Small Business Lending Resources
Plain-English guides to SBA loans, business lines of credit, equipment financing, merchant cash advances, financing by industry, underwriting, and the documents lenders actually read. Written for owners comparing real offers — no rate quotes, no guarantees, no hype.
34 articles · Reviewed by Malik Samara
SBA Loans
How SBA 7(a) Loans Actually Work: A Plain-English Guide
How the SBA 7(a) loan program works — who issues the money, what the SBA guarantees, what borrowers can use the funds for, and when it's genuinely competitive.
SBA 504 Loans Explained: When the Two-Loan Structure Wins
How the SBA 504 program works — the two-loan structure with a CDC, what it can finance, and when it beats a 7(a) loan or a conventional commercial mortgage.
SBA Express Loans: Faster Decisions, Smaller Cap, Different Tradeoffs
SBA Express trades guarantee size for faster lender decisions. How it differs from a Standard 7(a), eligible uses, and where the speed advantage is real.
SBA Microloans: Small-Dollar Lending Through Nonprofit Intermediaries
How SBA microloans work, what makes them different from 7(a) and 504, who qualifies, and when an intermediary lender beats a conventional small-dollar offer.
Loan Products
Business Line of Credit vs. Term Loan: Which Structure Fits Which Need
The structural differences between a business line of credit and a term loan, why mixing them up costs money, and how lenders evaluate each.
Equipment Financing vs. Leasing: A Decision Framework
Equipment loan vs. lease — how the two structures differ in ownership, balance-sheet treatment, total cost, and tax handling, and when each typically wins.
Merchant Cash Advance: How It Actually Works (and the Math Most Owners Miss)
A merchant cash advance is not a loan. Here's the actual structure, how the factor rate translates to true cost, and the questions to ask before signing.
Revenue-Based Financing: A Middle Ground Between MCAs and Term Loans
How revenue-based financing differs from an MCA and a term loan, what makes it useful for SaaS and e-commerce, and what to ask before signing.
Invoice Factoring vs. Invoice Financing: The Difference Matters
Factoring and financing both turn unpaid invoices into cash, but the structure, customer relationship, and balance-sheet treatment are very different.
Working Capital Loans: What the Term Actually Means
"Working capital loan" isn't a single product — it's a use case. The structures that actually fund working capital, and how to choose between them.
Bridge Loans for Small Business: Real Use Cases and Real Risks
When a bridge loan is the right tool, when it's a trap, and how to evaluate the exit strategy that matters most.
Business Acquisition Financing: Structures, Equity Requirements, and Common Mistakes
How small-business acquisition deals are financed, why SBA 7(a) dominates this market, and the diligence buyers underestimate.
Inventory Financing: When Borrowing Against Stock Makes Sense
How inventory financing works for retailers, wholesalers, and e-commerce — collateral mechanics, advance rates, and where it competes with a line of credit.
Purchase Order Financing: Funding Production Against a Confirmed Order
PO financing pays suppliers directly so a business can fulfill a confirmed customer order it can't otherwise fund. Mechanics, costs, and where it fits.
Owner-Occupied Commercial Real Estate Loans: 504, 7(a), and Conventional Compared
When SBA 504, SBA 7(a), and conventional commercial mortgages each fit best for buying owner-occupied commercial real estate.
Construction Loans for Small Business: How Draws, Inspections, and Take-Out Work
Ground-up and major-renovation construction loans for small business — how draws are funded, what inspectors verify, and how the take-out loan is wired in.
Franchise Financing: How the SBA Franchise Directory Changes the Game
Why franchises have a structural advantage in SBA underwriting, what the SBA Franchise Directory does, and how to evaluate the franchise opportunity itself.
Business Debt Consolidation: When It Saves Money and When It Hides Problems
How consolidating high-cost business debt into longer-term financing works, when SBA 7(a) qualifies for refinance, and the math that decides if it helps.
What "Fast Business Loans" Actually Mean (and What They Cost)
The honest math on "24-hour funding" claims — what's possible, what's marketing, and what speed actually costs in true APR terms.
Unsecured Business Loans: What "Unsecured" Really Means
Unsecured business loans don't require specific collateral, but almost all still require a personal guarantee. Here's what that distinction actually changes.
Financing by Industry
Restaurant Financing: Matching Loan Products to Restaurant Cash Flow
How restaurants finance buildouts, equipment, and working capital — and why thin margins and seasonality shape which loan products actually fit.
Construction Company Financing: Bridging the Bid-to-Payment Gap
Why progress billing and retainage create cash-flow gaps for contractors, and which loan products fund equipment, mobilization, and payroll between draws.
Trucking Business Financing: Equipment, Fuel, and Slow-Pay Freight
How owner-operators and carriers finance trucks and trailers, cover fuel between settlements, and use factoring to bridge slow-paying freight invoices.
Medical and Dental Practice Financing: A Product Guide
How physicians and dentists finance practice acquisitions, operatory equipment, buildouts, and working capital — and why SBA loans dominate the category.
Retail Store Financing: Inventory, Seasonality, and Fit-Out Costs
How retail and e-commerce businesses finance inventory buys, seasonal swings, and store fit-outs — and which products fit each need.
Manufacturing Business Financing: Equipment and Production Gaps
How manufacturers finance machinery, fund raw materials and production against confirmed orders, and bridge the gap between order and payment.
Auto Repair Shop Financing: Equipment, Bays, and Working Capital
How auto repair and service shops finance lifts and diagnostic equipment, add service bays, and cover parts and payroll between repair tickets.
Agriculture and Farm Financing: Seasonal Capital and USDA Options
How farms finance seasonal operating costs, equipment, and land — and how USDA Farm Service Agency programs compare with SBA and conventional lending.
Underwriting & Eligibility
How Lenders Evaluate Revenue and Time in Business
The two key underwriting inputs after credit: how lenders verify revenue, why time-in-business gates so many products, and how to present both well.
Personal Credit vs. Business Credit in Small-Business Underwriting
Most small-business loans rely on personal credit, not business credit. Why that's true, when business credit actually matters, and how to build it in parallel.
Bank Statement Requirements for Business Loans: What Lenders Actually Look At
What 3–12 months of business bank statements tell underwriters, the patterns that strengthen or weaken a file, and how to present statements well.
Glossary & Documents
UCC Filings and Blanket Liens: The Lien You Didn't Know You Signed
What a UCC-1 filing is, what a blanket lien actually encumbers, and how existing UCC filings affect your ability to get new financing.
APR vs. Factor Rate: Translating Between the Two
A factor rate hides the true cost of short-term financing. Here's the conversion math and why every offer should be APR-checked before signing.
Reading a Business Loan Term Sheet: A Glossary for Borrowers
The terms that matter on a small-business loan offer — what each means, why it's negotiable (or not), and the language that should prompt a closer read.