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Most entrepreneurs want to cast a wide net when applying for loans. Traditional bank loans, secured business loans or unsecured business loans… these are all valid questions that small business owners often consider when seeking funding.

So what exactly is a microloan? The Microloan Program was developed in 1992 by the SBA for the purposes of making available very small loans to business owners who need small business loans. Nonprofit intermediaries are used to make the loans. Currently, 170 nonprofit organizations are administering the Microloan Program, in almost every state. Since 1992, the Microloan Program has handed out over 12,000 loans, totaling a whopping $112 million. The funds of a microloan can be used for many business needs, including capital, inventory, supplies, and equipment.

If you're looking to start a small business and you don't have a trust fund, wealthy friends, a mega-rich godfather or haven't won the lottery, chances are you'll more than likely need a small business or bank loan. This means tons of paperwork and personal time. It's a process that can take months to get a green or red light and even longer to pick up the cash.

How it grew: With a website that makes it easy for small companies to apply quickly for commercial loans online, seven-year-old Biz2Credit has positioned itself for profit. Biz2Credit's ever-expanding group of lenders, including a number of small banks, is eager to make deals with small firms at a time when bank loans under $1 million have stagnated, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey. Last year, Biz2Credit facilitated $380 million in loans, up from $200 million in 2012.

A warm feeling has spread across the state of Florida for women business owners. In Biz2Credit.com 's second annual report of 10,000 small companies that applied for funding in 2013, on the average, the earnings of companies owned by women rose 54 percent.