Supporting Small Business

Small businesses and their owners form the backbone of the economy, creating millions of jobs annually and building the foundations of our communities. During this Small Business Month, we celebrate the invaluable contributions these dedicated businesses make to local communities. Let’s show our support by shopping local, spreading the word, and recognizing the hard work of small business owners.

At Citizens Business Bank, we actively support the growth of local small businesses. Our founders believed in the power of building long-lasting and genuine relationships with our customers, and our unique approach to relationship banking allows us to personally get to know each of our customers. We want small businesses to not just succeed, but thrive.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

  • 99.9% of businesses in the United States are small businesses.
  • Small businesses employ 45.9% of the American workforce. Almost half of the American private sector workforce is employed by small businesses.
  • 5 million new business applications are filed each year

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA):

  • In California alone, there are 4.2 million small businesses (99.9% of CA businesses) employing 7 million employees.
  • In 2022, small businesses exported goods worth $174.3 billion from California.
  • In 2024, there were approximately 34 million small businesses in the U.S., employing approximately 59 million Americans. Small businesses are 43.5% of the GDP.

Learn more about how Citizens Business Bank can support your goals:

SBA Lending

The SBA Group at Citizens Business Bank delivers quick credit decisions with courteous and professional service. We understand the SBA financing process inside and out, and our dedicated SBA specialists will work with you to determine which SBA program best meets your company’s needs.

Business Insights

Business Insights is our embedded financial navigator that allows you to keep track of your business and plan for the future on your time. Whether that’s in the middle of the workday or sitting in bed at night, you have access to your business performance at your fingertips – and no separate Online Banking login needed.

How Citizens Business Bank supports small businesses:

Each year, we participate in and support numerous economic development programs designed to help small businesses and their owners throughout California. These programs are focused on business development and expanding access to capital for small business owners and entrepreneurs. We also make investments that strengthen small business resilience and drive sustainable growth throughout the communities we serve. More detailed information can be found in our 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. In 2024:

  • We invested $8,000,000 to support Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) small business loan funds.
  • We made $59,220,000 in commitments to CRA equity investments benefiting low-to-moderate income individuals or small businesses.
  • We made $406,064,000 of small business and small farm loans.
  • As a Small Business Administration (SBA) Lender, our Bank provided over 33 SBA 504 and SBA 7(a) loans in 2024 totaling $45,515,000 to finance the acquisition of owner-occupied commercial properties and for small business capital and support, all leading to economic development for small businesses and job creation.
  • We partnered with several nonprofit small business training providers and chambers of commerce throughout California to launch Pathways to Business Success. Through the Pathways to Business Success program, our employees regularly volunteer to provide workshops that deliver financial education, access to capital, and small business lending information.

sba lender decal SBA Preferred Lender

Our Preferred Lender status with the Small Business Administration allows us to make our own credit decisions and streamline your loan application for a fast turnaround. Our dedicated SBA team will work diligently to determine your SBA loan eligibility within two business days of receiving your business tax returns and year-end interim financial statements.

Approved to offer SBA loan products under SBA’s Preferred Lender Program.