Industry · SBA lending record
SBA loans for independent artists, writers, and performers
4,107 SBA 7(a) loans since 2010. What they were for, how big, how long, and how often they went wrong.
How this industry compares
defaulted within 7 yearsDefault rate is not a judgement on the industry. It tells you how a lender will price your risk, and how much cushion you should build in.
When borrowers got into trouble
share of failures by yearTrouble rarely arrives in year one. It arrives when the opening cash is gone — which is an argument for borrowing more working capital, not less.
What this means for your application
A typical loan here runs $75k over 10 years. If you are asking for far more than that, expect harder questions and a longer file. If far less, check which lenders will even take it — many won't go below $150,000.
Find lenders by smallest loan → Check the numbers work →
SBA 504 lending in Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
504 FOIA recordWhere a 7(a) loan covers working capital and general use, the 504 program funds the owner-occupied property and heavy equipment side — a bank first mortgage plus a fixed-rate second through a Certified Development Company. Here is the 504 record for independent artists, writers, and performers.
CDCs funding independent artists, writers, and performers most
- Mortgage Capital Development Corporation — 42 loans
- CDC Small Business Finance Corp. — 34 loans
- California Statewide Certified Development Corporation — 32 loans
- Florida Business Development Corporation — 29 loans
- Granite State Economic Development Corporation — 24 loans
- Business Finance Capital — 24 loans
Most 504 loans for independent artists, writers, and performers are in California, Florida, Texas, Illinois.