Workflow
Prepare an SBA Application Checklist With Aurora
Turn your chosen lender's instructions into an organized checklist, a document index, and a short list of questions before submission.
- Audience
- Business owners, founders and advisers preparing capital applications
- Products
- Aurora, Documents, Tasks, CRM
- Prerequisites
- Chosen SBA product and lender, Current lender instructions, Approved documents, Authorized applicant and responsible factual reviewers
- Expected outcome
- Lender-specific preparation checklist with document states and human-owned gaps
- Approval boundary
- Authorized person reviews representations/signatures and submits through official lender route
Start with the lender's checklist, not a generic promise
Use Aurora to turn your chosen lender's SBA application instructions into an organized preparation plan. Match each requirement to a document, owner, evidence state and question. Keep the checklist in Finta, then submit through the lender's official process after review.
This recipe uses SBA 7(a) as its example. Other SBA programs and individual lender processes differ. It is application organization, not SBA certification, loan advice or guaranteed approval.
Gather the instructions that govern your application
Ask the lender which product and process apply, what materials it needs, where documents should be submitted, and which forms require an authorized signature. SBA states that 7(a) applicants work directly with the lender and that application contents vary. An online “SBA checklist” is not a substitute for those instructions.
Keep the current lender checklist, relevant official forms and your approved business brief together. Record the source and date for each. Never paste portal passwords, account credentials or unnecessary personal identifiers into a preparation conversation.
Create a requirements-linked preparation table
| Requirement | Document or evidence | State | Owner and next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business and project description | Approved business brief | Present or unverified | Owner confirms intended uses of funds |
| Lender-requested financial records | Requested period and entity | Present, missing or unverified | Finance lead confirms correct records |
| Purchase or project evidence | Relevant quote, contract or agreement | Present, missing or not applicable | Owner checks current version |
| Signed form or authorization | Exact lender/agency form | Awaiting authorized review | Authorized person reviews and signs externally |
The rows are an organizational pattern, not a universal required-document list. Include only requirements supported by your actual lender instructions. Use “not applicable” only after checking why it does not apply.
Prepare the checklist in main Aurora chat
- Upload the lender instructions and approved source files to Documents or select them as supported context.
- Ask Aurora to extract requirements without filling missing facts.
- Map requirements to the available file name, covered period and source location. A file's existence does not establish accuracy or suitability.
- Review unresolved rows with the lender and your qualified advisers.
- Save the reviewed checklist as a working document. Create human-owned Tasks for remaining materials, signatures and lender questions.
Build a preparation checklist for the exact SBA product and lender instructions attached. Include each requirement, its source section, the matching supplied document, state, owner and next question. Mark missing and unverified information. Do not invent documents, certify eligibility, complete signatures, submit the application or treat draft forms as approved.
Use main Aurora chat to prepare or save a substantial file. Assigning a Task to Aurora produces a bounded research update, not a full autonomous application run.
Illustrative result: an application pack that shows its gaps
A fictional operator is exploring financing for an acquisition. The lender requests a project description, specified financial records and transaction documents. The operator has an approved business brief and current transaction outline, but the requested historical financial package has not been cleared for sharing.
The useful output is “brief present; transaction outline requires lender confirmation; historical package missing approved access; finance lead to resolve.” It is not “application complete.” No funds, lender terms or successful borrower outcome are implied by this synthetic example.
Review, share and submit through the right route
Verify file names, entity names, dates, financial periods and ownership statements. Have the appropriate adviser review consequential legal and financial representations. If the lender accepts a controlled link, use the lender-room workflow. If it requires its portal, use that portal rather than assuming a Finta link meets the instructions.
Record the submission receipt only after the lender process confirms submission. “Draft saved,” “materials shared,” “application submitted” and “lender acknowledged” are separate states.
Fix the blockers before the deadline
If a checklist changes, preserve the version and recheck affected rows. If source extraction misses a scanned form, review it manually. If the lender asks for confidential documents, use its approved secure route. If the intended product remains unclear, resolve it before generating forms.
Continue with reconciling document requests, or use the SBA lender shortlist guide when you have not yet chosen a lender.