SBA 7(a) Physical Therapy Clinic Feasibility Study in Arkansas

Tiny typical loans, one lender in front

A typical Arkansas physical therapy loan under SBA 7(a) is small even against other clinic classes: the median is $94,100, only 0.67x of what therapy practices borrow elsewhere, with the middle of the book from $50,000 to $179,250. Across FY2017 to FY2026 the Arkansas cell totals 32 approvals and $9.0 million. At the head of the table stands Arvest Bank, with 13 loans valued at $1.1 million, trailed by U.S. Bank, National Association with 5 loans and $753,600, so the leading bank handles many loans of modest size.

Where and when

Pulaski County has 7 loans and Garland has 6, followed by Craighead with 4 and Baxter and Sebastian with 3 each. Arkansas stands 28 among states for the class, while therapy clinics hold 12 of 39 at home. Franchise brands are rare, at 3.1%. One year looks odd: FY2017 shows only 3 loans yet $5.0 million, so a few large loans lifted the total in the first year, whereas FY2025 posted 7 loans for $872,000, the busiest year with the smallest average.

Outcomes missing

Neither cancellation nor charge-off can be put in figures for Arkansas clinics; the early groups are simply too small. That means nothing is known from this file about how many Arkansas clinics failed to close or later defaulted.

What an Arkansas therapy study should answer

Outpatient therapy depends on doctors who send patients, so the study should name the referral sources, such as orthopedic surgeons, primary care offices and employers, and show how many patients each can send. Payer rules matter: the share of visits paid by commercial plans, Medicare, Medicaid and cash sets revenue per visit, and the study should state its source. Therapist hiring is the limit on capacity, so the plan needs a schedule for recruiting and a ramp in visits per therapist. A loan near $94,100 usually funds leasehold work, equipment and working capital while the clinic fills, and the study should itemize them and state the months of operating cash held. Because loans are small, a lender will weigh the owner's experience heavily, and the study should present the therapists' credentials and track record. Payments must be covered even if visits arrive more slowly than planned.