SBA loans
An SBA Express loan is a streamlined SBA 7(a) product capped at $500,000 with lender decisions often within 36 hours. Veterans receive fee waivers under the SBA Veterans Advantage program, cutting upfront costs and speeding the path to funding for working capital, equipment, or expansion.
The standard SBA 7(a) can drag for sixty days. SBA Express trades a lower guarantee (50 percent instead of 85) for speed. Lenders use their own credit models. Approvals happen in hours or days. You still get SBA-backed terms: ten years for working capital, up to twenty-five for real estate.
Veterans get an edge. The Veterans Advantage program waives the guarantee fee on loans up to $500,000 and cuts fees in half on larger 7(a) loans. That saves thousands and signals lenders you're serious.
New Haven's veteran business community runs deep. From auto-repair shops near Tweed New Haven Airport to IT consultancies serving Yale New Haven Health, veteran entrepreneurs need capital that respects their pace. SBA 7(a) loans in New Haven remain the gold standard for long-term growth, but Express fits urgent timelines.
Cedargrove Credit pre-qualifies your application, identifies SBA Express lenders who prioritize veteran borrowers, and packages your financials so underwriters can move immediately. We handle the broker work so you stay focused on operations, payroll, and contracts.
You call. We ask four questions: revenue, time in business, credit range, what you need the money for. Within an hour we know which lenders will compete for your file.
We submit to multiple SBA Express lenders simultaneously. One might specialize in equipment financing for contractors in Ansonia. Another prioritizes working capital for service businesses in East Haven. Competition shortens your timeline and often improves terms.
We don't charge upfront fees. We earn a finder's fee from the lender when your loan closes. Your job is to run your business. Ours is speed-to-funding.
A veteran-owned electrical contractor in North Haven won a bid to retrofit twelve buildings along the Quinnipiac River corridor. The contract required bonding and a $120,000 material deposit within three weeks. His bank wanted six weeks and collateral he didn't have.
We matched him with an SBA Express lender who knew construction. Application Monday. Conditional approval Wednesday. Funding the following Tuesday. He met the deposit deadline, started work, and invoiced on schedule.
That's the difference between winning contracts and watching someone else cash them.
SBA loans
National and regional banks offer SBA Express in Connecticut, but not all prioritize veteran borrowers or fast turnarounds. Cedargrove Credit maintains relationships with lenders who specialize in small business loans for veterans and process SBA Express applications in days, not weeks.
We work with lenders who understand New Haven's economy: healthcare suppliers serving Yale New Haven, manufacturers in Woodbridge, retail along the shoreline in Branford. Local context matters. A lender who finances Boston tech startups won't understand a Milford marine-services company.
Veteran status opens doors. Lenders see lower default rates and respect the discipline military service builds. The SBA Veterans Advantage program makes the math easier for underwriters. We leverage both.
Working capital loans and equipment financing often pair with SBA Express when veterans need flexible structures. We'll show you the options.
Serving the New Haven area

We know which lenders fund which kinds of New Haven businesses, and we position your file where it fits.
One local broker, many lenders, and no cost to apply.
Common questions
Why New Haven owners trust Cedargrove Credit
Talk to a local advisor and get matched to the right program, no obligation.