Small Business Loans in California
Learn All About California Small Business Loans
California is famously a place where big ideas start small, from Silicon Valley startups to outdoor apparel in Ventura to the future global fastfood chain with humble beginnings in San Bernardino.
Turning ideas like these into reality requires one important ingredient: capital. Many entrepreneurs look to small business loans to get them off their feet and help them grow their business. Here’s a look at what small business owners in California need to not to navigate the lending landscape and find the funding that fits their needs.
Key Points
- • California offers loan guarantee programs that could help with up to $5 million to support small businesses.
- • CalCAP for Small Business aids with strong plans but underwriting challenges, providing guarantees.
- • Microloans, up to $50,000, are accessible with less stringent requirements.
- • Equipment financing allows spreading payments over time, improving cash flow.
- • SBA loans feature lower interest rates and longer repayment terms, benefiting small businesses.
Popular Types of Small Business Loans in California
If you’re a small business in California, here are some of the programs to consider.
California Small Business Loan Programs
The State of California offers several lending programs to small businesses in-state.
The California Small Business Loan Guarantee Program is offered through iBank, which doesn’t issue the loans directly, but rather works with Financial Development Corporations and lenders to offer loan guarantees. The program can pay lenders up to 80% of a small business’s outstanding loan should the borrower default on their loan. The maximum guarantee amount is $5 million.
Similarly, CalCAP for Small Business (CalCAP SB), helps incentivize financial institutions to lend to California small businesses who present strong business plans, but may otherwise have underwriting challenges. Loans of up to $5 million are available under the program.
Various non-profit institutions may also offer loans to California businesses. For example, the Accion Opportunity Fund offers loans of $5,000 to $350,000 as well as one-on-one business advice.
Recommended: Small Business Financing Guide
Term Loans
Generally speaking, small business loans are a type of term loan. These loans offer a lump sum that you pay back at regular monthly intervals with a fixed interest. Some loans are “secured” and may require that you put up collateral, a valuable asset used to back the loan, while others may be “unsecured” and require no collateral.
Small business and startup loans may be used to start or expand a business, make large purchases of real estate or equipment, manage daily operations, or consolidate debt.
Business Lines of Credit
A business line of credit is a form of revolving credit that allows you to borrow money up to a fixed credit limit. The money you borrow is subject to interest payments, and once you pay it back, the money is available to borrow again.
Equipment Financing
Equipment financing is a type of loan designed to help you purchase business equipment, such as machinery, vehicles, or new technology. The equipment purchased often serves as collateral for the loan itself.
Financial equipment costs can be useful for a small business because it offers manageable monthly payments rather than requiring owners to cover the full upfront cost. Spreading payments out can help smooth cash flow, preserving capital for other operational needs.
SBA Loans
SBA loans are small business loans that are partially guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA does not offer loans itself. Rather, it partners with traditional lenders, such as banks and credit unions, who provide the loans. SBA guarantees make it easier for lenders to offer loans, as they cover a portion of the remaining loan balance if the borrower can no longer pay. What’s more, SBA loans typically carry lower interest rates than conventional business loans. They may also offer longer repayment terms.
Entrepreneurs can use SBA loans for a variety of purposes, including providing working capital, buying equipment, and purchasing real estate.
There are several types of SBA loans. The most common is the 7(a) loan suitable for most small business purposes. The 504 loan is designed to help business owners purchase real estate or equipment. Disaster loans help small businesses recover in declared disaster areas, and Express loans help businesses that need a quick infusion of cash.
Recommended: SBA Loan Calculator
How to Apply for a Small Business Loan in California
The following steps can help you get organized and increase your chances of qualifying when you apply for a business loan in California.
Define Your Loan Purpose and Amount
Lenders need a clear understanding of why you’re seeking a loan. Get specific about exactly how much you’ll need and what you intend to use the funds for. It is helpful to support your financial request with quotes or estimates from vendors or real estate brokers, for instance.
Know Your Credit Score
Different lenders will have varying credit score requirements for small business loans. For instance, some may require a score of 680 or higher, while others may be willing to work with borrowers with lower scores. Knowing your score helps you understand which lenders are likely to work with you.
Also, keep in mind that lenders will offer their best terms and interest rates to borrowers with higher scores. If you have a relatively low score you may consider improving your credit before you submit an application.
