If you’re a new business owner or considering starting a business, steer clear of this company. They present themselves as your best friend but operate like loan sharks. Throughout my entire process, the communication was atrocious. They would say one thing but do another. Every single one star review on this page resonates with me because I’ve personally experienced it. Their image of being small business friendly is a complete illusion. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about my experience. I checked back in on this review a month later and the reply from their team is false. No one has reached out to me regarding my experience.

I would NOT recommend working with CDC Small Business Finance. They have extremely slow communication times and internal policies they do not disclose until you get to the credit committee. There is no phone number to call - they only respond via email and each response takes anywhere from 3-10+ business days. We were constantly left hanging with no insight as to what was going on and spent many days anxiously awaiting updates that never came. We are extremely disappointed with CDC Small Business Finance’s lack of communication. We even tried to request consideration of an alternative funding route to get our business up and running and still have heard no response for 4 weeks. FOUR! WEEKS! If you are seeking small business funding in Texas, I would recommend trying AltCap or Liftfund first because they give you multiple points of contact that actually pick up the phone and help answer questions as well as work to move things along quickly. These two CDFIs mentioned have higher rates and shorter term lengths, however, they are very upfront about what they can and cannot fund. You could save 2-3 months of valuable time by NOT starting an application with CDC SBF.

The concierge service from Miriam and the team at CDC Small Business Finance was a refreshing change of pace from the "big bank" ideology that does NOTHING to support small businesses like ours. The approval process and the hand-off between the different team members through the different stages was seamless and well communicated... leaving no room for error. We are VERY happy with the entire process and will be referring a couple of our vendors who are actively seeking business loans. Thank you again for the help!

In 2021, in an attempt to recover from the pandemic, I created an expansion plan centered around my intellectual property. To execute the plan, I reached out to CDC Small Business Finance in early 2023 to seek guidance about the possibility for additional funding through my existing mission driven loan that they have secured. I was advised that in order to qualify for additional funding, I need to skip payments. I'm told I cannot have it both ways, current on my loan and modified note. This guidance eventually put my loan on default. In December 2023, CDC told me that they cannot provide additional funding because I cannot afford to make payments on my existing loan and to seek funding elsewhere. In addition, I was not aware that the default on my loan - based on their guidance, triggered a liquidation status in Nov 2023, which later they told me that it's a "misnomer" for internal coding and that there is no liquidation going on. With the assistance of a federal loan agency director in Sacramento, I was finally able to have my loan status change back to "current" in August 2024. The damaged has been done as the liquidation lengthy status - "...CDC's error" as stated by the director, have a severe effect on getting approved for funding elsewhere. CDCs concerning actions the past couple of years - as recently as June 2025, have significantly impacted my business growth, credit, and professional opportunities. Lastly, I share my experience so other small businesses — especially in distressed areas — are aware and cautious. In my opinion, when organizations we rely on for support mismanage loans, the domino effect on vulnerable communities is real: stalled businesses, lost jobs, and greater economic instability. My recovery will take time, and I only hope it’s not too late. I was able to connect with my local representatives, who's assisting in resolving my issues. 10/27/25: In response to CDC's comment regarding my initial review: As CDC noted on July 7, 2023, “I commend your proactive stance in asking for help before the loan becomes delinquent, but what we discussed can only be accomplished when no payment is received.” “You cannot have it both ways — current account and note modified.” Functionally, this amounted to an instruction to skip a payment — one of the few concerning examples of guidance I received regarding my loan. On June 26, 2023: After sharing my expansion plan with CDC: "John, It is going to take some time to know what the SBA is willing to do. As your loan was sold to an investor, the SBA has to be willing to buy it back and then modify it." It appears that selling my loan to an investor was unnecessary, as my account was current when I shared my expansion plan to seek additional funding for my trademarked product line and franchise models—both active in commerce with verified partnerships and launch-ready opportunities. Their guidance triggered the status of my existing SBA-backed loan into “liquidation” for almost a year, which the SBA District Director confirmed was “CDC’s error."

Working with CDC SBA Loan has been an absolutely amazing experience. From start to finish, their team has been incredibly supportive, professional, and genuinely committed to helping me reach my funding goals. They took the time to walk me through every step of the process, answered all of my questions with patience, and made what could have been a stressful experience feel seamless and achievable. Because of their assistance, I was able to secure the funding I needed to move my business forward with confidence. Their dedication to small business owners truly sets them apart, and I cannot thank them enough for their guidance and support. I would recommend CDC SBA Loan over and over again to anyone looking for reliable, trustworthy, and effective help with SBA loans. They are simply the best in the business.