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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Item 25. Financial Statements And Exhibits

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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2010

Securities Act File No. 333-155806

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form N-2

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Post-Effective Amendment No. 1

Main Street Capital Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800
Houston, TX 77056
(713) 350-6000
(Address and telephone number,
including area code, of principal executive offices)

Vincent D. Foster
Chief Executive Officer
Main Street Capital Corporation
1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800
Houston, TX 77056
(Name and address of agent for service)

Approximate date of proposed public offering:
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

        If any securities being registered on this form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box. ý

        It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box): o when declared effective pursuant to section 8(c).

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

(1)

Previously paid.

        The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED April 19, 2010

PROSPECTUS

$300,000,000

Main Street Capital Corporation

Common Stock

         We may offer, from time to time, up to $300,000,000 of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share, in one or more offerings. Our common stock may be offered at prices and on terms to be disclosed in one or more supplements to this prospectus. The offering price per share of our common stock, less any underwriting commissions or discounts, will not be less than the net asset value per share of our common stock at the time of the offering, except (i) with the consent of the majority of our common stockholders or (ii) under such other circumstances as the Securities and Exchange Commission may permit. On June 11, 2009, our common stockholders voted to allow us to issue common stock at a price below net asset value per share for a period of one year ending on the earlier of June 10, 2010 or the date of our 2010 annual stockholders meeting. Our stockholders did not specify a maximum discount below net asset value at which we are able to issue our common stock; however, we cannot issue shares of our common stock below net asset value unless our Board of Directors determines that it would be in our and our stockholders' best interests to do so. Shares of closed-end investment companies such as us frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock will trade above, at or below net asset value. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our common stock.

         Our common stock may be offered directly to one or more purchasers through agents designated from time to time by us, or to or through underwriters or dealers. The prospectus supplement relating to the offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of our common stock, and will disclose any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters or among our underwriters or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. See "Plan of Distribution." We may not sell any of our common stock through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such common stock.

         We are a principal investment firm focused on providing customized debt and equity financing to lower middle-market companies that operate in diverse industries. We seek to fill the current financing gap for lower middle-market businesses, which have more limited access to financing from commercial banks and other traditional sources. Given the current credit environment, we believe the limited access to financing for lower middle-market companies is even more pronounced.

         Our principal investment objective is to maximize our portfolio's total return by generating current income from our debt investments and capital appreciation from our equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, convertible securities and other rights to acquire equity securities in a portfolio company. We are an internally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

         Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "MAIN." On April 16, 2010, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market was $16.09 per share.

         Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk, and should be considered highly speculative. See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 16 to read about factors you should consider, including the risk of leverage, before investing in our common stock.

         This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement contain important information about us that a prospective investor should know before investing in our common stock. Please read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement before investing and keep them for future reference. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information is available free of charge by contacting us at 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800, Houston, Texas 77056 or by telephone at (713) 350-6000 or on our website at www.mainstcapital.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus. The Securities and Exchange Commission also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains such information.

         Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is      , 2010

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        This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using the "shelf" registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may offer, from time to time, up to $300,000,000 of our common stock on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the common stock that we may offer. Each time we use this prospectus to offer common stock, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Please carefully read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under "Available Information" and "Risk Factors" before you make an investment decision.

        No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus or any accompanying supplement to this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representations not contained in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement as if we had authorized it. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any security other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do they constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. The information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate as of the dates on their covers.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

        This summary highlights some of the information in this prospectus. It is not complete and may not contain all of the information that you may want to consider. You should read the entire prospectus and any prospectus supplement carefully, including the section entitled "Risk Factors."

Organization

        Main Street Capital Corporation ("MSCC") was formed on March 9, 2007, for the purpose of (i) acquiring 100% of the equity interests of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, LP ("MSMF") and its general partner, Main Street Mezzanine Management, LLC ("MSMF GP"), (ii) acquiring 100% of the equity interests of Main Street Capital Partners, LLC (the "Investment Manager"), (iii) raising capital in an initial public offering, which was completed in October 2007 (the "IPO"), and (iv) thereafter operating as an internally managed business development company ("BDC") under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). MSMF is licensed as a Small Business Investment Company ("SBIC") by the United States Small Business Administration ("SBA") and the Investment Manager acts as MSMF's manager and investment adviser. Because the Investment Manager, which employs all of the executive officers and other employees of MSCC, is wholly owned by us, we do not pay any external investment advisory fees, but instead we incur the net operating costs associated with employing investment and portfolio management professionals through the Investment Manager. The transactions discussed above were consummated in October 2007 and are collectively termed the "Formation Transactions."

        On January 7, 2010, MSCC consummated transactions (the "Exchange Offer") to exchange 1,239,695 shares (the "Exchange Shares") of its common stock for approximately 88% of the total dollar value of the limited partner interests in Main Street Capital II, LP ("MSC II" and, together with MSMF, the "Funds"). Pursuant to the terms of the Exchange Offer, 100% of the membership interests in the general partner of MSC II, Main Street Capital II GP, LLC ("MSC II GP"), were also transferred to MSCC for no consideration. MSC II commenced operations in January 2006, is an investment fund that operates as an SBIC and is also managed by the Investment Manager. The Exchange Offer and related transactions, including the transfer of the MSC II GP interests, are collectively termed the "Exchange Offer Transactions."

        Immediately following the completion of the Formation Transactions, Main Street Equity Interests, Inc. ("MSEI") was created as a wholly owned consolidated subsidiary of MSCC to hold certain of our portfolio investments. MSEI has elected for tax purposes to be treated as a taxable entity and is taxed at normal corporate tax rates based on its taxable income. The taxable income of MSEI may differ from its book income due to deferred tax timing differences as well as permanent differences. Similarly, MSC II has a wholly owned taxable subsidiary with the primary purpose of holding certain of its portfolio investments.

        We co-invested with MSC II in several existing portfolio investments prior to the IPO, but did not co-invest with MSC II subsequent to the IPO and prior to June 2008. On June 4, 2008, we received exemptive relief from the SEC to allow us to resume co-investing with MSC II in accordance with the terms of such exemptive relief. Most of the investments held by MSC II represent co-investments made with MSCC and/or MSMF.

        Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the terms "we," "us," "our" and "Main Street" refer to MSCC and its subsidiaries, including MSMF and MSMF GP, prior to the Exchange Offer Transactions and MSCC and its subsidiaries, including MSMF, MSMF GP, MSC II and MSC II GP, subsequent to the Exchange Offer Transactions.

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Overview of our Business

        We are a principal investment firm focused on providing customized financing solutions to lower middle market companies, which we generally define as companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $100 million, that operate in diverse industries. We invest primarily in secured debt instruments, equity investments, warrants and other securities of lower middle market companies based in the United States. Our principal investment objective is to maximize our portfolio's total return by generating current income from our debt investments and realizing capital appreciation from our equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, convertible securities and other rights to acquire equity securities in a portfolio company. Our investments generally range in size from $2 million to $20 million. Our ability to invest across a company's capital structure, from senior secured loans to subordinated debt to equity securities, allows us to offer portfolio companies a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, or "one-stop" financing.

        We seek to fill the current financing gap for lower middle market businesses, which, historically, have had more limited access to financing from commercial banks and other traditional sources. Given the current credit environment, we believe the limited access to financing for lower middle market companies is even more pronounced. The underserved nature of the lower middle market creates the opportunity for us to meet the financing needs of lower middle market companies while also negotiating favorable transaction terms and equity participations. Providing customized, "one stop" financing solutions has become even more relevant to our portfolio companies in the current credit environment. We generally seek to partner directly with entrepreneurs, management teams and business owners in making our investments. Main Street believes that its core investment strategy has a lower correlation to the broader debt and equity markets.

        The level of new portfolio investment activity will fluctuate from period to period based upon our view of the current economic fundamentals, our ability to identify new investment opportunities that meet our investment criteria, and our ability to consummate identified opportunities. The level of new investment activity, and associated interest and fee income, will directly impact the timing of future investment income. In addition, the level of dividends paid by portfolio companies and the portion of our portfolio debt investments on non-accrual status will directly impact the timing of future investment income. While we intend to grow our portfolio and our investment income over the long-term, our growth and our operating results may be more limited during depressed economic periods. However, we intend to appropriately manage our cost structure and liquidity position based on applicable economic conditions and our investment outlook. The level of realized gains or losses and unrealized appreciation or depreciation will also fluctuate depending upon portfolio activity and the performance of our individual portfolio companies. The changes in realized gains and losses and unrealized appreciation or depreciation could have a material impact on our operating results.

        Our investments are made through both MSCC and the Funds. Since the IPO, MSCC and MSMF have co-invested in substantially every investment we have made. In addition, approximately 88% of the MSC II portfolio investments as of the date of the Exchange Offer represented co-investments with MSCC and/or MSMF. MSCC and the Funds share the same investment strategies and criteria in the lower middle market, although they are subject to different regulatory regimes. See "Regulation." An investor's return in MSCC will depend, in part, on the Funds' investment returns as MSMF is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSCC and as MSC II is a majority owned subsidiary of MSCC subsequent to the Exchange Offer.

        We typically seek to work with entrepreneurs, business owners and management teams to provide customized financing for strategic acquisitions, business expansion and other growth initiatives, ownership transitions and recapitalizations. In structuring transactions, we seek to protect our rights, manage our risk and create value by: (i) providing financing at lower leverage ratios; (ii) generally taking first priority liens on assets; and (iii) providing significant equity incentives for management

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teams of our portfolio companies. We prefer negotiated deals to widely conducted auctions because we believe widely conducted auction transactions often have higher execution risk and can result in potential conflicts among creditors and lower returns due to more aggressive valuation multiples and leverage ratios.

