Guides

Plain answers to the questions business owners ask before they finance: by sector, and by the decision in front of them.

By sector

Financing for trucking companiesHow trucking companies finance tractors and trailers, the wait between delivery and payment, and the repairs and fuel that cannot wait.Working capital for construction companiesHow contractors cover payroll and materials between progress payments: lines of credit, receivables financing, equipment finance and short-term working capital.Financing for restaurantsHow restaurants finance a new location, kitchen equipment, renovations and slow months, and what funders read in a restaurant's statements.Financing for dental and medical practicesHow dental and medical practices finance a partner buyout, an acquisition, new equipment or a second office, and what lenders need to see.Financing for manufacturers and machine shopsHow manufacturers and machine shops finance machines, refinance equipment they own, and fund material and labor before the first invoice.Financing for HVAC, landscaping and home service companiesHow HVAC, landscaping, plumbing and other home service companies finance trucks and equipment and get through the slow season.

Decisions

Merchant cash advance or line of credit: which fitsHow a merchant cash advance and a business line of credit differ in cost, repayment and qualifying, and when each one fits.How to consolidate multiple merchant cash advancesThree ways out of several merchant cash advances at once: refinancing into a longer loan, a consolidation advance, or new terms with the current funders.What documents you need for business fundingThe documents funders ask for, by type of financing: working capital, lines of credit, term loans, equipment finance, SBA loans and acquisitions.Business loan broker or direct lender?When to go straight to a lender, when a broker is worth it, how brokers are paid, and the warning signs of a broker to avoid.Business funding after a bank says noWhy banks decline business loans, and which alternative fits each reason: SBA lenders, online lenders, equipment finance, factoring or revenue-based financing.