Gather Your Key Documents
Lenders will also want to see business and financial documentation. Be sure you have a detailed business plan, tax returns, and personal and business financial statements. Having these organized and at the ready can help streamline the loan application process.
Compare Lenders and Loan Offers
Shopping around can help you save a significant amount of money. Compare offers from multiple lenders, paying close attention to interest rates, fees, and other costs. Evaluate loan terms carefully to help you pick the loan that best matches your needs and financial situation.
A business loan calculator can help you estimate monthly payments and overall cost of your loan to help you make informed decisions.
Submit Your Application and Await Approval
You can usually submit loan applications directly through banks or online lenders. If your loan is approved, review the loan agreement carefully. Double check the amount of the loan, interest rate, repayment schedule, and other terms before signing.
Tips for Improving Your Loan Approval Chances
There are several concrete steps you can take to improve your chances of qualifying for a loan.
Both your personal and business credit score will play a key role as lenders determine your creditworthiness. Be sure to pay your bills on time and pay down previous debts to help you maintain a healthy credit score.
A thorough business plan is also essential. Be sure yours includes a company overview, market analysis, details on competitors, marketing and sales strategies and a clear explanation of what you plan to do with the loan and how that will help generate revenue.
Other Funding Options for California Small Business
Small businesses may also look into applying for state and local business grants. Grants present a significant advantage to entrepreneurs because, unlike loans, they do not need to be repaid. You can find grant opportunities through the California Grants Portal, which is managed by the California State Library.
Additional Business Resources in California
Sometimes businesses need more than financial support. The SBA, for example, offers SCORE, a business mentoring program dedicated to helping entrepreneurs plan, launch, and grow their small business.
The Takeaway
Access to the right financing can make all the difference for small business owners. Understanding the types of loans available, eligibility requirements, and other resources available to you can help you make strategic choices that set you up for success.
If you’re seeking financing for your business, SoFi is here to support you. On SoFi’s marketplace, you can shop and compare financing options for your business in minutes.
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FAQ
How do I get a small business loan in California?
First, prepare a strong business plan, research federal and state loan options and compare terms and interest rates. Apply for the loan that suits your needs, and review the loan agreement carefully before signing.
Can I get a startup business loan in California with no money?
It is possible to get a startup business loan with no money, but it may be difficult. You may wish to look into programs, such as CalCAP SB, that incentivize lenders to make loans to businesses with little money but strong business plans.
How hard is it to get a small business loan in California?
The ease with which you’ll qualify for a business loan will depend on a variety of factors, including your business plan, your credit score, and your financial standing.
What is the easiest type of business loan to get approved for?
Small businesses may be most likely to get approval for a microloan, which typically offer loan amounts up to $50,000.
What credit score do I need for a small business loan?
The minimum credit score required for an SBA loan and other term loans is typically 680. You may be able to find lenders who work with borrowers with lower scores.
What can I use a small business loan for?
Small business loans may be used for a variety of purposes, such as purchasing real estate and equipment, providing working capital, and consolidating debt.
Are there any small business grants available in California?
There are many small business grants available in California. You can search for opportunities using the California Grants Portal managed by the California State Library.
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Decoding Markets: Filling the Blank Space
Blank Space
Aristotle famously said that “nature abhors a vacuum.” In lay terms, the Greek philosopher was saying that any empty space is instantly filled by denser surrounding matter. The idea being that voids are effectively nothingness, and nothingness can’t exist.
Pop singer Taylor Swift, a modern-era philosopher perhaps, sort of gets at the same idea in her song “Blank Space.” I.e. You don’t just let a blank space sit there — you fill it in!
And that’s what Wall Street did. When the government shutdown created a vacuum without hard economic data, investors looked at that blank space and wrote: Unstoppable AI Bull Market.
In other words, without the reality check of inflation reports or jobs data to ground valuations, the market’s imagination was left to run wild. Tech company after tech company announced creative deals to invest in the artificial intelligence ecosystem, exciting some with the promises of a future utopia while worrying others that we might be in for a repeat of the vendor financing fallout seen in the dot-com bubble era.
Under Pressure
Since mid-May, the narrative was comfortable: Treasury yields were falling, stocks were rising. It was a textbook inverse relationship. But as you can see in the chart below, that relationship hit a sour note in October.
