       Legal Counsel: SBA lawyers’ interpretations of gray areas affect acquisition loan structures.

·       Geography: Some limit loans to in-state businesses; others support out-of-state expansions.

·       Business Age: Many hesitate on startups or businesses under three years, while some are lenient.

LoanBox covers a variety of business loan types but our platform shines the more complicated the loan is and when getting it closed is paramount to all parties. LoanBox excels in change of ownership loans like acquisitions, expansions, and partner buyouts) and franchise startup loans. Most lenders do not have significant experience, expertise or even interest in these types of loans.

67% of small business prefer traditional bank loans over online lenders. Only about 15% of large bank loans get approved. Small banks do slightly better at just over 20%. Online lenders have higher approval rates but the average loan size is less than $100K and the rates are insane.

43% of those rejected abandon their efforts after one or two attempts. Statistically, finding the right lender for a business loans is unlikely on the first try, or second.

What about SBA lending then? 55% of approved loans were funded in 2024. Check out these stats we have on banks who funded SBA 7(a) loans in 2024:

• 35% funded a franchise loan.·      

• 43% funded a loan over $1 million

• 13% funded a franchise loan over $1 million

• 48% funded a change-of-ownership loan

• 13% funded a change of ownership franchise loan     

• 29% of funded loans exceeded $350,000.

• 21% funded a franchise loan over $500,000

• 23% of all SBA loans were change-of-ownership loans

• 21% of lenders funded a franchise startup loan.

• 4% of funded loans were franchise startups

• 8.5% of funded loans were change-of-ownership loans,

• 1% of funded loans were franchise change-of-ownership loans

• 4% of funded loans were franchise startups

When you add a specific industry, franchise brand, and project state then finding the right lender for your specific business, loan type and amount, industry and brand is like finding a needle in a haystack. In a fragmented, chaotic lending world, LoanBox’s AI-driven tools, real-time matching, and human expertise empower you to secure big loans with confidence.

If you want to get it right the first time around, think inside the LoanBox.