At TowneBank SBA Lending, we've designed our veterinary practice financing to help licensed veterinarians pursue the ownership opportunities in front of them, whether you want to acquire a clinic, buy into one as a partner, purchase the building where it operates, or finance equipment and build-out.
For qualifying projects, financing can include up to about 90% of Total Project Cost, with the option of including working capital in the same loan.
We work with licensed veterinarians who are U.S. citizens building an ownership stake in a for-profit, U.S.-incorporated business.
We understand that veterinarians often face real challenges in their businesses and personal finances, such as significant student debt and limited savings. However, if your clinical demand is strong, then ownership could be within reach.
Have questions about SBA financing? Tell us about your project, and a member of our SBA Lending team will help you explore potential financing options and next steps.
On every deal, our specialized SBA lending approach considers the cash flow of an established practice alongside your experience and the specifics of the transaction.
Every practice, ownership transition, and financing opportunity is different. That's why our lending team evaluates the strength of the practice, the veterinarian stepping into ownership, and the structure of the transaction together rather than relying on a single factor.
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SBA Preferred Lender
With in-house approvals, your SBA 7(a) loan and its SBA guarantee do not wait in the SBA's underwriting queue, so decisions come faster, and your closing timeline stays on track.
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Top 50 National SBA Lender
Ranked #34 among U.S. SBA lenders, reflecting a consistent commitment to SBA financing and support for business owners nationwide, from first-time buyers and startups to established, growing companies.
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Real Volume and Real Experience
Since October 1, 2025, TowneBank SBA Lending has approved $192.8 million in SBA loans, reflecting extensive experience supporting business acquisitions, commercial real estate purchases, practice financing, and growth-focused transactions.
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SBA Lending Is Our Entire Business
More than 50 professionals work exclusively on SBA lending, bringing specialized expertise to every transaction, from the first conversation through closing and servicing, and supporting business owners across 48 states.
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TowneBank SBA Lending
Specialized SBA lending expertise backed by the resources of a $22.6 billion relationship bank with more than 70 banking offices across its footprint, giving you local support at every step.
Large corporate groups are buying veterinary practices at a steady pace. For a retiring owner, it can provide a straightforward exit. For an associate veterinarian who hoped to buy in, it could represent the door closing on an opportunity they had been working toward.
You may know the practice intimately, have strong clinical demand, and have built the relationships that keep its schedule full.
You may also have substantial student debt on your personal balance sheet and nowhere close to a quarter of the purchase price in cash to support a conventional business loan.
While some veterinarians are happy to sell to a group, others want to own the practice themselves. In those cases, the obstacle is often financing, not ability.
With cash-flow-based financing available with an SBA loan, the credit decision first looks at what the practice earns. This helps put independent ownership within reach when your personal savings alone would not.
Veterinary practice financing differs from general commercial financing because a practice's value and cash flow depend on the clients, services, providers, and specialized equipment that make it work. Our team at TowneBank SBA Lending understands the nuanced economics of your practice.
A practice valuation, an independent assessment of what a veterinary practice is worth, looks at revenue, the client base, and equipment, rather than the asking price alone. From there, underwriting reads the practice’s revenue history, the balance of routine and surgical work, whether clients are tied to the practice or primarily to a departing veterinarian, and the condition and remaining life of its equipment.
The practice ownership transition plan matters, too. Most practice purchases involve the selling veterinarian staying for a defined period so clients can transfer to the new owner. Underwriting considers that plan, too, because client retention supports the cash flow that services the debt.
Working capital provides another important cushion. After loan closing, payroll, supplies, inventory, and your own draw continue while revenue settles into the new ownership structure. For qualifying transactions, that cushion can be included in the same loan rather than coming entirely from savings accounts, a separate business line of credit, or a business credit card.
While conventional bank loans may suit a borrower with strong collateral and a seasoned balance sheet, SBA financing is designed for the buyer with strong earnings and credentials but less traditional collateral and less cash available for closing.
As a business acquisition loan, the SBA structure can finance up to about 90% of Total Project Cost, with 10- to 25-year fully amortizing repayment terms and no covenants.
With an SBA 7(a) loan, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s all-available-collateral rule generally applies to the personal assets of owners with 20% or more ownership.
