Can a startup get an SBA loan with no revenue?

Rarely, and almost never on a standard 7(a). The SBA's programs were built for operating businesses, and a lender underwriting a startup has nothing but the owner to assess. Two routes exist. The SBA Microloan program, up to $50,000 through nonprofit intermediaries, reaches new businesses with a plan, owner credit in the mid-600s and some evidence of traction. A small 7(a), usually under $350,000, is possible for a founder with deep industry experience and a real cash injection, commonly 10 to 20 percent, but most startups are told to come back with two filed returns.

• A business plan with twelve months of projections and the assumptions behind them
• The owner's credit report and a personal financial statement
• Proof of the injection: bank statements showing the cash is yours and available
• Industry experience, which stands in for the trading history you do not have
• A specific use of funds with quotes: the truck, the mower, the price

The warning: do not spend months chasing a 7(a) you will not get while a cheaper fix sits in front of you. If the money buys a specific asset, Equipment Financing usually funds a startup faster and at a similar cost, because the asset carries the risk and the lender can take it back. SBA Loans become realistic after the second return, and the repayment record from a small facility now is what gets you there.

Call the desk with the plan, your credit score and what the money buys; ten minutes usually settles whether a microloan is realistic this year or whether equipment financing is the honest route to the truck.