Small business loans, $20,000 to $5,000,000
A fixed payment you can plan around, not a percentage of tomorrow's sales.
A small business loan from Busy Bee Services is placed as a term loan with a set payment and a set schedule. It sits between a merchant cash advance and an SBA loan: faster to get and easier to qualify for than SBA, and cheaper and more predictable than an advance.
Three ways to fund the same need
Speed and cost move in opposite directions
A cash advance moves fastest and costs the most. SBA moves slowest and costs the least. A small business loan is built to sit in the middle.
Funding in 24 hours or less
Merchant cash advance
- Credit minimumNone
- PaymentsDaily or weekly
- Best forA short, real need for speed
The fastest program on this page and the most expensive. Right for a real opportunity or a real emergency, not for a shortfall that repeats every month.
Merchant cash advance →6% to 10%
SBA 7(a) Express
- Time to fundAbout 1 month
- Credit needed680 or above
- Best forA file that can wait and qualifies
The cheapest program on this page and the slowest to get there. Two years in business, a strong score, and a profitable file are the price of admission. More on this below.
A small business loan does not ask for two years of financials or a 680 score, and it does not draw a percentage out of your card batches every day. It is placed as $20,000 to $5,000,000, with no collateral needed and an offer usually within 24 hours, paid back on a fixed schedule instead of a moving one.
SBA 7(a) Express, in full
Cheaper money, on the government's timeline
An SBA 7(a) Express loan carries a partial government guarantee, which is why the rate beats everything else on this page. That guarantee is also why the underwriting is stricter and the file takes longer to close.
Lenders we work with place SBA 7(a) Express loans from $30,000 to $500,000, in all 50 states, with terms up to 10 years and rates from 6% to 10%. That is a real term loan at a real bank rate, not a broker markup.
- $30,000 to $500,000, available in all 50 states
- Terms up to 10 years, rates 6% to 10%
- At least 2 years in business
- Credit score of 680 or above
- The business must already be profitable
- Must operate in an eligible industry
- Funds in about 1 month once the file is complete
SBA is not a fit if you need money this week, if your business is under two years old, or if your credit is under 680. It is not a fit if you are not yet profitable, because the lender is underwriting a guarantee, not a hunch. If your file clears all of those bars and you can wait about a month, SBA 7(a) Express is very likely the cheapest option on this entire site.
How a term file gets built
What actually gets looked at
A small business loan is underwritten on the business, not on collateral you have to pledge.
Deposits, not just a score
Bank statements showing steady revenue carry more weight here than a personal credit number, which is why no collateral is needed.
An offer within 24 hours
The amount, the payment, and the term come back plainly, so you can weigh it against an advance or against SBA before signing anything.
A fixed schedule
Payment and term are set at closing. The number does not move with your sales the way an advance payment does.
Straight talk
Who this is for, and who should look elsewhere
This fits a business that wants a predictable payment instead of a cut of daily card sales, and that does not yet have the two years of financials or the 680 score SBA wants. It costs more than SBA because it is not government guaranteed, and it moves in days instead of a month.
It is the wrong fit in a couple of specific cases. If your business has no revenue history yet, this product is underwritten against cash flow that does not exist, and startup and personal loans are the better door. If the money is really for one piece of equipment, equipment financing usually beats a general term loan, because the machine itself secures the file instead of your business alone.
Busy Bee Services does not lend the money directly. We place the file with lenders we work with who fund this program, and we tell you plainly where it lands.
Figures above are third party lender program ranges. They are subject to underwriting and approval and are not an offer or commitment to lend.
Common questions
Before you apply
Is a small business loan the same thing as an SBA loan?
No. An SBA 7(a) Express loan carries a government guarantee, which brings the rate down to 6% to 10% but requires 2 years in business, a 680 credit score, and profitability. A small business loan is a term product placed without those requirements, which is why it costs more and moves faster.
Do I need to put up collateral?
No. Small business loans placed here do not require collateral. The file is underwritten on the business itself, mainly deposits and time in business.
How fast can I get an offer?
An offer is usually back within 24 hours. SBA 7(a) Express runs on a different clock, about a month, because of the underwriting behind the guarantee.
What if I do not qualify for SBA 7(a) Express?
Then a small business loan is likely the next place to look, since it does not require the same time in business or credit score. If revenue is thin as well, a merchant cash advance has no minimum credit score at all.
Is there a fee to apply or to find out where I land?
No. There is no application fee and no cost to see which program you fit.
Do you place loans outside Illinois?
Yes. Small business loan programs are available in all 50 states, and SBA 7(a) Express is available in all 50 states as well. Availability and terms vary by lender and by state.
Find out which of these three actually fits.
One application, no cost to see where you land. If SBA is not realistic on your timeline, you will be told that plainly, and shown what is.