        As of December 31, 2009, Main Street had debt and equity investments in 35 core portfolio companies. Approximately 80% of our total core portfolio investments at cost, excluding our 100% equity interest in the Investment Manager, were in the form of debt investments and 87% of such debt investments at cost were secured by first priority liens on the assets of our portfolio companies. As of December 31, 2009, Main Street had a weighted average effective yield on its debt investments of 14.3%. Weighted average yields are computed using the effective interest rates for all debt investments at December 31, 2009, including amortization of deferred debt origination fees and accretion of original issue discount. At December 31, 2009, we had equity ownership in approximately 91% of our core portfolio companies and the average fully diluted equity ownership in those portfolio companies was approximately 24%. For a discussion of the effect of the Exchange Offer Transactions on Main Street's financial position and results of operations, including a pro forma schedule of investments, see the current report on Form 8-K filed by Main Street with the SEC on January 8, 2010.

        You should be aware that investments in the lower middle-market carry a number of risks including, but not limited to, investing in companies which have a limited operating history and financial resources and other risks common to investing in below investment grade debt and equity investments in private, smaller companies. Please see "Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Investments" for a more complete discussion of the risks involved with investing in the lower middle-market.

        Our principal executive offices are located at 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800, Houston, Texas 77056, and our telephone number is (713) 350-6000. We maintain a website at http://www.mainstcapital.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

Business Strategies

        Our principal investment objective is to maximize our portfolio's total return by generating current income from our debt investments and realizing capital appreciation from our equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, convertible securities and other rights to acquire equity securities in a portfolio company. We have adopted the following business strategies to achieve our investment objective:

•

Delivering Customized Financing Solutions.  We believe our ability to provide a broad range of customized financing solutions to lower middle market companies sets us apart from other capital providers that focus on providing a limited number of financing solutions. We offer to our portfolio companies customized debt financing solutions with equity components that are tailored to the facts and circumstances of each situation. Our ability to invest across a company's capital structure, from senior secured loans to subordinated debt to equity securities, allows us to offer our portfolio companies a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, or "one-stop" financing.



•

Focusing on Established Companies in the Lower Middle Market.  We generally invest in companies with established market positions, experienced management teams and proven revenue streams. Those companies generally possess better risk-adjusted return profiles than newer companies that are building management or are in the early stages of building a revenue base. In addition, established lower middle market companies generally provide opportunities for capital appreciation.

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Leveraging the Skills and Experience of Our Investment Team.  Our investment team has significant experience in lending to and investing in lower middle market companies. The members of our investment team have broad investment backgrounds, with prior experience at private investment funds, investment banks and other financial services companies, and currently include eight certified public accountants and one chartered financial analyst. The expertise of our investment team in analyzing, valuing, structuring, negotiating and closing transactions should provide us with competitive advantages by allowing us to consider customized financing solutions and non-traditional and complex structures.



•

Investing Across Multiple Industries.  We seek to maintain a portfolio of investments that is appropriately balanced among various companies, industries, geographic regions and end markets. This portfolio balance is intended to mitigate the potential effects of negative economic events for particular companies, regions and industries.



•

Capitalizing on Strong Transaction Sourcing Network.  Our investment team seeks to leverage its extensive network of referral sources for investments in lower middle market companies. We have developed a reputation in our marketplace as a responsive, efficient and reliable source of financing, which has created a growing stream of proprietary deal flow for us.



•

Benefiting from Lower, Fixed, Long-Term Cost of Capital.  The SBIC licenses held by the Funds have allowed them to issue SBA-guaranteed debentures. SBA-guaranteed debentures carry long-term fixed rates that are generally lower than rates on comparable bank and other debt. Because lower cost SBA leverage is, and will continue to be, a significant part of our capital base through the Funds, our relative cost of debt capital should be lower than many of our competitors. In addition, the SBIC leverage that we receive through the Funds represents a stable, long-term component of our capital structure with proper matching of duration and cost compared to our portfolio investments.

Investment Criteria

        Our investment team has identified the following investment criteria that it believes are important in evaluating prospective portfolio companies. Our investment team uses these criteria in evaluating investment opportunities. However, not all of these criteria have been, or will be, met in connection with each of our investments.

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Proven Management Team with Meaningful Equity Stake.  We look for operationally-oriented management with direct industry experience and a successful track record. In addition, we expect the management team of each portfolio company to have meaningful equity ownership in the portfolio company to better align our respective economic interests. We believe management teams with these attributes are more likely to manage the companies in a manner that both protects our debt investment and enhances the value of our equity investment.



•

Established Companies with Positive Cash Flow.  We seek to invest in established companies in the lower middle market with sound historical financial performance. We typically focus on companies that have historically generated EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) of $1 million to $10 million and commensurate levels of free cash flow. We generally do not invest in start-up companies or companies with speculative business plans.



•

Defensible Competitive Advantages/Favorable Industry Position.  We primarily focus on companies having competitive advantages in their respective markets and/or operating in industries with barriers to entry, which may help to protect their market position and profitability.



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Exit Alternatives.  We exit our debt investments primarily through the repayment of our investment from internally generated cash flow and/or refinancing. In addition, we seek to invest

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in companies whose business models and expected future cash flows may provide alternate methods of repaying our investment, such as through a strategic acquisition by other industry participants or a recapitalization.

Recent Developments

Exchange Offer Transactions

        As discussed above, on January 7, 2010, MSCC consummated the Exchange Offer Transactions. As of the closing date of the Exchange Offer, MSC II had $70 million of SBIC debentures outstanding, which are guaranteed by the SBA and carry an average fixed interest rate of approximately 6%. The first principal maturity related to MSC II's SBIC debentures does not occur until 2016.

        Consummation of the Exchange Offer Transactions provides Main Street with access to additional long-term, low-cost leverage capacity through the SBIC program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enacted in February 2009 (the "Stimulus Bill") increased the maximum amount of combined SBIC leverage (or SBIC leverage cap) to $225 million for affiliated SBIC funds from the previous SBIC leverage cap of approximately $137 million. Since the increase in the SBIC leverage cap applies to affiliated SBIC funds, Main Street is required to allocate such increased borrowing capacity between MSMF and MSC II. Subsequent to the Exchange Offer, Main Street will have access to an incremental $90 million in SBIC leverage capacity, subject to the required capitalization of each of the Funds, in addition to the $70 million of existing MSC II SBIC leverage and the $65 million of SBIC leverage at MSMF. At the closing of the Exchange Offer, Main Street funded approximately $24 million in unfunded limited partner commitments for the limited partner interests it acquired in connection with the Exchange Offer in order to comply with SBA regulatory requirements, which was funded by Main Street in part with approximately $12 million drawn down under its $30 million investment credit facility. We currently project that consummation of the Exchange Offer Transactions will be accretive to our calendar year 2010 distributable net investment income per share.

Equity Offering

        Subsequent to the Exchange Offer in January 2010, we completed a public offering and sale of 2,875,000 shares of our common stock, including the underwriters' exercise of the over-allotment option, at a price to the public of $14.75 per share, resulting in total net proceeds to us of approximately $40.1 million, after deducting underwriters' commissions and offering costs. Based upon the net proceeds from this offering and existing cash, marketable securities, and idle funds investments, we estimate that we have the required capitalization to access all of the $90 million in incremental SBIC leverage available through the SBIC Funds. We used approximately $12 million of the net proceeds from the offering referenced above to repay outstanding debt borrowed under our $30 million investment credit facility to fund MSC II capital commitments assumed in the Exchange Offer. We intend to use the remaining net proceeds from the offering to make investments in lower middle market companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies, pay operating expenses and other cash obligations and for general corporate purposes. Pending such uses, we may invest the net proceeds of this offering primarily in marketable securities and idle funds investments, which may include investments in secured intermediate term bank debt and other independently rated debt investments.

Other

        During January 2010, we sold our investment in Quest Design and Production, LLC ("Quest"), which was on non-accrual status as of December 31, 2009. We had recorded unrealized depreciation as

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of December 31, 2009 on our investment in Quest equal to the $4.0 million loss we will realize in the first quarter of 2010 related to the exit of this investment.

        During April 2010, we completed a $6.5 million total investment in Currie Acquisitions, LLC, dba Currie Technologies ("Currie Technologies") in support of its growth initiatives. Our investment consists of a first lien, secured debt investment with equity warrant participation and a direct common equity investment. Our fully diluted equity interest in Currie Technologies is approximately 47%. Currie Technologies is the largest U.S.-based designer and distributor of electric bicycles and electric scooters for personal mobility. Currie Technologies owns patented and proprietary hybrid-electric drive systems allowing for more functionality at lower price points. Currie Technologies' future growth plans include domestic and international channel expansion.

        On a cumulative basis during 2010, we have also invested a total of $11 million in various other interest-bearing debt securities at a weighted average interest coupon of approximately 13%.

