PartnersLenders
EQ FUNDING · BLOG

How businesses
actually get funded.

Practical guides to business loans, SBA financing, lines of credit, and equipment financing — how qualification actually works, what each option costs, and how to get funded faster.

Getting Funded
Documents Needed for a Business Loan: Complete Checklist
A product-by-product checklist of the documents lenders actually require — bank statements, tax returns, P&L, debt schedule, AR aging — and why each matters.
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How Long Does It Take to Get a Business Loan?
Realistic business loan funding timelines by product — from same-day revenue-based financing to weeks-long SBA loans — plus what causes delays and how to speed it up.
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Business Loans for Bad Credit: What Actually Gets Approved in 2026
Business loans for bad credit explained — which products underwrite on cash flow and assets, not just your score, plus rates and ways to boost approval odds.
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One Bank vs. a Whole Network: Why a Funding Marketplace Gets You Funded
Applying to one bank is a single shot at yes or no. A funding marketplace flips it — one application, lenders compete, side-by-side offers. Here's how it works.
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How to Get a Business Loan in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to get a business loan — what lenders check, which loan type fits your need, the documents you'll need, and how to apply once instead of a dozen times.
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Types of Business Loans: The Complete Comparison (and How to Choose)
Every major business loan type compared — term loans, lines of credit, SBA, revenue-based, equipment, factoring, and more — on cost, speed, credit, and best use.
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What Is Working Capital — and the Fastest Ways to Get It
What working capital is — the formula, a worked example, the cash-flow cycle behind it, and the fastest funding when you need it: a line of credit, RBF, or factoring.
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Why Your Bank Declined Your Loan (and What to Do Next)
A bank 'no' isn't the end. The real reasons banks decline small-business loans, the quick fix for each, and the products that approve where banks won't.
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Loan Types
Purchase Order Financing: Fund Big Orders You Can't Fill
Purchase order financing pays your suppliers so you can fulfill large orders you'd otherwise turn down. Learn the mechanics, costs, and who qualifies.
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SBA Microloans: Up to $50K for Startups & Small Firms
How SBA microloans work: up to $50,000 through nonprofit intermediary lenders, typical rates and terms, who qualifies, and when they beat a bank loan.
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Business Line of Credit: How It Works, Costs & Qualifying
A complete guide to how a business line of credit works—draw and repay mechanics, revolving vs. non-revolving, costs, limits, and how to qualify.
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Revenue-Based Financing Explained: Costs & When It Fits
How revenue-based financing works, what it really costs versus fixed-payment loans, who it fits best, and the red flags that signal a predatory MCA in disguise.
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Commercial Real Estate Financing: SBA 504, Bridge & Beyond
How to finance commercial property — owner-occupied CRE term loans, the low-rate SBA 504, bridge and hard-money loans, and how to compare them on rate and LTV.
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Equipment Financing: How to Fund Equipment Without Draining Cash
How equipment financing works — why the asset is the collateral, financing vs. leasing, the Section 179 tax angle, and which industries it fits best.
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Invoice Factoring: How to Turn Unpaid Invoices into Same-Day Cash
How invoice factoring works — the advance, fee, and rebate explained, factoring vs. invoice financing, recourse vs. non-recourse, and why your customer's credit matters.
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Business Line of Credit vs. Term Loan: Which Is Right for You?
Line of credit vs. term loan — how each works, how they differ on structure, interest, and flexibility, when each one wins, and whether you should have both.
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Costs & Comparisons
Leasing vs. Financing Equipment: Which Saves You More?
Equipment lease vs. finance compared: $1 buyout vs. FMV leases, Section 179 tax treatment, obsolescence risk, and a decision checklist by equipment type.
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How Business Loan Payments Work: Amortization & Factor Math
A hands-on guide to how business loan payments work: amortized monthly payments, daily/weekly remittances, factor-rate holdbacks, and prepayment math with worked examples.
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Factor Rate vs. APR: Decode the True Cost of Financing
Learn how to convert factor rates, fees, and holdbacks into real annualized cost — with worked examples so you can compare financing offers apples-to-apples.
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Business Loan Interest Rates (July 2026): What's a Good Rate?
Current business loan interest rates for July 2026 — realistic APR ranges by product, the APR-vs-factor-rate distinction, what drives your rate, and how to lock in a lower one.
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Business Loan vs. Business Credit Card: When to Use Each
Business loan vs. business credit card — how they differ in cost, amount, and repayment, plus which to use for small purchases, large needs, rewards, and building credit.
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How Much Can My Business Borrow? Loan Amounts Explained
How much can I borrow with a business loan? A clear guide to loan amount ranges by product, the rule of thumb tied to revenue, and what raises your ceiling.
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SBA Loan vs. Bank Loan vs. Online Lender: Which Should You Choose?
