7 Myths of the Canada Government Small Business Loan – Mom Never Told You This!

Misinformation. It's all over the place these days it seems. Let's clear up some ' myths' and misunderstanding around the Canada Government Small Business Loan.

The small business loan program in Canada is sometimes more commonly known as the ' SBL ' loan. It is a tremendous program to assist Canadian new and existing business owners with the financing of their business.

At a time when Canadian business financing seems more challenging than ever it seems logical that the entrepreneur and business owner wants to explore all possible financing alternatives. In our opinion the program in question is bar none of the best financial alternatives for Canadian business.

So why does so much misinformation and misconception seem to exist whenever we discuss the program with clients. We don't know, but we do know we can help clear up the misinformation - so let's go!

Myth # 1- ' Our business is doing ok and doesn't need a government small business loan ' Well that might be the case but if you are looking in the future for equipment , real estate or leasehold financing ( yes you can finance leasehold improvements!) then the rates , terms and structure of the program cant be beat .

Myth # 2- ' The SBL loan is for business owners with bad credit ' - Wrong, very wrong, in fact the business owner, although he or she only guarantees 25% of the loan under the program must have reasonable personal credit . The program is best described as being financing for businesses, including start ups that can't access all the traditional credit they need.

Myth # 3 - ' The government lends the funds directly to you or your company ' - Wrong again, as the program is guaranteed by the government, and administered from a policy perspective -- however primarily banks are the ' facilitators ' of the program.

Myth # 4 -' the program is a grant - and no payment is required ' Very wrong! This is not a grant; it's a 5-7 year term loan with regular monthly payments. Many people we speak to are inquiring about ' grants' and other federal incentives... that is NOT the SBL program.

Myth # 5 - ' Anyone can get a Canada government

Small business loan ' - You guessed it, wrong again. Although the rates, terms, structures, flexibility, and limited guarantee are the key aspects of the SBL loan there are certain criteria that must be in place to qualify. Additionally the program only covers businesses with actual or projected revenues under 5 Million dollars.

Myth # 6- ' Government small business loans are hard to get, and involve a lot of ' red tape' '. Well, some may think that, we certainly don't think that's the case. Approvals with the proper package in place can take only a day or two! It's all about ensuring you have a package in place that covers all requirements in a clear fashion.

Myth # 7- ' A company or individual can get a Canada government small business loan anywhere ' - Well not really, you need to ensure your institution works with the program and has experience in submitting requests that are clear and make sense and satisfy program criteria .