When to start engaging lenders?

April 16, 2026

by a searcher in Los Angeles, CA, USA

For those of you who went the self-funded route, how soon is too soon to start engaging SBA lenders? I’m still in the thesis refinement and early deal-analysis stage, but I’m trying to get smarter about when it makes sense to start those conversations, what lenders are actually willing to discuss before a deal is under LOI, and at what point it becomes worth doing more formal outreach. I’d also be curious how others approached this early on. Did you wait until you had a live deal, or did you start lender conversations earlier to calibrate what size and type of business was realistically financeable? And if there are SBA lenders you’ve had a particularly good experience with for self-funded acquisitions, I’d definitely appreciate any recommendations.

Reply by a lender
from Montclair State University in New York, NY, USA

I like to get involved as early as possible to assist my ETA clients. Typically that is pre LOI. Feel free to call or email###-###-#### redacted

Reply by a lender
from University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, USA

Hi ^redacted‌ - Start the lender conversation now before you have a deal or better yet start a conversation with a loan broker like us. We are partnered with 50+ SBA lenders and already have the relationships you will need to fund your loan. You can get prequalified with us by filling out this link: http://gosba.fillout.com/prequal. We can provide you with a prequal letter with a max purchase price that you can afford and use this letter when you are talking to lenders as well.

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