As larger franchises continue to grow and take over the market, small businesses find themselves falling behind financially. With the recession and the tough times it has created since 2008, small businesses continue to struggle to thrive and grow. During this struggle, Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs have come up with a way to help small businesses stay afloat. They help small businesses access financial assistance programs that are created to help address their needs, including debt, business growth, general business needs, and capital. The SBA does not make loans to small businesses itself, but it helps regulate how small businesses can receive loans, whether through microlenders, investors or community organizations. Four beneficial programs that exist to help businesses are: Section 7(a) Loan Guarantee Program, Certified Development Program Company (CDC) 504 Loan Program, Small Business Investment Company (SBIC), and Micro-Loan Program. These programs provide a policy change to help close the gap during economic disruptions. Understanding these programs, how they work, and whether they are effective is critical to deciding whether they help or do nothing for small businesses. The four SBA programs offer small businesses the opportunity to obtain financial help through loans when they would normally be denied. Due to economic conditions, it is more difficult for businesses to maintain their debt and continue to grow and keep everything the same as before the economic shock. One program is the Section 7(a) Loan Guarantee, this is a loan program that can be used for general business, fixed assets and working capital. This is a large loan from a bank or lender. The conditions for this loan are set by the lender's purpose and the company's collateral is used, but personal ones (for example, the owner's house) can also be used. The CDC/504 program also provides loans to small businesses that are unable to obtain financial assistance from private lenders. While it differs from 7(a) loans in two ways, “504 loans can only be used for fixed assets (e.g. land and buildings) and have fixed interest rates (under the 7(a) program, the rate can be fixed or variable” (Urban Institute 3). Additionally, they can receive funding from the CDC/504 through community organizations The Micro Loan program provides small businesses and some community organizations with small loans that can be used for startup or growth...