Eligible Borrowers
If you own a business in Central Texas, you're most likely eligible already. All for-profit businesses, are eligible if they are sole proprietorship, partnerships, or corporations, as long as they fit within the SBA size standards at time of application and the nature of the business is consistent with BiG's mission and values. If for any reason the minimum criteria is not met, we will advise you as to what steps to take to help you qualify in the future.
The only non-profits that we may lend to are child-care centers. Pyramid and multi-level marketing businesses are not eligible for a BiGAUSTIN microloan.
Geography
All loan recipients must be based in and be principally operated in one of the fifteen counties we serve in Central Texas:
- Bastrop
- Bell
- Blanco
- Burnet
- Gillespie
- Hays
- Lampasas
- Llano
- Lee
- Mason
- McCullough
- Miliam
- San Saba
- Travis
- Williamson
Other Criteria
All applicants must:
- Have a written business plan if they are startup business borrowing in excess of $5,000;
- Have proof of a minimum of 10% equity injection. That is, the owner must have made investments or purchases for the businesses totaling at least 10% of the loan value. We recommend that you save your receipts for all purchases and start-up costs;
- Be U.S. citizens or legal residents or a "stateside" foreign owned business;
- Be in good standing on federal, state, county, and municipal taxes;
- Carry full auto and liability insurance, where applicable; and
- If approved, must carry "Key Man" life insurance for at least the value of the loan throughout the loan's term.