How to Write An 8(a) Social Disadvantage Narrative the Storytelling Way

Because of recent developments in the 8(a) program, we’ve been fielding a lot questions about how to write a social disadvantage narrative. Our best tip: think of it as a story.

Helpfully, the SBA has linked on its website a guide for writing social disadvantage narratives. Generally speaking, the guide is good at helping writers understand both the structure the SBA wants and the content. Its focus on the how, what, when, where, and why, is spot on. So is its explanation of the level of detail needed. It’s true that the more details that can be provided, the more likely the narrative is to succeed at proving disadvantage by a preponderance of the evidence.

But there’s more to it than that.

Tell the story of the disadvantaged life

There’s more to a social disadvantage narrative than simply providing a few details about an incident and hoping that’s enough. The narrative element of the disadvantage narrative is too often forgotten. Social disadvantaged narratives should be thought of as mini-biographies. And what are biographies other than stories. Let’s say it again because its important:

A social disadvantage narrative is a story.

A story has characters, chapters, and a plot. The disadvantaged individual is the main character and the other characters are the people who helped or hindered that person along the way. The chapters are the specific instances of disadvantage that the protagonist experienced. And the plot is the protagonist’s enduring struggle against disadvantage.

Start at the start

The easiest way to tell a narrative story is to start at the beginning. Where did you grow up and how did your childhood impact your path to becoming a business owner? Did anyone or anything try to stand in your way?

How about high school and college? Were you subject to segregation—actual or de facto. Were you ever told that certain classes were only for certain types of individuals—and you weren’t one of them?

And college. Were you ever steered toward a major that was more “appropriate” for a person like yourself? Think about your first jobs and whether others got promotions or opportunities that you didn’t.

Tell those stories.

Dig deep

This is not a time to be shy. Put your therapy hat on. You’re being asked to re-live things that you may have wanted to forget. Keep going. Dig deep. Did something happen to you that has never felt right? Interrogate your memories. Was there a racial/heritage/religious component to what happened? Maybe you’ve always wanted to believe that there wasn’t—but there was.

Tell that story. And tell it like you would tell your best friend (who just so happens to be the SBA reviewer working on your case).

Don’t be longwinded, but don’t leave things out. When in doubt, put it in. And always, always, always explain how the incident hurt your chances to succeed in business. What you’re asking, after all, is for the program to give you an advantage. For that reason, you must show that up until now, you’ve been at a disadvantage.

Lastly, get some help. No one knows how stringently the SBA will review these, but you have to assume that they will be closely reviewed. Even Mark Twain had an editor.

If you’d like to discuss with one of our attorneys, please feel free to reach out.