Plano is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located approximately twenty miles north of downtown Dallas. The city has a population of 269,776, making it the ninth most populous city in the state of Texas and the 70th most populous city in the United States. Plano is a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, which is the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States.
The economy of Plano is anchored by several large corporations, including J.C. Penney, Frito-Lay, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Cinemark Theatres, and Toyota Motors USA. These companies have made Plano their headquarters due to its central location within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, its educated workforce, and its low cost of living. The city also has a thriving small business community, with over 18,000 businesses operating within its borders.
Plano has been ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States by Money magazine and CNNMoney.com. The city was also ranked as the safest city in America by Forbes magazine in 2010 and 2011.
Comparing SBA loan types in Plano
Three SBA programs come up most often for Plano, Texas 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 Plano
An SBA 7(a) loan made to a Plano, Texas 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.