(Wall Street Journal) — As Democrats and Republicans remain in gridlock over the federal budget, some business owners are wondering how they will be affected if agencies run out of funding and the government shuts down. Small firms that use government programs or work with government agencies may be impacted in several ways, according to a Small Business Administration official. Here’s the breakdown: There won’t be any new approvals of SBA-backed loans, such as 7(a) or 504 loans. Even though banks and other private lenders underwrite these, the loans also must get approved by the agency before they can be fully processed. That can’t happen without funding. The real backlog will start midnight Friday. Applications that are submitted after that time will be queued up for approval until there’s more funding.