Stocks and Yields
After months of a smooth ride, the Federal Reserve’s mini- hawkish pivot finally injected some turbulence into the stock market. Fed Chair Jerome Powell explicitly warned that a December rate cut was not a foregone conclusion after the Fed’s Oct. 29 meeting, and since then, stocks and bonds have sold off. A 60/40 investor’s worst nightmare.
This raises a logical question, though: Shouldn’t higher yields signal a stronger economy, which is good for corporate earnings?
Theoretically, yes. If rates are rising because the economy is robust, that should reflect in higher corporate profits. But the market is stumbling, which suggests that the recent rally wasn’t driven entirely by earnings growth, but also by speculation, liquidity, and sentiment.
The numbers support the story. Though the S&P 500’s forward 12-month earnings per share (EPS) rose from $298 the day of the Fed meeting to $302 as of Nov. 19, the index’s forward P/E fell from 23.1x to 21.9x. That means that earnings’ contribution to year-to-date price returns rose from 8.1% to 9.6%, while valuation’s contribution fell from 7.7% to 2.0%.
The current choppiness is a sign that investors realize the Fed may not ease monetary policy as fast as they had initially anticipated.
S&P 500 Year-to-Date Price Return
Stuck in the Middle With You
Now that the shutdown is over, the Fed has to navigate the incoming flood of economic data right alongside investors. There are 12 voting members on its rate-setting committee, so at least seven people have to agree on lowering rates. And unlike in the recent past, the central bank is currently a house divided.
As the chart below illustrates, we currently have an even split:
• 4 Doves (favor lowering rates – aka easing)
• 4 Hawks (favor holding rates)
• 4 Neutrals (the swing votes)
(Though a tie has never occurred, it’s thought that a tie would result in the policy remaining unchanged.)
Where 2025 FOMC Voters Likely Stand
The neutral group, which includes Powell and Vice Chair Jefferson, effectively holds the keys to the December meeting. If the backlog of data that’s starting to come out shows that the labor market did not deteriorate more during the shutdown, the neutral block will likely slide toward the hawks (and vice versa).
The Sound of Silence
Here is where the calendar works against us. Typically, the Fed likes to signal their intentions leading up to a meeting to ensure the market isn’t surprised by its eventual decision. However, their communications blackout period begins Nov. 29, which is right after Thanksgiving.
Because the data (which is already stale in some ways) is arriving on such a lag, in addition to the November jobs and inflation reports being delayed, there’s a good chance that Fed officials won’t have clearly signaled what they plan to do at their meeting.
That means investors should expect some noise and volatility over the next few weeks as Fed officials dance with the data.
And when they go into their blackout period, perhaps markets will fill in the blank space again. Maybe it’ll be AI again, or maybe it’ll be something else. Your goal is to ensure your portfolio is resilient enough to handle whatever writes its name there next.
Want more insights from SoFi’s Investment Strategy team? The Important Part: Investing With Liz Thomas, a podcast from SoFi, takes listeners through today’s top-of-mind themes in investing and breaks them down into digestible and actionable pieces.
SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance, and past performance is no indication of future success. This information isn’t financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on specific financial needs, goals and risk appetite.
Communication of SoFi Wealth LLC an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Mario Ismailanji is a Registered Representative of SoFi Securities and Investment Advisor Representative of SoFi Wealth. Form ADV 2A is available at www.sofi.com/legal/adv.
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Payoff in 2075? The Pros and Cons of a 50-Year Mortgage
As first-time homebuyers face the steepest affordability barriers in over a generation, the Trump administration has thrust a provocative remedy into the national conversation: a 50-year mortgage.
But how would 50-year mortgages work and would they become widely available? Here’s what you should know.
The point of stretching a home loan over half a century rather than 30 years would be to reduce the size of the monthly payments — a key obstacle in today’s high-priced market. But borrowers would also pay far more interest over the life of the loan, building equity more slowly. Plus, generally speaking, the longer the loan, the higher the rate, meaning 50-year mortgages would only push today’s 6%+ rates even higher.
An analysis by UBS shows the cons would outweigh the main pro. Compared to a 30-year mortgage, a 50-year loan would only reduce the payment on a typical-priced home by 5.4%, but would require borrowers to pay roughly 225% of the total home price in interest. This is more than twice the ratio you’d pay with a 30-year mortgage. What’s more, after 10 years the buyer with a 50-year mortgage has only paid off 4% of their loan, compared to 16% with a 30-year loan. After 20 years, it’s just 11% versus 46%.