The Offering

        We may offer, from time to time, up to $300,000,000 of our common stock, on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. Our common stock may be offered at prices and on terms to be disclosed in one or more prospectus supplements. The offering price per share of our common stock, less any underwriting commissions or discounts, will not be less than the net asset value per share of our common stock at the time of the offering, except (i) with the consent of the majority of our common stockholders (which we received from our stockholders at our June 11, 2009 annual stockholders meeting, for a period of one year ending on the earlier of June 10, 2010 or the date of our 2010 annual stockholders meeting) or (ii) under such other circumstances as the SEC may permit. Our stockholders did not specify a maximum discount below net asset value at which we are able to issue our common stock; however, we cannot issue shares of our common stock below net asset value unless our Board of Directors determines that it would be in our and our stockholders' best interests to do so.

        Our common stock may be offered directly to one or more purchasers by us or through agents designated from time to time by us, or to or through underwriters or dealers. The prospectus supplement relating to the offering will disclose the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of our common stock by us, the purchase price, and any fee, commission or discount arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters or among our underwriters or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. See "Plan of Distribution." We may not sell any of our common stock through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of our common stock.

        Set forth below is additional information regarding the offering of our common stock:

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FEES AND EXPENSES

        The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that an investor in this offering will bear directly or indirectly. We caution you that some of the percentages indicated in the table below are estimates and may vary. Except where the context suggests otherwise, whenever this prospectus contains a reference to fees or expenses paid by "you," "us" or "Main Street," or that "we" will pay fees or expenses, stockholders will indirectly bear such fees or expenses as investors in us.

Example

        The following example demonstrates the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses that would be incurred over various periods with respect to a hypothetical investment in our common stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed we would have no additional leverage and that our annual operating expenses would remain at the levels set forth in the table above. In the

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event that shares to which this prospectus relates are sold to or through underwriters, a corresponding prospectus supplement will restate this example to reflect the applicable sales load.

        The example and the expenses in the table above should not be considered a representation of our future expenses, and actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5.0% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5.0%. In addition, while the example assumes reinvestment of all dividends at net asset value, participants in our dividend reinvestment plan will receive a number of shares of our common stock, determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to a participant by (i) the market price per share of our common stock at the close of trading on the dividend payment date in the event that we use newly issued shares to satisfy the share requirements of the divided reinvestment plan or (ii) the average purchase price of all shares of common stock purchased by the administrator of the dividend reinvestment plan in the event that shares are purchased in the open market to satisfy the share requirements of the dividend reinvestment plan, which may be at, above or below net asset value. See "Dividend Reinvestment Plan" for additional information regarding our dividend reinvestment plan.

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RISK FACTORS

        Investing in our common stock involves a number of significant risks. In addition to the other information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our common stock. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us might also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Economic Conditions

The current state of the economy and financial markets increases the likelihood of adverse effects on our financial position and results of operations. Continued economic adversity could impair our portfolio companies' financial positions and operating results and affect the industries in which we invest, which could, in turn, harm our operating results.

        The broader economic fundamentals of the United States economy remain at depressed levels. Unemployment levels remain elevated and consumer fundamentals remain depressed, which has led to significant reductions in spending by both consumers and businesses. In the event that the United States economy remains depressed, it is likely that the financial results of small-to mid-sized companies, like those in which we invest, could experience deterioration or limited growth from current levels, which could ultimately lead to difficulty in meeting their debt service requirements and an increase in defaults. In addition, the end markets for certain of our portfolio companies' products and services have experienced negative economic trends. We are seeing reduced operating results at several portfolio companies due to the general economic difficulties. We expect the trend of reduced operating results to continue into 2010. Consequently, we can provide no assurance that the performance of certain of our portfolio companies will not be negatively impacted by these economic or other conditions, which could also have a negative impact on our future results.

        Although we have been able to secure access to additional liquidity, including our $30 million investment credit facility and the increase in available leverage through the SBIC program as part of the 2009 Stimulus Bill, the current turmoil in the debt markets and uncertainty in the equity capital markets provides no assurance that debt or equity capital will be available to us in the future on favorable terms, or at all.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure

Our investment portfolio is and will continue to be recorded at fair value, with our Board of Directors having final responsibility for overseeing, reviewing and approving, in good faith, our estimate of fair value and, as a result of the types of investments made, there is and will continue to be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

        Under the 1940 Act, we are required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value as determined by us with our Board of Directors having final responsibility for overseeing, reviewing and approving, in good faith, our estimate of fair value. Typically, there is not a public market for the securities of the privately held companies in which we have invested and will generally continue to invest. As a result, we value these securities quarterly at fair value based on inputs from management, a third party independent valuation firm and our audit committee and with the oversight, review and approval of our Board of Directors.

        The determination of fair value and consequently, the amount of unrealized gains and losses in our portfolio, are to a certain degree, subjective and dependent on a valuation process approved by our

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Board of Directors. Certain factors that may be considered in determining the fair value of our investments include external events, such as private mergers, sales and acquisitions involving comparable companies. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determinations may cause our net asset value on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that we may ultimately realize on one or more of our investments. As a result, investors purchasing our common stock based on an overstated net asset value would pay a higher price than the value of our investments might warrant. Conversely, investors selling shares during a period in which the net asset value understates the value of our investments will receive a lower price for their shares than the value of our investments might warrant.

Our financial condition and results of operations depends on our ability to effectively manage and deploy capital.

        Our ability to achieve our investment objective of maximizing our portfolio's total return by generating current income from our debt investments and capital appreciation from our equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, convertible securities and other rights to acquire equity securities in a portfolio company, depends on our ability to effectively manage and deploy capital, which depends, in turn, on our investment team's ability to identify, evaluate and monitor, and our ability to finance and invest in, companies that meet our investment criteria.

        Accomplishing our investment objective on a cost-effective basis is largely a function of our investment team's handling of the investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services and our access to investments offering acceptable terms. In addition to monitoring the performance of our existing investments, as a BDC we are required to offer managerial assistance to our portfolio companies, and provide such managerial assistance upon request. Therefore, members of our investment team are called upon, from time to time, to provide managerial assistance to some of our portfolio companies. These demands on their time may distract them or slow the rate of investment.

        Even if we are able to grow and build upon our investment operations, any failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The results of our operations will depend on many factors, including the availability of opportunities for investment, readily accessible short and long-term funding alternatives in the financial markets and economic conditions. Furthermore, if we cannot successfully operate our business or implement our investment policies and strategies as described herein, it could negatively impact our ability to pay dividends.

We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities.

        We compete for investments with other investment funds (including private equity funds, mezzanine funds, BDCs, and other SBICs), as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us, including from federal government agencies. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we have. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to do. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors' pricing, terms and structure. If we are forced to match our competitors' pricing, terms and structure, we may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on our investments or may bear

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substantial risk of capital loss. A significant part of our competitive advantage stems from the fact that the market for investments in lower middle market companies is underserved by traditional commercial banks and other financing sources. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of our competitors in this target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many of our competitors have greater experience operating under, or are not subject to, the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC.

We are dependent upon our key investment personnel for our future success.

        We depend on the members of our investment team, particularly Vincent D. Foster, Todd A. Reppert, Rodger A. Stout, Curtis L. Hartman, Dwayne L. Hyzak and David L. Magdol, for the identification, review, final selection, structuring, closing and monitoring of our investments. These employees have significant investment expertise and relationships that we rely on to implement our business plan. Employment agreements with Messrs, Reppert, Stout, Hartman, Hyzak and Magdol expired on December 31, 2009. While all of these employees remain employed in their current positions, we have no current intention to enter into new employment agreements with such employees. Although we have entered into a non-compete agreement with Mr. Foster, we have no guarantee that he or any other employees will remain employed with us. If we lose the services of these individuals, we may not be able to operate our business as we expect, and our ability to compete could be harmed, which could cause our operating results to suffer.

Our success depends on attracting and retaining qualified personnel in a competitive environment.

        Our growth will require that we retain new investment and administrative personnel in a competitive market. Our ability to attract and retain personnel with the requisite credentials, experience and skills depends on several factors including, but not limited to, our ability to offer competitive wages, benefits and professional growth opportunities. Many of the entities, including investment funds (such as private equity funds and mezzanine funds) and traditional financial services companies, with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have.

        The competitive environment for qualified personnel may require us to take certain measures to ensure that we are able to attract and retain experienced personnel. Such measures may include increasing the attractiveness of our overall compensation packages, altering the structure of our compensation packages through the use of additional forms of compensation, or other steps. The inability to attract and retain experienced personnel would have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our business model depends to a significant extent upon strong referral relationships, and our inability to maintain or develop these relationships, as well as the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.

        We expect that members of our management team will maintain their relationships with intermediaries, financial institutions, investment bankers, commercial bankers, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, consultants and other individuals within our network, and we will rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If our management team fails to maintain its existing relationships or develop new relationships with sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom members of our management team have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us.

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We have a limited operating history as a BDC and as a RIC.

        The 1940 Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs. Prior to the completion of the IPO, we did not operate, and our management team had no experience operating, as a BDC under the 1940 Act or as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a result, we have limited operating results under these regulatory frameworks that can demonstrate either their effect on our business or our ability to manage our business under these frameworks. Our management team's limited experience in managing a portfolio of assets under such constraints may hinder our ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and, as a result, achieve our investment objective. Furthermore, any failure to comply with the requirements imposed on BDCs by the 1940 Act could cause the SEC to bring an enforcement action against us. If we do not remain a BDC, we might be regulated as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would further decrease our operating flexibility.

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC will affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.

        Our business will require capital to operate and grow. We may acquire such additional capital from the following sources:

        Senior Securities.    We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as senior securities. As a result of issuing senior securities, we will be exposed to additional risks, including the following:

•

Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we are permitted, as a BDC, to issue senior securities only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% immediately after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we will be prohibited from issuing debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrowing money from banks or other financial institutions until such time as we satisfy this test.



