This comprehensive and accessible guide for small business owners shows you how to get your share of the billions of dollars in loans arranged or guaranteed by the SBA each year. In easy, step-by-step fashion, it helps you prepare a successful loan request for a new or established company and offers guidance on developing a business plan for your new business. In addition to full coverage of the agency's various loan programs-including seasonal guarantee, pollution control, energy loan, and Vietnam veteran and handicapped assistance-you'll find an exhaustive directory of all the free services the SBA provides to small businesses. Up-to-date and more comprehensive than ever, this popular reference includes complete information on:

* Understanding the SBA system

* Eligibility requirements

* Recent lending statistics

* ACE-Net finance matching service

* Updated loan application forms and appendix listings

Plus

* A new chapter on the Hubzone Empowerment Contracting Program

* Updated information on the Export Working Capital Program

Today, the SBA offers more services and more money than ever before. From coast to coast and in every industry, thousands of American entrepreneurs make the SBA system work for them-and you can too.