“I don’t think it will actually bring the affordability that they are looking for,” Sharon Cornelissen, the Consumer Federation of America’s director of housing, told the Washington Journal on C-SPAN. “For the first 10 to 15 years, you are just going to be paying interest to the bank — it’s almost like you are renting the house and the bank owns the house.”
Then there’s the issue of adoption.
Lender willingness to offer 50-year mortgages is “likely to be muted” given regulatory and market hurdles, according to a spokesperson for the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Not only would Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac not be able to buy 50-year mortgages from lenders under current rules, but given the greater chances of a buyer prepaying their loan, investor interest in buying mortgage-backed securities may also be limited. And that would mean higher interest rates for 50-year loans, the spokesperson said.
To be sure, a few U.S. lenders offer 40-year mortgages, and longer-term loans do exist in countries such as Sweden and Spain. But the 30-year fixed-rate loan is by far the most common in the U.S., while 15 years is another popular option for people who can afford the monthly payment. Some lenders (including SoFi) even offer 10-year terms, which like 15-year terms, cost more each month but include far less interest overall.
So what?
Today’s real estate is prohibitively expensive for many first-time buyers, but there would be some serious tradeoffs if Americans started using 50-year loans to become homeowners. And a lot would have to be sorted out for these loans to become widespread.
In the meantime, debate over the 50-year option is giving the affordability challenges national attention, and the market is starting to shift in favor of buyers. Prices are leveling off or even dipping slightly in some areas, homes are sitting on the market longer, and seller concessions are becoming more common. Some homebuilders are even offering mortgage rate discounts as low as 4%, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Related Reading
Trump: 50-Year Mortgage ‘Not a Big Deal’ (The Hill)
45% of Americans Would Consider a 50-Year Mortgage (BadCredit.org)
Why Lower Mortgage Rates Aren’t Enough to Make Homes Affordable, in Charts (The Wall Street Journal)
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Get up to 3.60% APY on your SoFi Checking and Savings account with eligible direct deposit.
Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 11/12/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet Eligible Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Eligible Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network every 31 calendar days.
Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not designate payments as direct deposit. To ensure you’re earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, we encourage you to check your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit posts to your SoFi account. If your APY is not showing as the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. As long as SoFi Bank can validate those details, you will start earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit from the date you contact SoFi for the next 31 calendar days. You will also be eligible for the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit on future Eligible Direct Deposits, as long as SoFi Bank can validate them.
Deposits that are not from an employer, payroll, or benefits provider or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, Wise, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Eligible Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Eligible Direct Deposit activity to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility.
See additional details at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
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Pay no account fees. No account, overdraft, or monthly fees.
We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Bank Fee Sheet for details atsofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.
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Deposits are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per member.
Deposits in checking and savings accounts are insured up to $250,000 per depositor for each account ownership category under the FDIC’s general deposit insurance rules. For more information visit FDIC.gov
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Up to $3M additional FDIC insurance through a network of participating banks.
SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms. See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks.
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Up to 2-day-early paycheck when you set up direct deposit.
Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.
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No-fee overdraft coverage. You’ll be covered up to $50 with no fees with eligible direct deposit of at least $1,000.
Overdraft Coverage is a feature automatically offered to SoFi Checking and Savings account holders who receive at least $1,000 or more in Eligible Direct Deposits within a rolling 31 calendar day period on a recurring basis. Eligible Direct Deposit is defined on the SoFi Bank Rate Sheet, available at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. Members enrolled in Overdraft Coverage may be covered for up to $50 in negative balances on SoFi Bank debit card purchases only. Overdraft Coverage does not apply to P2P transfers, bill payments, checks, or other non-debit card transactions. Members with a prior history of unpaid negative balances are not eligible for Overdraft Coverage. Eligibility for Overdraft Coverage is determined by SoFi Bank in its sole discretion. Members can check their enrollment status, if eligible, at any time by logging into their account through the SoFi app or on the SoFi website.
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55,000+ fee-free ATMs within the Allpoint® Network.
We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees may be incurred when using out-of-network ATMs. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
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