•

Any amounts that we use to service our debt or make payments on preferred stock will not be available for dividends to our common stockholders.



•

It is likely that any senior securities or other indebtedness we issue will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, some of these securities or other indebtedness may be rated by rating agencies, and in obtaining a rating for such securities and other indebtedness, we may be required to abide by operating and investment guidelines that further restrict operating and financial flexibility.



•

We and, indirectly, our stockholders will bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities and other indebtedness.



•

Preferred stock or any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock, including separate voting rights and could delay or prevent a transaction or a change in control to the detriment of the holders of our common stock.

        Additional Common Stock.    We are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our common stock, warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the current net asset value of the common stock if our Board of Directors determines that such sale is in the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. See "—Stockholders may incur dilution if we sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings at prices below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock or issue securities to subscribe to, convert to or purchase shares of our common

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stock" for a discussion of proposals approved by our stockholders that permit us to issue shares of our common stock below net asset value. We may also make rights offerings to our stockholders at prices per share less than the net asset value per share, subject to applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. If we raise additional funds by issuing more common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common stock, the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that time would decrease, and they may experience dilution. Moreover, we can offer no assurance that we will be able to issue and sell additional equity securities in the future, on favorable terms or at all.

The Funds are licensed by the SBA, and therefore subject to SBA regulations.

        MSMF, our wholly owned subsidiary, and MSC II, our majority-owned subsidiary, are licensed to act as small business investment companies and are regulated by the SBA. The SBA also places certain limitations on the financing terms of investments by SBICs in portfolio companies and prohibits SBICs from providing funds for certain purposes or to businesses in a few prohibited industries. Compliance with SBA requirements may cause the Funds to forego attractive investment opportunities that are not permitted under SBA regulations.

        Further, the SBA regulations require that a licensed SBIC be periodically examined and audited by the SBA to determine its compliance with the relevant SBA regulations. The SBA prohibits, without prior SBA approval, a "change of control" of an SBIC or transfers that would result in any person (or a group of persons acting in concert) owning 10% or more of a class of capital stock of a licensed SBIC. If the Funds fail to comply with applicable SBIC regulations, the SBA could, depending on the severity of the violation, limit or prohibit its use of debentures, declare outstanding debentures immediately due and payable, and/or limit it from making new investments. In addition, the SBA can revoke or suspend a license for willful or repeated violation of, or willful or repeated failure to observe, any provision of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder. Such actions by the SBA would, in turn, negatively affect us.

Because we borrow money, the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested in us is magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us.

        Borrowings, also known as leverage, magnify the potential for gain or loss on invested equity capital. As we use leverage to partially finance our investments, you will experience increased risks of investing in our common stock. We, through the Funds, issue debt securities guaranteed by the SBA and sold in the capital markets. As a result of its guarantee of the debt securities, the SBA has fixed dollar claims on the assets of the Funds that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders. We may also borrow from banks and other lenders, including under the $30 million investment credit facility we entered into in October 2008. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Capital Resources" for a discussion regarding our investment credit facility. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged. Conversely, if the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged our business. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net investment income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to pay common stock dividends. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique.

        As of December 31, 2009, we, through MSMF, had $65 million of outstanding indebtedness guaranteed by the SBA, which had a weighted average annualized interest cost of approximately 5.04% (exclusive of deferred financing costs). The debentures guaranteed by the SBA have a maturity of ten years and require semi-annual payments of interest. We will need to generate sufficient cash flow to

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make required interest payments on the debentures. If we are unable to meet the financial obligations under the debentures, the SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to the assets of MSMF over our stockholders in the event we liquidate or the SBA exercises its remedies under such debentures as the result of a default by us.

        Illustration.    The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming various annual returns, net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing below.

Assumed Return on Our Portfolio(1)
(net of expenses)

        Our ability to achieve our investment objective may depend in part on our ability to achieve additional leverage on favorable terms by issuing debentures guaranteed by the SBA, through the Funds, or by borrowing from banks or insurance companies, and there can be no assurance that such additional leverage can in fact be achieved.

SBIC regulations limit the outstanding dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that may be issued by an SBIC or group of SBICs under common control.

        The SBIC regulations currently limit the dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that can be issued by any one SBIC or group of SBICs under common control to $225 million. Moreover, an SBIC may not generally borrow an amount in excess of two times its regulatory capital. Because the Investment Manager provides investment management and advisory services to both Funds, MSMF and MSC II are a group of affiliated SBICs under common control. Thus, the dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that can be issued collectively by the Funds may be limited to $225 million, absent relief from the SBA. While we cannot presently predict whether or not we, through the Funds, will borrow the maximum permitted amount, if we reach the maximum dollar amount of SBA guaranteed debentures permitted, and thereafter require additional capital, our cost of capital may increase, and there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms.

        Each of the Funds' current status as an SBIC does not automatically assure that it will continue to receive SBA-guaranteed debenture funding. Receipt of SBIC leverage funding is dependent upon the Funds continuing to be in compliance with SBIC regulations and policies. Moreover, the amount of SBIC leverage funding available to SBICs is dependent upon annual Congressional authorizations and in the future may be subject to annual Congressional appropriations. There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient debenture funding available at the times desired by the Funds.

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

        We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including our ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the level of portfolio dividend and fee income, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general

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economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

Our Board of Directors may change our operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse.

        Our Board of Directors has the authority to modify or waive our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, net asset value, operating results and value of our stock. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

We will be subject to corporate-level federal income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

        To maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the following annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements:

•

The annual distribution requirement for a RIC will be satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders on an annual basis at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we may choose to carry forward taxable income in excess of current year distributions into the next tax year and pay a 4% excise tax on such income. Any such carryover taxable income must be distributed through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such taxable income. For more information regarding tax treatment, see "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company." Because we use debt financing, we are subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and are (and may in the future become) subject to certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we could fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level federal income tax.



•

The source income requirement will be satisfied if we obtain at least 90% of our income for each year from distributions, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities or similar sources.



•

The asset diversification requirement will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. To satisfy this requirement, at least 50% of the value of our assets must consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities; and no more than 25% of the value of our assets can be invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain "qualified publicly traded partnerships."

        Failure to meet these requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses. Moreover, if we fail to maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate-level federal income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

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We may not be able to pay you dividends, our dividends may not grow over time, and a portion of dividends paid to you may be a return of capital.

        We intend to pay monthly dividends to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to pay a specified level of cash dividends, previously projected dividends for future periods, or year-to-year increases in cash dividends. Our ability to pay dividends might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of one or more of the risk factors described herein. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC could limit our ability to pay dividends. All dividends will be paid at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, each of the Funds' compliance with applicable SBIC regulations and such other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will pay dividends to our stockholders in the future.

        When we make monthly distributions, we will be required to determine the extent to which such distributions are paid out of current or accumulated earnings, recognized capital gains or capital. To the extent there is a return of capital, investors will be required to reduce their basis in our stock for federal tax purposes. In the future, our distributions may include a return of capital.

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

        For federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount, which may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances, or contractual payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such original issue discounts or increases in loan balances as a result of contractual PIK arrangements will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash. Approximately 4.2% of our total investment income for the year ended December 31, 2009 was attributable to paid in kind interest.

        Since, in certain cases, we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. Accordingly, we may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level federal income tax. For additional discussion regarding the tax implications of a RIC, please see "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company."

We may in the future choose to pay dividends in our own stock, in which case you may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash you receive.

        We may distribute taxable dividends that are payable in part in our stock. Under an IRS revenue procedure, up to 90% of any such taxable dividend declared on or before December 31, 2012 with respect to taxable years ended on or before December 31, 2011 could be payable in our stock. Taxable stockholders receiving such dividends will be required to include the full amount of the dividend as ordinary income (or as long-term capital gain to the extent such distribution is properly designated as a capital gain dividend) to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for United States federal income tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. stockholder may be required to pay tax with respect to such dividends in excess of any cash received. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock it receives

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as a dividend in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the dividend, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in stock. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders determine to sell shares of our stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividends, it may put downward pressure on the trading price of our stock.

Each of the Funds, as an SBIC, may be unable to make distributions to us that will enable us to meet or maintain RIC status, which could result in the imposition of an entity-level tax.

        In order for us to continue to qualify for RIC tax treatment and to minimize corporate-level federal income taxes, we will be required to distribute substantially all of our net ordinary income and net capital gain income, including income from certain of our subsidiaries, which includes the income from the Funds. We will be partially dependent on the Funds for cash distributions to enable us to meet the RIC distribution requirements. The Funds may be limited by the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and SBIC regulations governing SBICs, from making certain distributions to us that may be necessary to enable us to maintain our status as a RIC. We may have to request a waiver of the SBA's restrictions for the Funds to make certain distributions to maintain our eligibility for RIC status. We cannot assure you that the SBA will grant such waiver and if the Funds are unable to obtain a waiver, compliance with the SBIC regulations may result in loss of RIC tax treatment and a consequent imposition of an entity-level tax on us.

Because we intend to distribute substantially all of our income to our stockholders to maintain our status as a RIC, we will continue to need additional capital to finance our growth, and regulations governing our operation as a BDC will affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.

