Prospective small business owner has dreams delayed; SBA loan halted during government shutdown

Min Lee is close to fulfilling her dream of opening her own small business, but one obstacle stands in her way.

She cannot get a Small Business Administration loan because of the government shutdown.

“If I don’t get the loan, I don’t have the money to pay the general contractors for construction,” Lee said. “Everything is just going to be delayed.”

Lee leased a spot for a frozen yogurt shop called 16 Handles on FM 1463 near Cinco Ranch Boulevard in Katy back in June.

Now would have been the perfect time to apply for and get approved for an SBA loan.

“It’s kind of stressful. We don’t know when it’s going to open up,” Lee said.

Her plan is to open the business by next spring.

The government shutdown’s impact is visible in Houston beyond small businesses. At Bush Airport, hundreds of travelers waited hours in line at TSA security checkpoints.

Airport officials attribute the delays to reduced staffing and operational challenges caused by the shutdown.

KPRC 2 spoke with Rice University political science professor Mark Jones about the shutdown’s potential future effects.

“I think air travel is something that will just simply get worse and worse as the shutdown continues,” Jones said. “Since the shutdown has lasted over a month, it’ll take a significant amount of time for federal government agencies such as the IRS, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Agriculture and others simply to get caught up with normal business.”

Jones noted that many others, like Lee, cannot get small business loans.

“Many of those businesses have had to put some of their activities on hold or perhaps are treading water, just trying to survive,” he said.

Lee hopes the situation resolves soon so her dream can move one step closer to reality.

If the government shutdown continues past Tuesday night, it will become the longest federal government shutdown in history.