Loanbox is the premier lending platform for small business owners and franchisees to quickly and easily find business funding. Apply through our proprietary “DIY” loan app, or get free assistance from one of our expert loan advisors.

Choosing an incompatible lender is the leading cause of the frustrating and stressful lending experiences faced by many small business owners and franchisees. Each year, thousands of entrepreneurs seek financing from banks that have a low probability of approving their loan — mistakenly believing all banks are alike in the context of SBA loans or small business financing, and that the only difference lies in interest rates.

No, you can access the platform directly through our website by logging in each time. However, downloading the app takes just seconds, enhances formatting across multiple devices, and is easy to uninstall after your loan is closed. You can access the app from our website by clicking any of the Start Loan buttons. Once signed in, you have the option to continue using the web platform or download the app at any time. The app provides a convenient desktop icon and an adaptive screen experience for your phone, tablet, or laptop.

LoanBox Expert Loan 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 Borrower Dashboard :

Banks are integrated with the LoanBox platform with each bank having their own independent app. When the borrower selects the winning lender proposal the LoanBox turns from loan packager to loan manager for the borrower. The LoanBox manager populates the loan process and documents needed for each stage. The Loan Manager tracks the process of the loan, shows what docs are needed and when they are due, and the app-to-app messaging makes time stamped message communication. Borrowers are able to upload ongoing documents. When the lender changes the process stage in the kanban pipeline the LoanBox manager sends an alert to the business borrower (and to franchisor for white labeled apps).

LoanBox’s Unmatched Matching

LoanBox is unmatched in its ability to secure big loans for small businesses. Our platform specializes in matching 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.

Yes. But why do entrepreneurs often find themselves on the wrong path, wasting weeks only to have to start over elsewhere? The obvious answer is because most business owners don't have access to a crystal ball. With the launch of LoanBox, business owners finally have something that’s much more reliable, predictable, and repeatable.

While there have been 5,655 banks all-time funding an SBA 7(a) loan, there have been only 2,896 over the last decade and 1,277 banks funded an SBA loan during FY 2024.

In FY 2024:

• The top 1% of SBA lenders funded more than 1/3 of all SBA 7(a) dollars. 

• More than half (56%) of SBA lenders funded less than five SBA loans and nearly a quarter (24%) only funded one SBA 7(a) loan.

• Only 36% of SBA lenders funded a franchise loan of which 59% only funded one or two.

• 72% of all non-franchise loans were funded by out of state lenders and 81% of franchisee loans.

• 59% of banks funded a startup loan but only 23% funded a franchise startup.

• 49% of banks funded a change of ownership loan but only 13% funded a franchise change of ownership loan and only 9% when the franchise loan was over $500K.

• 58% funded a loan over $500K and 21% funded a franchise loan over $500K.

• 44% funded a loan over $1 million with 14% a franchise funded loan over $1 million.

Times change, and so can the lender's focus and people. The top 20 lenders list is never the same each year. There are always climbers and fallers in SBA lending. New people in credit committees or in business development with different backgrounds can bring a new lending focus to a bank. A specific SBA lender may not have approved very many dentists in the past but now wants to make dentist lending an emphasis. The lender may have brought in a new BDO or credit manager that brings the lender unique experience and expertise in industries they didn't focus on before but will be going forward. 

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. Some focus on franchise lending while others have never funded a franchise SBA loan. Each lender has a different culture and leadership team, and varying levels of experience and expertise for different industries and loan types.

SBA rules are contained in multiple SOPs with the primary one being over 400 pages long. Some rules are interpreted slightly differently by different lenders and lawyers. The SBA defers many key requirements to the bank’s non-SBA loan policy and each bank has different policies. And just because the SBA allows for something it doesn’t mean every lender will offer the same or offer the same for you. 

Lending Ecosystem Vendors:

The lending landscape encompasses a wide array of vendors, as it intersects with numerous sectors. Essential professionals may include contractors, attorneys, credit card processors, life and business insurance agents, escrow agents, business valuation firms, acquisition consultants (both buy-side and sell-side), appraisers, financial advisors, estate planners, tax consultants, CPAs, and various types of lawyers. These experts can play a crucial role in securing startup loans, acquisition loans, partner buyout loans, and commercial real estate loans.

Vendors Matched for Your Needs:

Vendors fill out a detailed profile form, and their information is matched with borrower inputs. Once the borrower completes their loan package, a tailored list of compatible vendors is generated on their dashboard for quick and convenient access. For instance, if you're looking for an acquisition loan, LoanBox not only displays qualifying lenders but also highlights matching vendors, such as a purchase agreement attorney who specializes in your specific industry.

Search for the Right Vendors:

LoanBox operates as a free platform for vendors and suppliers, providing them with visibility at no cost. This allows them to offer their best pricing, as we do not take a commission. You can easily search the portal and utilize filters to find the vendor that suits your needs. A simple click reveals the contact card, while another click displays the full vendor profile. Please note that not all vendors with contact cards will have complete profiles.