        In order to satisfy the requirements applicable to a RIC and to minimize corporate-level federal income taxes, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our net ordinary income and net capital gain income. We may carry forward excess undistributed taxable income into the next year, net of the 4% excise tax. Any such carryover taxable income must be distributed through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such taxable income. As a BDC, we generally are required to meet an asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, of at least 200% immediately after each issuance of senior securities. This requirement limits the amount that we may borrow. Because we will continue to need capital to grow our investment portfolio, this limitation may prevent us from incurring debt and require us to raise additional equity at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

        While we expect to be able to borrow and to issue additional debt and equity securities, we cannot assure you that debt and equity financing will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. In addition, as a BDC, we generally are not permitted to issue equity securities priced below net asset value without stockholder approval. If additional funds are not available to us, we could be forced to curtail or cease new investment activities, and our net asset value could decline.

Stockholders may incur dilution if we sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings at prices below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock or issue securities to subscribe to, convert to or purchase shares of our common stock.

        The 1940 Act prohibits us from selling shares of our common stock at a price below the then current net asset value per share of such stock, with certain exceptions. One such exception is prior stockholder approval of issuances below net asset value provided that our Board of Directors makes certain determinations. At our 2009 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved a proposal that authorizes us to sell shares of our common stock below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock in one or more offerings for a period of one year ending on the earlier

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of June 11, 2010 or the date of our 2010 annual meeting of stockholders. Continued access to this exception will require approval of similar proposals at future stockholder meetings. At our 2008 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders also approved a proposal to authorize us to issue securities to subscribe to, convert to, or purchase shares of our common stock in one or more offerings. Any decision to sell shares of our common stock below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock or securities to subscribe to, convert to, or purchase shares of our common stock would be subject to the determination by our Board of Directors that such issuance is in our and our stockholders' best interests.

        If we were to sell shares of our common stock at a price below the then current net asset value per share, such sales would result in an immediate dilution to our net asset value per share. This dilution would occur as a result of the sale of shares at a price below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock and a proportionately greater decrease in a stockholder's interest in our earnings and assets and voting interest in us than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance. In addition, if we issue securities to subscribe to, convert to or purchase shares of common stock, the exercise or conversion of such securities would increase the number of outstanding shares of our common stock. Any such exercise would be dilutive on the voting power of existing stockholders, and could be dilutive with regard to dividends and our net asset value, and other economic aspects of the common stock.

        Because the number of shares of common stock that could be so issued and the timing of any issuance is not currently known, the actual dilutive effect cannot be predicted; however, the example below illustrates the effect of dilution to existing stockholders resulting from the sale of common stock at prices below the net asset value of such shares.

        Illustration: Example of Dilutive Effect of the Issuance of Shares Below Net Asset Value.    Assume that Company XYZ has 1,000,000 total shares outstanding, $15,000,000 in total assets and $5,000,000 in total liabilities. The net asset value per share of the common stock of Company XYZ is $10.00. The following table illustrates the reduction to net asset value, or NAV, and the dilution experienced by Stockholder A following the sale of 40,000 shares of the common stock of Company XYZ at $9.50 per share, a price below its NAV per share.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business or cause us to alter our business strategy.

        We, the Funds, and our portfolio companies are subject to applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations, including, without limitation, federal immigration laws and regulations. New legislation may be enacted or new interpretations, rulings or regulations could be adopted, including those governing the types of investments we are permitted to make, any of which could harm us and our stockholders, potentially with retroactive effect. In addition, any change to the SBA's current debenture

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SBIC program could have a significant impact on our ability to obtain lower-cost leverage, through the Funds, and therefore, our ability to compete with other finance companies.

        Additionally, any changes to the laws and regulations governing our operations relating to permitted investments may cause us to alter our investment strategy in order to avail ourselves of new or different opportunities. Such changes could result in material differences to the strategies and plans set forth herein and may result in our investment focus shifting from the areas of expertise of our investment team to other types of investments in which our investment team may have less expertise or little or no experience. Thus, any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.

Terrorist attacks, acts of war or natural disasters may affect any market for our common stock, impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

        Terrorist acts, acts of war or natural disasters may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to global economic instability. Future terrorist activities, military or security operations, or natural disasters could further weaken the domestic/global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact the businesses in which we invest directly or indirectly and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Losses from terrorist attacks and natural disasters are generally uninsurable.

Risks Related to Our Investments

Our investments in portfolio companies involve higher levels of risk, and we could lose all or part of our investment.

        Investing in lower middle market companies involves a number of significant risks. Among other things, these companies:

•

may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt instruments that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of us realizing any guarantees from subsidiaries or affiliates of our portfolio companies that we may have obtained in connection with our investment, as well as a corresponding decrease in the value of the equity components of our investments;



•

may have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines, smaller market shares and/or significant customer concentrations than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors' actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns;



•

are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation, termination, or significant under-performance of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on our portfolio company and, in turn, on us;



•

generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position; and



•

generally have less publicly available information about their businesses, operations and financial condition. We are required to rely on the ability of our management team and investment

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professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and may lose all or part of our investment.

        In addition, in the course of providing significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies as we may be required to provide as a BDC, certain of our officers and directors may serve as directors on the boards of such companies. To the extent that litigation arises out of our investments in these companies, our officers and directors may be named as defendants in such litigation, which could result in an expenditure of funds (through our indemnification of such officers and directors) and the diversion of management time and resources.

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

        We invest, and will continue to invest in companies whose securities are not publicly traded, and whose securities will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. As a result, we do not expect to achieve liquidity in our investments in the near-term. Our investments are usually subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid because there is usually no established trading market for such investments. The illiquidity of most of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses.

We may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in our portfolio companies.

        We may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in our portfolio companies. After our initial investment in a portfolio company, we may be called upon from time to time to provide additional funds to such company or have the opportunity to increase our investment through the exercise of a warrant to purchase common stock. There is no assurance that we will make, or will have sufficient funds to make, follow-on investments. Any decisions not to make a follow-on investment or any inability on our part to make such an investment may have a negative impact on a portfolio company in need of such an investment, may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation or may reduce the expected yield on the investment.

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.

        We invest primarily in secured term debt as well as equity issued by lower middle market companies. Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.

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There may be circumstances where our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.

        Even though we may have structured certain of our investments as secured loans, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, and based upon principles of equitable subordination as defined by existing case law, a bankruptcy court could subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors and transfer any lien securing such subordinated claim to the bankruptcy estate. The principles of equitable subordination defined by case law have generally indicated that a claim may be subordinated only if its holder is guilty of misconduct or where the senior loan is re-characterized as an equity investment and the senior lender has actually provided significant managerial assistance to the bankrupt debtor. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower's business or instances where we exercise control over the borrower. It is possible that we could become subject to a lender's liability claim, including as a result of actions taken in rendering significant managerial assistance, as we may be required to provide as a BDC, or actions to compel and collect payments from the borrower outside the ordinary course of business.

Second priority liens on collateral securing loans that we make to our portfolio companies may be subject to control by senior creditors with first priority liens. If there is a default, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both the first priority creditors and us.

        Certain loans that we make are secured by a second priority security interest in the same collateral pledged by a portfolio company to secure senior debt owed by the portfolio company to commercial banks or other traditional lenders. Often the senior lender has procured covenants from the portfolio company prohibiting the incurrence of additional secured debt without the senior lender's consent. Prior to and as a condition of permitting the portfolio company to borrow money from us secured by the same collateral pledged to the senior lender, the senior lender will require assurances that it will control the disposition of any collateral in the event of bankruptcy or other default. In many such cases, the senior lender will require us to enter into an "intercreditor agreement" prior to permitting the portfolio company to borrow from us. Typically the intercreditor agreements we are requested to execute expressly subordinate our debt instruments to those held by the senior lender and further provide that the senior lender shall control: (1) the commencement of foreclosure or other proceedings to liquidate and collect on the collateral; (2) the nature, timing and conduct of foreclosure or other collection proceedings; (3) the amendment of any collateral document; (4) the release of the security interests in respect of any collateral; and (5) the waiver of defaults under any security agreement. Because of the control we may cede to senior lenders under intercreditor agreements we may enter, we may be unable to realize the proceeds of any collateral securing some of our loans.

        Finally, the value of the collateral securing our debt investment will ultimately depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by our first or second priority liens. There is also a risk that such collateral securing our investments will decrease in value over time, will be difficult to sell in a timely manner, will be difficult to appraise and will fluctuate in value based upon the success of the portfolio company and market conditions. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by our second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the company's remaining assets, if any.

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We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer.

        We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer. Although we seek to maintain a diversified portfolio in accordance with our business strategies, to the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, our net asset value may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market's assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond our RIC asset diversification requirements, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies.

We generally will not control our portfolio companies.

        We do not, and do not expect to, control the decision making in many of our portfolio companies, even though we may have board representation or board observation rights, and our debt agreements may contain certain restrictive covenants. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest will make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, will take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors. Due to the lack of liquidity for our investments in non-traded companies, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in our portfolio companies as readily as we would like or at an appropriate valuation. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that would decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.

Defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.

        A portfolio company's failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to non-payment of interest and other defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company's ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting portfolio company.

Any unrealized losses we experience on our loan portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our income available for distribution.

        As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at the fair value as determined in good faith by our Board of Directors. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments will be recorded as unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized losses in our loan portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company's inability to meet its repayment obligations to us with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution in future periods.

Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.

        We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and we could experience significant delays

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in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our return on equity, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common stock.

Changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income.

