SBA Feedback Opportunity

I wanted to flag something that I think is genuinely worth the Searchfunder community’s attention. https://advocacy.sba.gov/resources/hotline/tell-us-whats-holding-you-back/ > Click the red button The SBA has an active “red tape”feedback form that does get read, and right now it’s one of the few direct channels where operators, searchers, and small-business buyers can speak up about how SBA programs are actually working in practice. Many of us rely on SBA financing to acquire and grow real operating businesses. Sometimes asset-heavy, labor-intensive companies that don’t fit neatly into venture-style models. Yet several core SBA parameters haven’t meaningfully changed in well over a decade, despite massive increases in business valuations, equipment costs, insurance, labor, and interest rates. For example: • The $5M SBA loan cap was set in 2010 and has not been adjusted for inflation or market realities. Adjusted for inflation should be closer to $7.5M. • Asset-intensive businesses (transportation, logistics, manufacturing, trades) are disproportionately affected because equipment values have risen far faster than SBA valuation models account for. • Searchers are increasingly forced to stack seller notes, personal exposure, or non-SBA debt just to close otherwise solid deals—adding risk without improving credit quality. This isn’t about asking for looser underwriting or higher leverage. It’s about modernization—aligning SBA programs with today’s cost structures and acquisition realities so good businesses can continue to be acquired, operated, and preserved. If you’ve: • Walked away from a deal due to the SBA cap • Had to over-structure seller notes or inject excess equity • Seen SBA valuation assumptions diverge sharply from real-world pricing • Operate in an asset-heavy industry impacted by rising equipment costs …. Your feedback matters! Individual feedback is easy to dismiss. Consistent, thoughtful feedback from operators and searchers across the country is not. If you have 5–10 minutes, I’d strongly encourage you to submit comments through the SBA feedback form. Be factual, be specific, and speak from experience. This is one of the few moments where collective, practitioner-driven input can actually shape future policy. If others here have already submitted feedback, I’d love to hear what themes you raised.