A new opportunity has opened up for subscription start-ups to get working capital for launching or expanding their businesses. Earlier this week the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of LINC – Leveraging Information and Networks to access Capital – a new initiative that will help entrepreneurs find capital for starting or growing their businesses.

Here’s how it works. Small business owners fill out a simple, online form with 20 questions. Once the business owner submits the form, technology matches prospective borrowers directly with potential lenders in their county, but also regionally and nationally when appropriate. Lenders will review the information, and when there’s a match, they will respond directly to prospective borrowers within 48 hours.

Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet explained the reason for the tool in a press release on Tuesday: “There’s a hunger among entrepreneurs to find financing to get their business off the ground or take the next big step in their expansion plan…across the country, thousands of small business owners pound the payment every day looking for term loans, equipment financing, lines of credit, invoice financing, and real estate loans to help them hire and grow. If you have a bankable business idea backed by good credit and sound financial planning, the SBA wants to streamline the process for you to get the capital you need.”

When the program launched earlier this week, there were 124 lenders participating in 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Since 2009, this group of lenders has made 42,000 SBA loans, totaling more than $17 billion. Through LINC, the SBA will make it even easier for small business owners to get loans – and in a more timely fashion.

For more information about LINC, visit SBA.gov.

Insider Take:

With so many crowdfunding sites and micro lending programs available, it was a smart move by the SBA to provide additional funding opportunities for small business. The agency recognizes the need for reputable financing, and is responding to that need with additional options owners by leveraging partnerships and technology to streamline the search. At the same time, the SBA and lenders aren’t sacrificing the importance of good credit and smart financial planning to support small businesses. This could be a good opportunity for small companies to get the funding they need to start or grow a subscription business.