SBA loan vs bank loan vs online lender, compared on rate, speed, qualification, and term — plus when each wins and how to compare all three at once.
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Secured vs. Unsecured Business Loans: Which Is Right for You?
Secured vs unsecured business loans explained — collateral types, the rate-versus-risk trade-off, the personal guarantee, and which products fall into each.
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By Industry
Hotel Financing: Acquisition, PIP Renovations & Working Capital
How hotel, motel, and B&B owners finance acquisitions, brand-mandated PIPs, and seasonal cash flow — SBA 504, 7(a), bridge loans, and more.
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HVAC & Contractor Financing: Trucks, Equipment & Cash Flow
How HVAC and trade contractors finance service vans, tools, and equipment — plus bridge progress billing gaps and cover payroll between jobs.
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Agriculture Business Loans: Equipment, Lines & Land
How farms and ranches in the US & Canada finance equipment, seasonal operating lines, and land — with repayment timed to harvest and how ag revenue is evaluated.
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Gym & Fitness Studio Financing: A Practical Guide
How gym, CrossFit, yoga, and boutique-studio owners finance equipment, build-outs, and new locations — and use membership revenue to strengthen an application.
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Landscaping & Lawn Care Business Loans: Equipment & Cash Flow
How landscapers finance mowers, trucks, and trailers, bridge the winter off-season, and fund spring crew expansion. Real numbers and honest trade-offs.
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Auto Repair Shop Loans: Equipment, Working Capital & Expansion
Auto repair shop loans for equipment, working capital, and shop expansion — which loan fits each need, and why the trade is surprisingly credit-flexible.
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Construction Business Loans: Equipment, Working Capital & Cash Flow
Construction business loans explained — financing heavy equipment, bridging retainage and progress-billing gaps, and covering payroll between draws.
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Manufacturing Financing: Machinery, Working Capital & Purchase Orders
How manufacturers fund machinery, raw materials, payroll, and big purchase orders — with equipment financing, factoring, lines of credit, and SBA loans.
8 min readRead →
Business loan calculator
Estimate what your business could qualify for across term loans, lines of credit, SBA, and revenue-based financing — then compare real offers from 50 lenders in one application.
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SBA loan payment calculator
Estimate your SBA 7(a) or 504 monthly payment, including the one-time guaranty fee, then compare real offers from approved SBA lenders in one application.
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Business term loan calculator
Estimate your monthly payment and total interest on a business term loan, then compare fixed-rate offers from 50 lenders in one application.
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Business line of credit calculator
Estimate the cost to draw on a business line of credit — you only pay interest on what you use — then compare offers from 50 lenders.
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Factor rate to APR calculator
Convert a factor rate into the true effective APR and total payback on revenue-based financing or an MCA — then compare honest offers from 50 lenders.
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Invoice factoring calculator
Estimate your cash advance and the factoring fee on your outstanding invoices, then compare offers from 50 lenders.
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Startup funding calculator
Estimate the startup capital you could qualify for on founder credit and projections — without giving up equity — then compare offers from 50 lenders.
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Commercial real estate financing calculator
Estimate your maximum financing by loan-to-value on a commercial property, then compare CRE, SBA 504, and bridge offers from 50 lenders.
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Term loan vs. line of credit
Both fund a business — but one is a lump sum with fixed payments, the other is revolving capital you draw as needed. Here is how to choose.
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Invoice factoring vs. revenue-based financing
Both turn future money into cash today, but they underwrite completely differently. One advances your unpaid invoices; the other advances against your sales.
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SBA loan vs. conventional term loan
SBA loans offer the lowest rates and longest terms in commercial lending — but they take longer to fund. A conventional term loan trades a higher rate for speed.
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Line of credit vs. revenue-based financing
Both flex with your business, but a line of credit is reusable revolving capital, while revenue-based financing is a lump sum repaid as a share of sales.
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Equipment financing vs. equipment leasing
Both put equipment in your hands without paying cash upfront — but one builds ownership while the other keeps payments low and flexible.
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SBA 7(a) vs. SBA 504
Both are government-backed and low-rate, but 7(a) is the flexible all-purpose loan while 504 is built specifically for major fixed assets.
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Financing marketplace vs. going to a bank
Applying to one bank means one set of criteria and one answer. A marketplace puts your application in front of 50 lenders that compete for it.
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Financing marketplace vs. a loan broker
A broker shops your deal manually, often to a handful of relationships. A marketplace routes it to 50 lenders instantly and shows you every offer.
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