Clarksville is a city located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population of Clarksville was 132,929 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Clarksville is the fifth-largest city in Tennessee and the ninth-largest city in the southeastern United States.
The economy of Clarksville is largely based on manufacturing, education, healthcare, and retail trade. The city is home to the corporate headquarters of several companies, including LG Electronics USA, Hemlock Semiconductor, and Trane. Clarksville is also home to Austin Peay State University, a public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students.
There are many small businesses in Clarksville, Tennessee. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are 4,842 small businesses in Clarksville. Small businesses in Clarksville employ 46,758 people, or about 35% of the workforce in the city.
The most popular sectors for small businesses in Clarksville are retail trade, professional services, and healthcare. Other popular sectors include manufacturing, construction, and education.
Comparing SBA loan types in Clarksville
Three SBA programs come up most often for Clarksville, Tennessee 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 Clarksville
An SBA 7(a) loan made to a Clarksville, Tennessee 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.