Business funding guides
Straight answers about how business funding works, what lenders look for, and what to watch out for. No sales pitch.
Startup Funding by Industry
Cleaning, daycare, landscaping, barbershop and salon, home health care, construction, vending, towing, and trucking: every industry guide in one place.
Startup Business Loans With Bad Credit: What Is Realistic
An honest look at funding a startup when your personal credit is weak, which options exist, what they cost, and how to improve your odds over time.
Read guideBusiness Funding With No Collateral: How Unsecured Options Work
What unsecured business funding is, the types that exist, why it often costs more, and what lenders weigh when there is nothing to secure the loan.
Read guideHow to Qualify for a Small Business Loan: A Practical Checklist
A plain-English checklist of what lenders usually want to see before approving a small business loan, and the steps you can take to prepare.
Read guideBusiness Line of Credit vs. Term Loan: Which One Fits?
How a business line of credit and a term loan differ, when each one makes sense, and the questions to ask before choosing.
Read guideSBA Loan Alternatives When You Do Not Fit the Mold
Why SBA loans are hard to get for some businesses, and the alternatives worth considering, with honest notes on the trade-offs of each.
Read guideBusiness Funding With No Revenue History
What funding looks like for a pre-revenue business, why it is limited, and the options owners commonly use to get started.
Read guideWhat Lenders Look at Before Funding You
A clear breakdown of the factors business lenders commonly review, why each one matters, and what you can do to strengthen your file.
Read guideBusiness Funding After a Bank Denial: What to Do Next
How to respond when a bank turns down your business loan, how to find out why, and the realistic next steps and alternatives.
Read guideHow Much Business Funding Can I Get?
The factors that determine how much a lender may offer your business, how to estimate a reasonable request, and why borrowing less can be the smarter move.
Read guideCan You Get a Business Loan With Collections on Your Credit Report?
Can you get a business loan with collections on your credit report? How lenders view collections, what they check, and realistic next steps.
Read guideWhat Do I Need to Apply for a Business Loan? The Complete Checklist
The full checklist of documents and information lenders ask for when you apply for a business loan, plus what varies by lender type.
Read guideHow Long Does It Take to Get a Business Loan?
How long business loan approval takes by lender type: some online lenders decide the same day and fund in 1 to 3 business days, banks take 2 to 6 weeks, and SBA loans often take 30 to 90 days.
Read guideMinimum Credit Score for a Business Loan
What credit score you need for a business loan from banks, SBA lenders, online lenders, and CDFIs, plus what matters besides your score.
Read guideCan You Get a Business Loan With 1099 Income?
Can you get a business loan with 1099 income? How lenders verify contractor income, what paperwork to prepare, and which funding options fit.
Read guideHow to Start a Daycare With No Money
Starting a daycare with no money? Funding options for new childcare businesses: startup costs, loans, grants, and what lenders want to see.
Read guideBusiness Loans With an ITIN: Options When You Don't Have an SSN
Can you get a business loan with an ITIN and no SSN? How lenders handle ITIN applications, what documents you need, and realistic funding options.
Read guideCleaning Business Startup Funding: Loans, Grants, and What Actually Works
Funding for a cleaning business startup: what it costs to launch, loan and grant options that fit, and how to get funded with bad credit or no revenue.
Read guideHow to Fund a New Home Health Care Agency
Funding to start a home health care agency: startup costs, licensing, loan and grant options, and what lenders want to see before you open.
Read guideHow to Build Business Credit for a New LLC (Before You Have Revenue)
How to build business credit for a new LLC with no revenue: EIN, D-U-N-S, reporting accounts, and realistic steps before you borrow.
Read guideBuying an Existing Business With Little or No Money Down
Can you buy an existing business with no money down? Seller financing, SBA options, and what sellers actually want to see from buyers.
Read guideGetting a Business Loan After Bankruptcy: Realistic Timelines by Loan Type
Getting a business loan after bankruptcy: Chapter 7 vs 13, realistic waiting timelines by lender type, and how to rebuild credit after discharge.
Read guideBarbershop and Salon Startup Funding With Bad Credit
Need a barbershop startup loan with bad credit? What a shop costs, funding options that fit, and how to open with less money.
Read guideVending Machine Financing for New Operators (Even With Bad Credit)
Vending machine financing with bad credit: how equipment loans work for new operators, new vs used machines, and what lenders want to see.
Read guideSeasonal Business Loans: Covering the Slow Months Without Getting Trapped
A seasonal business loan can bridge the slow months. How lines of credit, term loans, and savings cover off-season gaps without trapping you.
Read guideHow to Fund a Landscaping or Lawn Care Business in Year One
Funding for a landscaping business startup: what year one costs, equipment financing for mowers and trailers, and loan options for lawn care businesses.
Read guideFirst-Year Trucking Authority: How New Carriers Get Funded
New trucking authority funding: why first-year carriers struggle to get financed, equipment financing options, and what lenders want to see.
Read guideTow Truck Financing for a New Towing Business
Tow truck financing for a new business with bad credit: how wreckers work as collateral, new vs used trucks, and what lenders check before approving.
Read guideStartup Loans for Contractors and New Construction Companies
Need a construction business startup loan? How new contractors fund tools, trucks, and payroll gaps, and what lenders want to see.
Read guideBuying Your First Franchise With Bad Credit
Franchise financing with bad credit is harder but possible. How SBA loans, franchisor programs, and bigger down payments fit first-time franchisees.
Read guideEquipment Financing for Startups in Their First Year
Equipment financing for startups with no revenue: how it works, lease vs loan, what lenders check, and how to get funded in year one.
Read guideMerchant Cash Advance vs. Business Loan When You're New and Have Bad Credit
Merchant cash advance vs business loan with bad credit: what an MCA really costs, when it makes sense, and alternatives to try first.
Read guideCan You Get a Business Loan With a Tax Lien?
Can you get a business loan with a tax lien? Why liens scare lenders, how a payment plan changes the picture, and realistic options.
Read guideCan I get a business loan with a 600 credit score?
Yes, some lenders work with a 600 personal credit score. Here is what they look at instead, what it costs, and how to find out where you stand in two minutes.
Read guideHow to get a startup business loan with no revenue
Most lenders want revenue, but startups still have options. Here are the paths that look at you, not your business, and how to check which fit.
Read guideHow long do you need to be in business to get a loan?
Banks often want two years. Online lenders may work with six months to a year. Startups usually fund through the owner. Here is how it breaks down.
Read guideBusiness credit cards for a new LLC
A new LLC can usually get a business credit card based on the owner’s personal credit. Here is what issuers look at and how to use one well.
Read guideUsing a personal loan for your business: pros and cons
A personal loan can fund a new business when lenders will not lend to the business yet. Here are the trade-offs.
Read guideSBA loan requirements, explained simply
SBA loans are made by banks and partly guaranteed by the government. Here is what lenders typically want and why they take longer.
Read guideEquipment financing with fair or bad credit
Because the equipment secures the loan, equipment financing is often easier to qualify for. Here is what to expect.
Read guideUsing your 401(k) to start a business
A ROBS setup can let you use retirement savings to fund a business without a loan. Here is how it works and the risks to weigh.
Read guide