        Some of our debt investments will bear interest at variable rates and the interest income from these investments could be negatively affected by decreases in market interest rates. In addition, an increase in interest rates would make it more expensive to use debt to finance our investments. As a result, a significant increase in market interest rates could increase our cost of capital, which would reduce our net investment income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, a situation which could reduce the value of our common stock. Conversely, a decrease in interest rates may have an adverse impact on our returns by requiring us to seek lower yields on our debt investments and by increasing the risk that our portfolio companies will prepay our debt investments, resulting in the need to redeploy capital at potentially lower rates. A decrease in market interest rates may also adversely impact our returns on idle funds, which would reduce our net investment income.

We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

        Certain investments that we have made in the past and may make in the future include warrants or other equity securities. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including the risk of further dilution as a result of additional issuances, inability to access additional capital and failure to pay current distributions. Investments in preferred securities involve special risks, such as the risk of deferred distributions, credit risk, illiquidity and limited voting rights. In addition, we may from time to time make non-control, equity investments in portfolio companies. Our goal is ultimately to realize gains upon our disposition of such equity interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We also may be unable to realize any value if a portfolio company does not have a liquidity event, such as a sale of the business, recapitalization or public offering, which would allow us to sell the underlying equity interests. We often seek puts or similar rights to give us the right to sell our equity securities back to the portfolio company issuer. We may be unable to exercise these puts rights for the consideration provided in our investment documents if the issuer is in financial distress.

Risks Relating to an Offering of Our Common Stock

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, may trade at a discount to their net asset value.

        Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, may trade at a discount from net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies and BDCs is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock will trade at, above or below net asset value. In addition, if our common stock trades below net asset value, we will generally not be able to issue additional common stock at the market price unless our stockholders approve such a sale and our Board of Directors makes certain determinations. See "—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Stockholders may incur dilution if we sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings at prices below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock or issue securities to subscribe to, convert to or purchase shares of our common stock" for a discussion of a proposal approved by our stockholders that permits us to issue shares of our common stock below net asset value.

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We may be unable to invest a significant portion of the net proceeds from an offering or from exiting an investment or other capital on acceptable terms, which could harm our financial condition and operating results.

        Delays in investing the net proceeds raised in an offering or from exiting an investment or other capital may cause our performance to be worse than that of other fully invested BDCs or other lenders or investors pursuing comparable investment strategies. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify any investments that meet our investment objective or that any investment that we make will produce a positive return. We may be unable to invest the net proceeds of any offering or from exiting an investment or other capital on acceptable terms within the time period that we anticipate or at all, which could harm our financial condition and operating results.

        We anticipate that, depending on market conditions and the amount of the capital, it may take us a substantial period of time to invest substantially all the capital in securities meeting our investment objective. During this period, we will invest the capital primarily in marketable securities and idle funds investments, which may produce returns that are significantly lower than the returns which we expect to achieve when our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective. As a result, any distributions that we pay during such period may be substantially lower than the distributions that we may be able to pay when our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective. In addition, until such time as the net proceeds of any offering or from exiting an investment or other capital are invested in securities meeting our investment objective, the market price for our common stock may decline. Thus, the initial return on your investment may be lower than when, if ever, our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective.

Our marketable securities and idle funds investments are subject to risks including risks similar to our portfolio company investments in the lower middle market.

        Marketable securities and idle funds investments can include, among other things, secured debt investments, independently rated debt investments and diversified bond funds. Many of these investments in debt obligations are, or would be if rated, below investment grade quality. Indebtedness of below investment grade quality is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal, similar to our portfolio investments in the lower middle market. See "—Risks Related to Our Investments—Our investments in portfolio companies involve higher levels of risk, and we could lose all or part of our investment." Many of these marketable securities and idle funds investments are purchased through over the counter or other markets and are therefore liquid at the time of purchase but may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer of the securities, market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions. See "—Risks Related to Our Investments—The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business" for a description of risks related to holding illiquid investments. In addition, domestic and foreign markets are complex and interrelated, so that events in one sector of the world markets or economy, or in one geographical region, can reverberate and have materially negative consequences for other market, economic or regional sectors in a manner that may not be foreseen and which may materially affect the market price of our marketable securities and idle funds investments. Other risks that our portfolio company investments in the lower middle market are subject to are also applicable to these marketable securities and idle funds investments. See "—Risks Related to Our Investments" for risks affecting our portfolio company investments in the lower middle market.

Investing in our common stock may involve an above average degree of risk.

        The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and a higher risk of volatility or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies involve higher levels of risk, and therefore, an investment in our shares may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.

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The market price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate significantly.

        Fluctuations in the trading prices of our shares may adversely affect the liquidity of the trading market for our shares and, if we seek to raise capital through future equity financings, our ability to raise such equity capital. The market price and liquidity of the market for our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

•

significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of BDCs or other companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;



•

changes in regulatory policies, accounting pronouncements or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs, BDCs or SBICs;



•

inability to obtain any exemptive relief that may be required by us in the future from the SEC;



•

loss of our BDC or RIC status or either of the Funds' status as an SBIC;



•

changes in our earnings or variations in our operating results;



•

changes in the value of our portfolio of investments;



•

any shortfall in our investment income or net investment income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;



•

loss of a major funding source;



•

fluctuations in interest rates;



•

the operating performance of companies comparable to us;



•

departure of our key personnel;



•

global or national credit market changes; and



•

general economic trends and other external factors.

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

        The Maryland General Corporation Law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging, delaying or making difficult a change in control of our company or the removal of our incumbent directors. The existence of these provisions, among others, may have a negative impact on the price of our common stock and may discourage third-party bids for ownership of our company. These provisions may prevent any premiums being offered to you for our common stock.

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        Some of the statements in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement may include statements as to:

•

our future operating results and dividend projections;



•

our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies;



•

the impact of the investments that we expect to make;



•

the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives;



•

our expected financings and investments;



•

the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital; and



•

the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies.

        In addition, words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect" and "intend" indicate a forward-looking statement, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors set forth in "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include:

•

changes in the economy;



•

risks associated with possible disruption in our operations or the economy generally due to terrorism or natural disasters; and



•

future changes in laws or regulations and conditions in our operating areas.

        We have based the forward-looking statements included in this prospectus and will base the forward-looking statements included in any accompanying prospectus supplement on information available to us on the date of this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, as appropriate, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

        We intend to use the net proceeds from any offering to make investments in lower middle-market companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, pay our operating expenses and other cash obligations and for general corporate purposes. Pending such uses, we may invest the net proceeds of any offering primarily in marketable securities and idle funds investments, which may include investments in secured intermediate term bank debt and other independently rated debt investments, consistent with our BDC election and our election to be taxed as a RIC. See "Regulation—Regulation as a Business Development Company—Idle Funds Investments." Our ability to achieve our investment objective may be limited to the extent that the net proceeds from an offering, pending full investment, are held in interest-bearing deposits or other short-term instruments. The supplement to this prospectus relating to an offering will more fully identify the use of proceeds from such an offering.

PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DISTRIBUTIONS

        Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "MAIN." The following table lists the high and low sales prices for our common stock for each quarter since our initial public offering, and the sales price as a percentage of NAV.

        The last reported price for our common stock on April 16, 2010 was $16.09 per share. As of April 16, 2010, we had 210 stockholders of record.

        Shares of BDCs may trade at a market price that is less than the value of the net assets attributable to those shares. The possibilities that our shares of common stock will trade at a discount

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from net asset value or at premiums that are unsustainable over the long term are separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value will decrease. It is not possible to predict whether the common stock offered hereby will trade at, above, or below net asset value. Since our IPO in October 2007, our shares of common stock have traded at prices both less than and exceeding our net asset value.

        From our IPO through the third quarter of 2008, we have paid quarterly dividends, but in the fourth quarter of 2008 we began paying, and we intend to continue paying, monthly dividends to our stockholders. Our monthly dividends, if any, will be determined by our Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

        The following table summarizes our dividends declared to date:

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        To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must, among other things, distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain undistributed taxable income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our net ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98% of our capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years (the "Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement"). Dividends declared and paid by us in a year will generally differ from taxable income for that year, as such dividends may include the distribution of current year taxable income, less amounts carried over into the following year, and the distribution of prior year taxable income carried over into and distributed in the current year. For amounts we carry over into the following year, we will be required to pay a 4% excise tax for the excess over 98% of our annual taxable income in excess of distributions for the year. We may retain for investment some or all of our net capital gains (i.e., realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) and treat such amounts as deemed distributions to our stockholders. If we do this, our stockholders will be treated as if they had received actual distributions of the capital gains we retained and then reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in our common stock. In general, our stockholders also would be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to their allocable shares of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to them. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, if we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

        Pursuant to a revenue procedure issued by the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, the IRS has indicated that it will treat distributions from certain publicly traded RICs (including business development companies) that are paid part in cash and part in stock as dividends that would satisfy the RIC's annual distribution requirements. In order to qualify for such treatment, the revenue procedure requires that at least 10% of the total distribution be paid in cash and that each stockholder have a right to elect to receive its entire distribution in cash. If too many stockholders elect to receive cash, each stockholder electing to receive cash must receive a proportionate share of the cash to be distributed (although no stockholder electing to receive cash may receive less than 10% of such stockholder's distribution in cash). This revenue procedure applies to distributions declared on or before December 31, 2012, with respect to taxable years ended on or before December 31, 2011.

