SBA Loans
Is an SBA Loan Actually an Option for You?
Compare SBA 7(a), 504 and microloan purposes, lender requirements, costs and timing. Program eligibility is only the start of an offer-level review.
By Jack Whelchel
Business Funding Guides
Research and practical guidance on business funding costs, qualifications, lender types, and application terms.
Funding Privacy
Who Checks Your Credit, and When: Application, Acceptance and First Draw
A soft application check does not establish what happens at acceptance, a first draw or a partner lender. Check the authorization for each stage.
By Jack Whelchel
Building Business Credit
How Business Credit Actually Gets Built
Start with accurate business records and verified reporting. Understand what a provider reports, to whom, and how to check and dispute errors.
By Jack Whelchel
Personal Guarantees
Business Personal Guarantees: What to Check Before Signing
A guarantee, collateral pledge and credit check answer different questions. Read the liability language and verify any claimed exception for the exact product.
By Jack Whelchel
Funding Privacy
Before You Enter Your Phone Number: A 60-Second Funding Application Check
The most important part of a funding form may be the paragraph beside the submit button. Check these five things before your number becomes somebody else's lead.
By Jack Whelchel
Merchant Cash Advances
Factor Rate vs. APR: Why the Term Changes Everything
A 1.30 or 1.45 factor tells you total payback, not the annualized price of the money. Payment timing is what makes two similar-looking offers radically different.
By Jack Whelchel
Understanding Broker Networks
Direct Lender, Broker or Marketplace? Know Who Gets Your Application
Three sites can show the same funding form while doing three very different things with it. Identify the business model before you submit.
By Jack Whelchel
Business Loans
When You Do Not Fit the Bank Box: How to Shop Funding Without Losing Control
Newer business, uneven revenue, imperfect credit: this is where borrowers often get pushed from clean comparison tables into high-pressure lead funnels. Use a different process.
By Jack Whelchel