If you’ve ever seen “Deadliest Catch” on the Discovery Channel, you know those guys have it rough. The show is about a fleet of crab fishermen who spend months at a time sloshing around the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, chasing king crab. These men work almost 24 hours a day in sub-zero temperatures while getting pounded with 40-foot waves, all in hopes that the crab somehow wander into the metal cages they cast randomly into the sea.

They say it’s the deadliest job in America. Maybe, maybe not.

I think the deadliest job in America today is that of the small business owner. I’ve owned several small businesses since 1975. My grandfather, my father-in-law, my father and my mother were all small businesses owners. My current company, Sara Investment Real Estate, is the landlord to more than 140 other small businesses. I am entwined in the desperate situation facing the entrepreneur today.

There is no access to capital, the loan denial process is long and drawn out and small businesses are taking the biggest hit. Everywhere in America in a garage, on the kitchen table or on a coffee-shop napkin, entrepreneurs are hatching a plan to invent, create or manufacture their idea. The result could be the birth of a company that will employ people, buy equipment and rent space. But without some access to capital, there are very few options. Thus is the stagnation of “fire in the belly” growth that this country needs.

On the other side of the coin lie the lenders, and I feel their pain too. They are dealing with the ramifications of bad debt, so it’s understandable that financing someone with a bright idea, a big grin and a small amount of collateral isn’t exactly comforting.

But still, something’s gotta change. Who’s going to go first?

Lenders need to be able to make responsible loans to start-ups that have a strong business plan and sensible projections. Small grocers, value retail, medical offices, tech schools and other service-oriented businesses are plugging along. Give them $200,000, even $100,000, to jump-start an expansion or purchase more inventory. Loans of this size will give small businesses and our economy the boost they need.

Lenders need to speed up the process to provide a loan or to deny a loan. A quick “no” is better than a long “maybe.” If they are not going to make the loan, they need to be up front, right away. I have watched some of the small business owners who lease from us be strung along for months and it is absolutely grueling.

Last spring the Small Business Administration improved the attractiveness of SBA loans by raising the guarantee from 75 percent to 90 percent on many major loan products, and eliminated certain fees. This didn’t help small business owners because SBA lending only works if a bank approves a loan contingent on SBA approval. Then, the SBA guarantee is requested. If banks don’t make a small business loan to begin with, there is no point for the bank to ask for the SBA guarantee. SBA loans are way too paperwork-intensive; most banks just are not set up to deal with them. As of yet, none of our tenants have attained capital through the SBA.

Every big business was, at one point, a small business. As small business loans are rejected and lines of credit are denied, the true potential of that company will never be known. I know the cash just isn’t there for everyone in line to get a loan, but the banking industry needs support in loosening the stranglehold a little bit so we can at least keep people inspired! Small business is crucial to rebuilding this economy.

It’s clear to see that small business is a deadly game right now, and much like the boys of the Bering Sea, there is no choice but to ride out the storm and try to make a living in the cold, rough waters that lie ahead.

Eric Schwartz is president and owner of Sara Investment Real Estate in Middleton.