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PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

        On November 13, 2008, we announced that our Board of Directors authorized our officers, in their discretion and subject to compliance with the 1940 Act and other applicable laws, to purchase on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, an amount up to $5 million of the outstanding shares of our common stock at prices per share not to exceed our last reported net asset value per share. The program terminated in accordance with its terms on December 31, 2009. As of December 31, 2009, we had cumulatively purchased 199,244 shares of our common stock for $1.9 million in the open market pursuant to the program. The following chart summarizes repurchases of our common stock under the stock repurchase program during the 2009 year.

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SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

        The selected financial and other data below reflects the combined operations of MSMF and MSMF GP for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2006 and the consolidated operations of Main Street and its subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008, and 2009. The selected financial data at December 31, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 and for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, have been derived from combined/consolidated financial statements that have been audited by Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. You should read this selected financial and other data in conjunction with our "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," "Senior Securities" and the financial statements and related notes included in this prospectus.

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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

        The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus.

        Statements we make in the following discussion which express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not historical fact, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, could differ materially from those we express in the following discussion as a result of a variety of factors, including the risks and uncertainties we have referred to under the headings "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in this prospectus.

ORGANIZATION

        Main Street Capital Corporation ("MSCC") was formed on March 9, 2007 for the purpose of (i) acquiring 100% of the equity interests of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, LP ("MSMF") and its general partner, Main Street Mezzanine Management, LLC ("MSMF GP"), (ii) acquiring 100% of the equity interests of Main Street Capital Partners, LLC (the "Investment Manager"), (iii) raising capital in an initial public offering, which was completed in October 2007 (the "IPO"), and (iv) thereafter operating as an internally managed business development company ("BDC") under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). MSMF is licensed as a Small Business Investment Company ("SBIC") by the United States Small Business Administration ("SBA") and the Investment Manager acts as MSMF's manager and investment adviser. Because the Investment Manager, which employs all of the executive officers and other employees of MSCC, is wholly owned by us, we do not pay any external investment advisory fees, but instead we incur the net operating costs associated with employing investment and portfolio management professionals through the Investment Manager. The transactions discussed above were consummated in October 2007 and are collectively termed the "Formation Transactions." Immediately following the Formation Transactions, Main Street Equity Interests, Inc. ("MSEI") was formed as a wholly owned consolidated subsidiary of MSCC. MSEI has elected for tax purposes to be treated as a taxable entity and is taxed at normal corporate tax rates based on its taxable income.

        On January 7, 2010, MSCC consummated transactions (the "Exchange Offer") to exchange 1,239,695 shares of its common stock for approximately 88% of the total dollar value of the limited partner interests in Main Street Capital II, LP ("MSC II" and, together with MSMF, the "Funds"). Pursuant to the terms of the Exchange Offer, 100% of the membership interests in the general partner of MSC II, Main Street Capital II GP, LLC ("MSC II GP"), were also transferred to MSCC for no consideration. MSC II commenced operations in January 2006, is an investment fund that operates as an SBIC and is also managed by the Investment Manager. The Exchange Offer and related transactions, including the transfer of the MSC II GP interests, are collectively termed the "Exchange Offer Transactions."

        Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the terms "we," "us," "our" and "Main Street" refer to MSCC and its subsidiaries, including MSMF and MSMF GP, prior to the Exchange Offer Transactions and MSCC and its subsidiaries, including MSMF, MSMF GP, MSC II and MSC II GP, subsequent to the Exchange Offer Transactions.

OVERVIEW

        We are a principal investment firm focused on providing customized debt and equity financing to lower middle market companies, which we generally define as companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $100 million that operate in diverse industries. We invest primarily in secured debt instruments, equity investments, warrants and other securities of lower middle market companies based

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in the United States. Our principal investment objective is to maximize our portfolio's total return by generating current income from our debt investments and capital appreciation from our equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, convertible securities and other rights to acquire equity securities in a portfolio company. Our core portfolio investments generally range in size from $2 million to $20 million.

        Our investments are generally made through MSCC and the Funds. Since the IPO, MSCC and MSMF have co-invested in substantially every investment we have made. In addition, approximately 88% of the MSC II portfolio investments as of the date of the Exchange Offer represented co-investments with MSCC and/or MSMF. MSCC and the Funds share the same investment strategies and criteria in the lower middle market, although they are subject to different regulatory regimes. An investor's return in MSCC will depend, in part, on the Funds' investment returns as MSMF is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSCC and MSC II is a majority owned subsidiary of MSCC subsequent to the Exchange Offer.

        We seek to fill the current financing gap for lower middle market businesses, which, historically, have had more limited access to financing from commercial banks and other traditional sources. Given the current credit environment, we believe the limited access to financing for lower middle market companies is even more pronounced. The underserved nature of the lower middle market creates the opportunity for us to meet the financing needs of lower middle market companies while also negotiating favorable transaction terms and equity participations. Our ability to invest across a company's capital structure, from senior secured loans to equity securities, allows us to offer portfolio companies a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, or "one stop" financing. Providing customized, "one stop" financing solutions has become even more relevant to our portfolio companies in the current credit environment. We generally seek to partner directly with entrepreneurs, management teams and business owners in making our investments. Main Street believes that its core investment strategy has a lower correlation to the broader debt and equity markets.

        The level of new portfolio investment activity will fluctuate from period to period based upon our view of the current economic fundamentals, our ability to identify new investment opportunities that meet our investment criteria, and our ability to consummate identified opportunities. The level of new investment activity, and associated interest and fee income, will directly impact future investment income. In addition, the level of dividends paid by portfolio companies and the portion of our portfolio debt investments on non-accrual status will directly impact future investment income. While we intend to grow our portfolio and our investment income over the long-term, our growth and our operating results may be more limited during depressed economic periods. However, we intend to appropriately manage our cost structure and liquidity position based on applicable economic conditions and our investment outlook. The level of realized gains or losses and unrealized appreciation or depreciation will also fluctuate depending upon portfolio activity and the performance of our individual portfolio companies. The changes in realized gains and losses and unrealized appreciation or depreciation could have a material impact on our operating results.

        During 2009, we paid monthly dividends of $0.125 per share, or $1.50 per share for the entire year. For tax purposes, the monthly dividend paid in January 2009 was applied against the 2008 taxable income distribution requirements since it was declared and accrued prior to December 31, 2008. We generated undistributed taxable income (or "spillover income") of approximately $0.8 million, or $0.08 per share, during 2009 that was carried forward toward distributions paid in 2010. For the 2009 calendar year, the dividends paid of $1.50 per share represented an increase of 5.3% over the total dividends of $1.425 per share paid during calendar year 2008. In December 2009, we declared monthly dividends for the first quarter of 2010 totaling $0.375 per share. In March 2010, we declared monthly dividends for the second quarter of 2010 totaling $0.375 per share. Including the dividends declared for the first and second quarters of 2010, we will have paid approximately $4.01 per share in cumulative dividends since our October 2007 initial public offering.

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        At December 31, 2009, we had $48.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and idle funds investments. In January 2010, we completed a follow-on public stock offering in which we sold 2,875,000 shares of common stock, including the underwriters' exercise of the over-allotment option, at a price to the public of $14.75 per share, resulting in total net proceeds of approximately $40.1 million, after deducting underwriters' commissions and offering costs. Due to our existing cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and idle funds investments, and available leverage, we expect to have sufficient cash resources to support our investment and operational activities through all of calendar year 2010. However, this projection will be impacted by, among other things, the pace of new and follow-on investments, debt repayments and investment redemptions, the level of cash flow from operations and cash flow from realized gains, and the level of dividends we pay in cash.

        The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enacted in February 2009 (the "Stimulus Bill") contains several provisions applicable to SBIC funds, including the Funds. One of the key SBIC-related provisions included in the Stimulus Bill increased the maximum amount of combined SBIC leverage (or SBIC leverage cap) to $225 million for affiliated SBIC funds. The prior maximum amount of SBIC leverage available to affiliated SBIC funds was approximately $137 million. Since the increase in the SBIC leverage cap applies to affiliated SBIC funds, Main Street is required to allocate such increased borrowing capacity between the Funds. Subsequent to the Exchange Offer, Main Street now has access to an incremental $90 million in SBIC leverage capacity, subject to the required capitalization of each of the Funds, in addition to the $70 million of existing MSC II SBIC leverage and the $65 million of MSMF SBIC leverage.

        A recently proposed bill, the Small Business Financing and Investment Act of 2009, or HR 3854, would increase the total SBIC leverage capacity for the Funds from $225 million to $350 million. If enacted, this bill would increase Main Street's SBIC leverage capacity through the Funds by an additional $125 million.

        In our view, the SBIC leverage, including the increased capacity, remains a strategic advantage due to its long-term, flexible structure and a low fixed cost. The SBIC leverage also provides proper matching of duration and cost compared with our core portfolio investments. As of December 31, 2009, the weighted average duration of our core portfolio debt investments was approximately 3.1 years compared to a weighted average duration of 6.1 years for our SBIC leverage. As of December 31, 2009, approximately 87% of core portfolio debt investments bear interest at fixed rates which is also appropriately matched by the long-term, low cost fixed rates available through our SBIC leverage. In addition, we believe the embedded value of our SBIC leverage would be significant if we adopted the fair value option provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("Codification" or "ASC") 825, Financial Instruments, relating to accounting for debt obligations at their fair value.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

        Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"). For the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, the consolidated financial statements of Main Street include the accounts of MSCC, MSMF, MSEI and MSMF GP. The Investment Manager is accounted for as a portfolio investment. "Marketable securities and idle funds investments" are classified as financial instruments and are reported separately on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Schedule of Investments due to the nature of such investments. To allow for more relevant disclosure of our "core" investment portfolio, "core" portfolio investments, as used herein, refers to all of our portfolio investments excluding the Investment Manager and "Marketable securities and idle funds investments." Main Street's results of operations and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008, and 2007, and financial positions as of

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December 31, 2009 and 2008, are presented on a consolidated basis. The effects of all intercompany transactions between Main Street and its subsidiaries have been eliminated in consolidation.

