Loan Application Experience

searcher profile

February 16, 2026

by a searcher from City University London - Cass Business School in New York, NY, USA

Has anyone gone through the process of getting a business loan recently? A few things I'm curious about: - How did you find your lender? Did you use a broker, marketplace, or go direct and why? - What surprised you (positively or negatively) about the process? - How many calls/emails did you get after your first inquiry? - Did you feel like you actually understood your options, or were you just guessing? If you went through this in the last year or so and are willing to share your experience, I'd really appreciate it. Happy to do a quick call too if you'd rather talk than type. Thanks in advance.
2
4
103
Replies
4
commentor profile
Reply by a lender
from Cornell University in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Hi ^redacted‌ - nice to meet you. I am a Senior Loan Broker with GoSBA Loans, and I'd be happy to answer your questions based on my experience: Going direct to one bank means one credit box, one set of terms, and no fallback if they decline. We have 50+ lenders competing for your deal. We know each bank's internal close rates so we steer you toward lenders that actually close, not just ones that issue term sheets. And because of our volume, we get preferred pricing individual borrowers don't have access to. What surprises most people is how much terms vary lender to lender on the exact same deal. Rate differences of 1%+, wildly different approaches to seller notes and equity injection. Most borrowers going direct would never know a better option existed. With us, you get one dedicated team. No lead selling, no getting passed around. We handle everything from packaging to closing, including a free business plan. We have a lot experience financing various companies via the SBA. If you ever need help reviewing a deal, I am happy to help. We work with all the major SBA lenders. The bank pay us after your loan closes, so this is a 100% free service for you. You can email me directly at redacted or schedule a meeting with me: https://cal.com/francodeguzman/30min. Look forward to chatting!
commentor profile
Reply by a lender
from Eastern Illinois University in 900 E Diehl Rd, Naperville, IL 60563, USA
We are a Commercial Loan Brokerage shop with direct lending relationships with over 500 different funding partners. I would love to connect with you and discuss how we might be able to assist you in finding the right lending partner. We place business acquisition debt through SBA lenders, conventional banks, and non-bank lenders. You can reach me here or directly at redacted
commentor profile
+2 more replies.
Join the discussion