Fresno is a city located in the central San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. As of 2019, the population of Fresno was 527,438, making it the fifth-largest city in California and the 34th-largest in the United States. Fresno is the county seat of Fresno County and the principal city of the Fresno metropolitan area, which covers all of Fresno County and parts of Madera, Tulare, and Kings counties.
Fresno's economy is based on agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The city is home to numerous companies in the food processing, transportation, and healthcare industries. Fresno is also a major distribution center for agricultural products. The city's largest employers include the County of Fresno, Fresno Unified School District, Fresno City College, Fresno State University, and Community Regional Medical Center.
Small businesses are a vital part of Fresno's economy, accounting for over half of the city's businesses. The top industries for small businesses in Fresno include retail trade, health care, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Fresno's small business community is supported by a number of resources, including the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, the Fresno Business Council, and the Fresno Economic Development Corporation.
Comparing SBA loan types in Fresno
Three SBA programs come up most often for Fresno, California businesses, and they do different jobs.
SBA 7(a) loan: program overview
Maximum loan
$5 million (sba.gov, fetched 2026-07-24)
What it funds
Working capital, equipment, owner-occupied commercial real estate, refinancing business debt, and business acquisition.
Who lends
Participating banks and non-bank lenders. The SBA guarantees a portion of the loan; it does not lend directly to borrowers.
Rate structure
Negotiated between lender and borrower, capped at the SBA maximum. Most 7(a) loans price off the WSJ prime rate plus a spread.
Personal guaranty
Required from every owner of 20% or more of the business (13 CFR 120.160(a)).
Program facts confirmed against sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans on Jul 24, 2026. Confirm current fees and maximum rates with your lender before relying on them.
SBA 504 loan: program overview
Maximum loan
$5.5 million per the SBA-backed debenture (sba.gov, fetched 2026-07-24). Total project size can be larger because a bank funds the first mortgage alongside it.
What it funds
Major fixed assets: owner-occupied commercial real estate and long-life machinery and equipment. Not working capital or inventory.
Structure
A conventional first-mortgage lender, a Certified Development Company holding the SBA-backed second, and a borrower down payment.
Rate
The CDC portion is fixed for the full term and set at the monthly debenture sale.
Program facts confirmed against sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/504-loans on Jul 24, 2026.
SBA Express: program overview
What it is
A delivery method inside the 7(a) program. The lender uses its own forms and procedures and gets an accelerated SBA response, in exchange for a lower SBA guarantee percentage than Standard 7(a).
What it funds
The same uses as 7(a), including revolving lines of credit, which Standard 7(a) term loans do not offer.
Trade-off
Faster turnaround and lighter paperwork, against a smaller guaranteed portion, which some lenders price for.
Current SBA Express maximum loan size and guarantee percentage are set by SBA notice and change. Confirm them on sba.gov or with your lender; this site does not publish an unverified figure.
Small business loans available in Fresno
An SBA 7(a) loan made to a Fresno, California business is made by a participating lender, not by the SBA.
The lender underwrites it, sets the rate within the SBA maximum, and services it. What varies locally is
which lenders are active, not the program rules.