        Under the investment company rules and regulations pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation S-X and the Audit and Accounting Guide for Investment Companies issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (the "AICPA Guide"), we are precluded from consolidating portfolio company investments, including those in which we have a controlling interest, unless the portfolio company is another investment company. An exception to this general principle in the AICPA Guide occurs if we own a controlled operating company that provides all or substantially all of its services directly to us, or to an investment company of ours. None of the investments made by us qualify for this exception. Therefore, our portfolio investments are carried on the balance sheet at fair value, as discussed further in Note B to our consolidated financial statements, with any adjustments to fair value recognized as "Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) from Investments" on our Statement of Operations until the investment is disposed of, resulting in any gain or loss on exit being recognized as a "Net Realized Gain (Loss) from Investments."

Portfolio Investment Valuation

        The most significant estimate inherent in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements is the valuation of our portfolio investments and the related amounts of unrealized appreciation and depreciation. As of December 31, 2009 and 2008, approximately 72% and 74%, respectively, of our total assets represented investments in portfolio companies valued at fair value (including the investment in the Investment Manager). We are required to report our investments at fair value. We adopted the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures in the first quarter of 2008. ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy based on the quality of inputs used to measure fair value, and enhances disclosure requirements for fair value measurements.

        Our core business plan calls for us to invest primarily in illiquid securities issued by private companies. These core portfolio investments may be subject to restrictions on resale and will generally have no established trading market. As a result, we determine in good faith the fair value of our portfolio investments pursuant to a valuation policy in accordance with ASC 820 and a valuation process approved by our Board of Directors and in accordance with the 1940 Act. We review external events, including private mergers, sales and acquisitions involving comparable companies, and include these events in the valuation process. Our valuation policy and process are intended to provide a consistent basis for determining the fair value of the portfolio.

        For valuation purposes, control investments are composed of equity and debt securities for which we have a controlling interest in the portfolio company or have the ability to nominate a majority of the portfolio company's board of directors. Market quotations are generally not readily available for our control investments. As a result, we determine the fair value of control investments using a combination of market and income approaches. Under the market approach, we will typically use the enterprise value methodology to determine the fair value of these investments. The enterprise value is the fair value at which an enterprise could be sold in a transaction between two willing parties, other than through a forced or liquidation sale. Typically, private companies are bought and sold based on multiples of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, cash flows, net income, revenues, or in limited cases, book value. There is no single methodology for estimating enterprise value. For any one portfolio company, enterprise value is generally described as a range of values from which a single estimate of enterprise value is derived. In estimating the enterprise value of a portfolio company, we analyze various factors, including the portfolio company's historical and projected financial results. We allocate the enterprise value to investments in order of the legal priority of the investments. We will also use the income approach to determine the fair value of these securities, based on projections of the discounted future free cash flows that the portfolio company or

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the debt security will likely generate. The valuation approaches for our control investments estimate the value of the investment if we were to sell, or exit, the investment, assuming the highest and best use of the investment by market participants. In addition, these valuation approaches consider the value associated with our ability to control the capital structure of the portfolio company, as well as the timing of a potential exit.

        For valuation purposes, non-control investments are composed of debt and equity securities for which we do not have a controlling interest in the portfolio company, or the ability to nominate a majority of the portfolio company's board of directors. Market quotations for our non-control investments are generally not readily available. For our non-control investments, we use a combination of the market and income approaches to value our equity investments and the income approach to value our debt instruments. For non-control debt investments, we determine the fair value primarily using a yield approach that analyzes the discounted cash flows of interest and principal for the debt security, as set forth in the associated loan agreements, as well as the financial position and credit risk of each of these portfolio investments. Our estimate of the expected repayment date of a debt security is generally the legal maturity date of the instrument, as we generally intend to hold our loans to maturity. The yield analysis considers changes in leverage levels, credit quality, portfolio company performance and other factors. We will use the value determined by the yield analysis as the fair value for that security; however, because of our general intent to hold our loans to maturity, the fair value will not exceed the face amount of the debt security. A change in the assumptions that we use to estimate the fair value of our debt securities using the yield analysis could have a material impact on the determination of fair value. If there is deterioration in credit quality or a debt security is in workout status, we may consider other factors in determining the fair value of a debt security, including the value attributable to the debt security from the enterprise value of the portfolio company or the proceeds that would be received in a liquidation analysis.

        Due to the inherent uncertainty in the valuation process, our estimate of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used had a ready market for the securities existed. In addition, changes in the market environment, portfolio company performance and other events that may occur over the lives of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be materially different than the valuations currently assigned. We determine the fair value of each individual investment and record changes in fair value as unrealized appreciation or depreciation.

Revenue Recognition

Interest and Dividend Income

        We record interest and dividend income on the accrual basis to the extent amounts are expected to be collected. Dividend income is recorded as dividends are declared or at the point an obligation exists for the portfolio company to make a distribution. In accordance with our valuation policy, we evaluate accrued interest and dividend income periodically for collectability. When a loan or debt security becomes 90 days or more past due, and if we otherwise do not expect the debtor to be able to service all of its debt or other obligations, we will generally place the loan or debt security on non-accrual status and cease recognizing interest income on that loan or debt security until the borrower has demonstrated the ability and intent to pay contractual amounts due. If a loan or debt security's status significantly improves regarding ability to service the debt or other obligations, or if a loan or debt security is fully impaired, sold or written off, we will remove it from non-accrual status.

Fee Income

        We may periodically provide services, including structuring and advisory services, to our portfolio companies. For services that are separately identifiable and evidence exists to substantiate fair value,

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income is recognized as earned, which is generally when the investment or other applicable transaction closes. Fees received in connection with debt financing transactions for services that do not meet these criteria are treated as debt origination fees and are accreted into interest income over the life of the financing.

Payment-in-Kind ("PIK") Interest

        While not significant to our total core debt investment portfolio, we currently hold several loans in our core portfolio that contain PIK interest provisions. The PIK interest, computed at the contractual rate specified in each loan agreement, is added to the principal balance of the loan and recorded as interest income. To maintain regulated investment company ("RIC") tax treatment (as discussed below), this non-cash source of income will need to be paid out to stockholders in the form of distributions, even though we may not have collected the PIK interest in cash. We will stop accruing PIK interest and write off any accrued and uncollected interest when it is determined that PIK interest is no longer collectible.

Share-Based Compensation

        We account for our share-based compensation plans using the fair value method, as prescribed by ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation. Accordingly, for restricted stock awards, we measured the grant date fair value based upon the market price of our common stock on the date of the grant and will amortize this fair value to share-based compensation expense over the requisite service period or vesting term.

Income Taxes

        MSCC has elected and intends to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to a RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and, among other things, intends to make the required distributions to our stockholders as specified therein. As a RIC, we generally will not pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that we distribute to our stockholders as dividends. Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we may choose to carry forward taxable income in excess of current year distributions into the next tax year and pay a 4% excise tax on such income. Any such carryover taxable income must be distributed through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such taxable income.

        MSCC's wholly owned subsidiary, MSEI, is a taxable entity which holds certain of our core portfolio investments. MSEI is consolidated for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes, and the core portfolio investments held by MSEI are included in our consolidated financial statements. The principal purpose of MSEI is to permit us to hold equity investments in portfolio companies which are "pass through" entities for tax purposes in order to comply with the "source income" requirements contained in the RIC tax provisions. MSEI is not consolidated with Main Street for income tax purposes and may generate income tax expense or income tax benefit as a result of MSEI's ownership of certain core portfolio investments. This income tax expense or benefit, if any, is reflected in our consolidated statement of operations.

        MSEI uses the liability method in accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, using statutory tax rates in effect for the year in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is provided against deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

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CORE PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION

        Core portfolio investments principally consist of secured debt, equity warrants and direct equity investments in privately held companies. The core debt investments are secured by either a first or second lien on the assets of the portfolio company, generally bear interest at fixed rates, and generally mature between five and seven years from the original investment. In most portfolio companies, we also receive nominally priced equity warrants and/or make direct equity investments, usually in connection with a debt investment.

        The Investment Manager is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSCC. However, the Investment Manager is accounted for as a portfolio investment of Main Street, since it conducts a significant portion of its investment management activities outside of MSCC and its subsidiaries. To allow for more relevant disclosure of our core investment portfolio, our investment in the Investment Manager has been excluded from the tables and amounts set forth below.

        Summaries of the composition of our core investment portfolio at cost and fair value as a percentage of total core portfolio investments are shown in the following table:

        The following table shows the core portfolio composition by geographic region of the United States at cost and fair value as a percentage of total core portfolio investments. The geographic composition is determined by the location of the corporate headquarters of the portfolio company:

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        Main Street's core portfolio investments are generally in lower middle market companies conducting business in a variety of industries. Set forth below are tables showing the composition of Main Street's core portfolio by industry at cost and fair value as of December 31, 2009 and 2008: