Get Your Personal History in Order with SBA Form 912
If you’re planning to apply for a loan or other type of business assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA), you’ll need to fill out the SBA Form 912, or Statement of Personal History. This form will help determine whether or not you are qualified to receive an SBA-backed loan. Here’s what it entails, as well as how to fill it out properly so you can get your hands on that hard-to-come-by SBA funding as soon as possible!
What Is SBA Form 912?
SBA Form 912 is a required part of the application process for many financial assistance opportunities. It’s a form that asks basic, but highly important questions about you, your work history, education, and personal information. It also requires your signature on all pages, so be sure to read it carefully before submitting.
Gather the Necessary Documents
Find yourself a copy of SBA Form 912, which is the basic form for all government business loan applications. You can request a blank copy by sending an email to fml-find at SBA dot gov. Fill out your personal information (name, address), as well as your employment and education history. Fill out any gaps in your employment or education history with any work you have done that’s relevant to the field you want to be considered for loans. Be honest and complete when listing past jobs and schools. It might seem like you’re not qualified if you don’t list every job and school that’s ever existed on your resume, but listing irrelevant information will just make it look like you’re hiding something.
Complete Sections 1, 2, and 8
SBA Form 912 is an important document for any person seeking government employment. Section 1 is a declaration of citizenship or nationality; Section 2 gathers your most recent personal data including Social Security Number and Military Service; and Section 8 has your federal employment history, including the name of your former employer. For military service, you will need to know the branch of service, the branch’s geographic location, and the dates served.
Complete Sections 3, 5, 6, 7 & 10
The next section you need to fill out is Section 5 which will require you to provide information about your citizenship, military service, and work history. There are six questions to answer, so for the sake of brevity here’s a summary: -In what year did you become a U.S. citizen? -What was your occupational experience before coming into Federal Civilian Service?
Confirm All Items Are Accurate
This form collects information about the people applying for loans and is used to determine their suitability for a loan. This includes information such as previous employment, home ownership history, and business history, among others.
Sign and Date the Form
*Business owner* – This section is for the person who will be taking the lead on business operations. If you don’t have a business and are considering starting one, skip this section for now.
*Personal Information* – The following information must be filled out before moving on.
*First Name*, *Middle Name*, *Last Name*, *Nickname*, *Date of Birth*, and your gender as well as your phone number and email address.
Keep Copies for your records
The first step is to download the form from the Small Business Administration’s website and print it out. Once you’ve filled it out, keep copies of each page to use when you register as a small business on websites such as LinkedIn or your state’s equivalent. The completed form must also be included in your new small business‘ file with state or local government agencies that issue licenses for particular lines of work. Keep the most recent copy for yourself, so you can always refer to it should there be a need.
