SEACC’s Business Department offers technical assistance and Microloans to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. We have been operating these programs for more than 30 years. During this time, we have provided assistance to more than 3,000 business clients. As a SBA Microloan lender, we have made loans to hundreds of small business owners who were not able to secure bank financing.

As a non-profit service provider funded by the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Community Investment and the US Small Business Administration, our goal is to work with entrepreneurs and business owners both at the early stages of their businesses, and as these businesses grow but are still too small for commercial lenders. Over the years, we have been able to develop an expertise in working with these businesses and assisting them with the unique issues they face. We work with all small businesses but one of our focus areas is working with Asian entrepreneurs with limited English speaking abilities. 

Generally, we work with each business client on a one-to-one basis.  We meet with you in person or on the phone to discuss your business issue and needs.  Note that technical assistance services are free of charge. For Microloan fees and interest rates, please see our Microloan page.

If your business is located in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and you are interested in receiving services under one or both of these programs, please contact us at 415-885-2743 or by e-mail to quytong@seaccusa.org. Our office hours are 8AM to 5PM, M-F.

 

BUSINESS CONSULTING AND LENDING PROGRAMS

Technical assistance for small businesses

  • For San Francisco-based clients, we provide assistance on marketing, licenses/permits, lease negotiations, buy/sell agreements, business plan development, and small business loans.
  • For new clients outside of San Francisco and in the Greater Bay Area, technical assistance services are primarily focused on Microloan financing.
  • Services are free of charge. Our staff is multi-lingual and can provide these services as needed in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.

SBA 7(m) Microloan program

  • This is a loan program for small businesses that need up to $50,000 for an existing or start-up business. Typically, the business applicant will have been unable to qualify for a conventional bank loan. Term loans for 2-4 years. No lines of credit. The business must be located in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. For details on this program, see Microloan program.
  • After a loan is made, we can provide ongoing technical assistance to borrowers at no cost. Typically we have provided assistance in marketing, lease negotiations, permit renewals, legal issue assistance, buy-sell issues, and follow-on financing or refinancing.

For a description of current and former business clients, see  Profiles of small business clients assisted by SEACC.