Standard Agreement and Terms of Use
This Standard Agreement and Terms of Use (“Agreement”) is a binding contract between you (an individual or entity) and Small Business Approval, LLC, a Florida limited liability company (“SBA,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using our websites, software, web-based interfaces, documentation, and services (collectively, the “Sites” or “Services”)—including SmallBusinessApproval.com and SBARates.com—you agree to this Agreement. If you do not agree, you may not access or use the Sites or Services.
Government Affiliation: SBA and SBARates.com are privately owned and are not affiliated with any government agency (including the U.S. Small Business Administration).
1) Our Role (We Are Not a Lender or Advisor)
SBA does not provide loan approval, underwriting, financing, direct funding, investment, legal, tax, or other professional services. We operate information services, an online directory, and a lender-matching/lead-generation marketplace (including SBARates.com). We may provide business planning content or consulting as described on the Sites, but we do not guarantee outcomes. Credit decisions, rates, and terms are determined solely by lenders.
2) Scope; Incorporated Policies
This Agreement applies to SmallBusinessApproval.com, SBARates.com, and any subdomains, tools, forms, content, and communications. By using SBARates.com, you also agree to the SBARates.com Privacy Policy (effective September 1, 2025), which is incorporated by reference. Our Privacy Policy explains personal-information practices, cookie choices, Global Privacy Control (GPC), and your rights. If these Terms conflict with a specific service agreement we sign with you, that specific agreement controls for the conflicting subject.
3) License & Access to the Sites
Subject to this Agreement, SBA grants you a nonexclusive, nontransferable, revocable license to access and use the Sites for their intended purposes during the Term. Except for this limited license, SBA and its licensors retain all rights in the Sites and content. You agree not to circumvent any technical or usage controls.
4) Enhancements & Third-Party Components
We may upgrade, enhance, change, or modify the Sites at any time (“Enhancements”). The Sites may include third-party components, tools, or integrations (“Third-Party Components”) provided under their own terms. ALL THIRD-PARTY COMPONENTS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS.” SBA will not indemnify or be liable for Third-Party Components; your sole remedy is to stop using them.
5) Submissions, Leads & Consent to Be Contacted
Your Submissions. If you submit information (e.g., forms, leads, reviews, messages), you represent that it is accurate and you have rights to provide it. You grant SBA a nonexclusive, worldwide license to use your Submissions to operate and improve the Sites and to fulfill your requests (e.g., lender introductions).
Lead Sharing. When you request introductions or quotes, you authorize us to transmit your submission (and relevant technical/marketing data) to loan agents, affiliates, or lender partners to evaluate your eligibility and contact you.
Consent to Contact. By submitting a form, you consent to be contacted by us and relevant partners by email or phone regarding your inquiry. You can opt out of marketing emails at any time (see Privacy Policy).
6) Fees; Physical Products; Refunds & Revisions
Fees (if any) are as described on the Sites or in an ordering flow. For online deliverable products such as Featured Listings or Claiming a listing: no refunds are offered; however, we provide unlimited revisions for 30 days from the issue date. Some Services may require a monthly fee; access to certain features may be contingent on timely payment.
7) Advertising, Affiliate & Compensation Disclosures
We participate in affiliate and advertising programs. We may receive compensation if you click, apply, or obtain financing through partners. Compensation may affect how, where, and in what order offers are presented. We do not include all lenders or all offers available in the marketplace.
SBARates.com operates a free, for-profit, advertiser-supported lender-matching and information service for SBA and other small-business financing (e.g., SBA 7(a), 504, CAPLines, Export Express). When you submit a request, we may promptly transmit it to a loan agent, affiliate, or lender partner. The specific lender (if any) is disclosed after you submit your request. We do not guarantee approval, rates, or terms.
