During the long government shutdown, small business owners in Minnesota and nation-wide faced difficulties getting approval for new SBA-backed loans. Chris Albrecht, Senior Vice President and Director of SBA lending for Sunrise Banks, explained that the shutdown prevented them from getting government confirmation, despite businesses desperately needing the capital. The government has since re-opened, but now catching up may take some time. "No one is quite sure what the backlog could be," said Albrecht.