Learn About Business Acquisition LoansWhether you're acquiring a veterinary practice, buying into an existing clinic, purchasing the building, or financing equipment and improvements, each ownership opportunity follows the same core SBA lending process. The comparison below outlines what happens at each stage, the information typically required, and how long each step generally takes from pre-screen through long-term servicing.
| Stage | Goal or Typical Range | What We Need From You |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Screen | Initial answer goal: 2–3 days | Three years of personal tax returns and a personal financial statement |
| Term Sheet | Proposal after initial review | Practice details and transaction terms |
| Submission | Complete file moves to underwriting | Revenue and production reports, equipment list, letter of intent or purchase agreement |
| Underwriting | Credit decision goal: 10 business days once assigned (SBA 7(a) loan program); practice valuation included | Prompt responses and requested documents |
| Closing | Typically 30–60 days | Final conditions, closing documents, and funds |
| Servicing | Ongoing after closing | Stay connected with your Portfolio Manager |
| Pre-Screen | Initial answer goal: 2–3 days |
|---|---|
| Term Sheet | Proposal after initial review |
| Submission | Complete file moves to underwriting |
| Underwriting | Credit decision goal: 10 business days once assigned (SBA 7(a) loan program); practice valuation included |
| Closing | Typically 30–60 days |
| Servicing | Ongoing after closing |
| Pre-Screen | Three years of personal tax returns and a personal financial statement |
|---|---|
| Term Sheet | Practice details and transaction terms |
| Submission | Revenue and production reports, equipment list, letter of intent or purchase agreement |
| Underwriting | Prompt responses and requested documents |
| Closing | Final conditions, closing documents, and funds |
| Servicing | Stay connected with your Portfolio Manager |
These are goals, not guarantees. A seller weighing a corporate offer often sets the real timetable, so starting the pre-screen early can give you more room to evaluate your ownership option.
Whether you're purchasing a clinic, acquiring real estate, investing in equipment, or launching a new practice, SBA financing can support several different ownership paths.
This is the classic veterinary practice acquisition, an associate or outside veterinarian is ready to take over a retiring owner's established veterinary clinic. Existing revenue and operating history provide a meaningful foundation for small business loan underwriting as you evaluate the opportunity.
Owning the clinic can mean owning the space it operates from, too. If you are purchasing an owner-occupied building and acquiring a practice, an SBA 504 structure may be part of the financing alongside the SBA 7(a) loan for the practice transaction.
From imaging and surgical suites to kennels and treatment areas, veterinary financing often includes equipment purchases and building renovations or improvements, which represent substantial investments. These costs can be financed alongside a practice acquisition or, when appropriate, as their own project with an SBA-backed veterinary business loan package.
Starting a clinic from the ground up is also within scope, although the credit bar is higher than acquiring an established practice. A strong business plan, projections, experience, and sufficient liquidity become especially important when there is no operating history to underwrite.
Whether you're evaluating a practice acquisition, partner buy-in, building purchase, equipment investment, or startup opportunity, an early review can help you understand whether SBA financing is a fit.
Send us the numbers and deal details, and we'll quickly help you determine whether the opportunity works. Our team can provide an early assessment of the transaction, discuss potential financing structures, and help you understand the next steps before you invest significant time in the process.
FAQs
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Plan on an equity injection, or cash you contribute yourself. SBA loans may finance up to about 90% of total Project Cost, including the practice price, closing costs, and working capital. A seller note can sometimes count toward your contribution. Bring us the numbers early, and we’ll tell you where you stand.
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Not necessarily. We consider student debt alongside your earnings, experience, personal budget, and the practice’s cash flow. Many veterinarians we work with carry school loans. Bring us your numbers early, and we’ll explain how the debt fits into the review.
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A practice valuation is an independent written opinion of what the practice is worth. It considers collections and profit history, services, client and patient base, productivity, equipment, and the building lease. We review the valuation during underwriting to establish the value supporting the loan.
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Yes. Corporate groups are part of today’s market, but independent ownership is still a choice you can make. We start with a pre-screen, an early review of your deal, so you can approach the seller with a clearer financing picture and a path toward closing.
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Yes. The practice purchase and real estate can be structured together, with financing covering the business and the building. For qualifying transactions, financing can reach up to about 90% of Total Project Cost across the deal. Tell us early if the property is part of the purchase.
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Yes. Working capital can be included in the same loan to cover inventory, payroll, and your owner’s draw while collections settle after the ownership transition. We size the cushion with you based on the practice and expected expenses.
Some applications may require further consideration, and additional information may be required.
Credit terms are subject to approval.
Amount of Credit is subject to SBA program.