8) Privacy, Cookies, and Your Choices
Your use of SBARates.com is subject to the SBARates.com Privacy Policy (effective September 1, 2025), which explains what we collect (e.g., contact, lead details, technical/usage, marketing, limited payment metadata via Stripe), why we collect it (directory, matching, analytics, security), how we share it (service providers, lender partners at your request, and advertising partners for cross-context behavioral advertising), retention (lead data 36 months; analytics 26 months), and security (access controls). We do not “sell” personal information as defined by CPRA.
9) Intellectual Property; Ownership
The Sites and all content are protected by U.S. and international IP laws. All rights not expressly granted are reserved by SBA and its licensors. You may not remove proprietary notices, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works from the Sites. You may not assign, sublicense, rent, timeshare, loan, or lease access credentials.
10) Acceptable Use & Restrictions
- No unlawful, infringing, misleading, or deceptive uses.
- No scraping, bulk harvesting, or automated extraction without our written consent.
- No attempts to bypass rate limits, security, or access controls.
- No uploading of viruses, malware, or harmful code.
- Comply with all applicable laws and lender requirements when using any plans, projections, or content.
11) Term; Suspension & Termination
This Agreement begins on the earlier of your first use or acceptance and continues until terminated. Either party may terminate for convenience by stopping use (and giving written notice if you maintain a paid plan). We may suspend or terminate immediately for a breach. Upon termination, stop using the Sites and destroy local copies of any Site software or documentation (business plans you purchased remain usable for your business purposes).
12) Warranty Disclaimer
THE SITES AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SBA DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING NON-INFRINGEMENT, TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, QUALITY OF INFORMATION, QUIET ENJOYMENT, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. WE DO NOT WARRANT UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTERNET, THIRD-PARTY COMPONENTS, OR SECURITY OF YOUR SYSTEMS.
ANY BUSINESS PLANS OR CONSULTING ARE PROVIDED “AS IS.” WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT SUCH MATERIALS WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT YOU WILL BE APPROVED FOR FINANCING.
13) Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SBA AND ITS SUPPLIERS/LICENSORS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR PERSONAL INJURY) ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SITES OR SERVICES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY. IN ALL EVENTS, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO SBA (IF ANY) FOR THE RELEVANT SERVICE OR DELIVERABLE.
14) Indemnity
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SBA and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, and licensors from any third-party claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your breach of this Agreement, your misuse of the Sites or Services, your combination of our Services with third-party items not provided by SBA, or your misuse of any business plans or consulting materials.
15) Governing Law & Venue
This Agreement is governed by Florida law (without regard to conflicts rules). The sole and exclusive venue for any dispute is the Complex Business Litigation Court in and for Orange County, Florida, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.
16) U.S. Government Rights; Export
The Sites are “commercial computer software” under applicable DFARS/FAR provisions and are provided to U.S. Government end-users only with the rights set forth in this Agreement. You agree to comply with all applicable export control laws.
17) Changes to this Agreement
We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we will provide notice via a banner on the Sites or email to subscribers. The “Last Updated” date above reflects the latest revision.
18) General (Assignment, Force Majeure, Severability, Entire Agreement)
You may not assign this Agreement without our prior written consent, except in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all assets. We may assign freely. Neither party is liable for delays or failures due to events beyond reasonable control (force majeure). If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder remains in effect. Failure to enforce is not a waiver. This Agreement (together with the incorporated SBARates.com Privacy Policy) is the entire agreement regarding the Sites and supersedes prior or contemporaneous communications on the same subject.
19) Contact
General Terms inquiries: sbasteve@smallbusinessapproval.com
Privacy inquiries (SBARates.com): sbasteve@sbarates.com
Mailing Address: 7915 Corkfield Dr., Orlando, FL 32832, USA
20) Authorization
By accessing or using the Sites, you represent that you are authorized to bind yourself and (if applicable) your organization to this Agreement.
Legacy Provisions Preserved
The following legacy protections from prior terms are preserved and restated herein: (a) ownership and confidentiality of proprietary information; (b) restrictions on copying, distribution, reverse engineering, sublicensing, renting, and removal of notices; (c) survival of IP, warranty disclaimer, limitation of liability, indemnity, and venue provisions after termination.