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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
No-Money-Down Equipment Financing: When 100% Is Realistic
When 100% equipment financing is realistic, when lenders require a down payment, and how $0 down changes your payment — with two worked examples.
9 min readRead →
Equipment Loan Requirements: Documents Checklist for 2026
What lenders actually require for equipment loans — bank statements, vendor quotes, serial numbers, and separate paths for startups, used gear, and big-ticket assets.
10 min readRead →
SBA 7(a) Collateral Requirements: What Lenders Can Take
What counts as collateral on an SBA 7(a) loan — UCC liens, personal real estate, guaranties — and why a collateral shortfall alone doesn't kill a deal.
8 min readRead →
SBA Express Loan Requirements & How to Apply (2026)
What SBA Express actually changes: $500,000 cap, 36-hour SBA response, lender underwriting, eligible uses, documents, and honest alternatives.
7 min readRead →
SBA 504 Loan Requirements: Eligibility & Documents Checklist
What it takes to qualify for an SBA 504 loan: operating-business rules, occupancy, down payment, job goals, and the full document checklist.
8 min readRead →
How to Compare Business Loan Offers Side by Side
Got multiple business loan offers? Learn how to normalize APR vs. factor rates, total payback, and payment terms — plus fine-print red flags to catch.
7 min readRead →
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.
6 min readRead →
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.
6 min readRead →
Loan Types
Heavy Equipment Financing Rates, Terms & Down Payments
What heavy equipment financing really costs in 2026: how rates are set, typical terms by asset, and down payments for new, used, auction, and private-party deals.
8 min readRead →
Used Equipment Financing Rates and Requirements
How used-equipment financing rates are set, what lenders inspect, realistic down payments and terms, plus payment examples for older machinery.
6 min readRead →
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.
6 min readRead →
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.
5 min readRead →
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.
6 min readRead →
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.
7 min readRead →
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.
7 min readRead →
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.
8 min readRead →
Costs & Comparisons
Equipment Financing Rates: What Determines Your Quote
See what actually moves equipment financing rates — asset type, age, term, credit, revenue, and down payment — with three worked payment examples.
8 min readRead →
SBA Loan Down Payments: 7(a), 504 & Acquisition Rules
How much you really need down for an SBA 7(a) or 504 loan — equity injection rules, seller notes, gifted funds, and acquisition scenarios explained.
7 min readRead →
Invoice Factoring vs. Invoice Financing: Key Differences
Invoice factoring vs invoice financing compared on ownership, collections, recourse, customer notice, cost, control, and qualification.
5 min readRead →
Recourse vs. Non-Recourse Factoring: Who Takes the Risk?
Recourse and non-recourse factoring compared by bad-debt risk, insolvency coverage, disputes, reserves, fees, contract language, and examples.
5 min readRead →
Current SBA 504 Loan Rates: How the Rate Is Built
Current SBA 504 rate context, the bank-plus-CDC structure, fees, payment examples, and what actually changes your final commercial real estate quote.
5 min readRead →
SBA Loan Fees and the 7(a) Guaranty Fee Explained
SBA 7(a) guaranty fees, lender charges, closing costs, annual service fees, and a worked example using the current fiscal-year verification process.
5 min readRead →
Section 179 + Equipment Financing: Deduct It All This Year
Financed equipment can still qualify for the full Section 179 deduction. Limits, lease vs. loan treatment, timing rules, and a worked example.
7 min readRead →
Business Loan Monthly Payments: Real Numbers, $50K to $1M
See actual monthly payments on $50K–$1M business loans across SBA, term, and short-term structures — plus how to calculate what your revenue can support.
7 min readRead →
By Use Case
SBA 504 Loans for Commercial Real Estate: The Full Playbook
How the SBA 504 capital stack works for buying or building commercial real estate: occupancy rules, eligible costs, timing, and a full project example.
8 min readRead →
Buy vs. Lease Commercial Property: The Rent-vs-Own Math
A side-by-side 10-year cost comparison of leasing vs. buying your building with an SBA 504 loan, plus the break-even scenarios where buying wins or loses.
8 min readRead →
Business Acquisition Loans: How to Finance Buying a Business
How to finance buying a business — SBA 7(a) acquisition loans, down payments, seller financing, what lenders check, and realistic timelines.
7 min readRead →
Financing a Business Expansion: New Locations, Build-Outs & Hiring
How to finance a business expansion — a new location, build-out, or hiring push. Match a term loan, SBA loan, or line of credit to your growth move.
7 min readRead →
Business Debt Consolidation & Refinancing: Escape High-Cost Debt
Stacked merchant cash advances draining your cash? See how business debt consolidation rolls high-cost debt into one lower, longer payment — and how to qualify.
6 min readRead →
Inventory Financing: How to Fund Stock Without Tying Up Cash
How inventory financing works, and how to fund stock without draining your cash. Compare inventory loans, lines of credit, and purchase-order financing for your business.
7 min readRead →
Partner Buyout Financing: How to Buy Out a Business Partner
How to finance a partner buyout — why these deals are fundable, why SBA 7(a) is the go-to, the valuation step, deal structure, and timeline to close.
8 min readRead →
Payroll Financing: How to Cover Payroll When Cash Is Tight
How to make payroll when cash is tight — compare a line of credit, revenue-based financing, and invoice factoring, and fund in as little as a day.
7 min readRead →
By Industry
Daycare Business Loans: Licensing, Build-Outs, Buses & Payroll
How to finance a daycare or childcare center — licensing costs, facility build-outs, buses, payroll gaps, and why SBA 504 often fits real estate.
8 min readRead →
Salon & Spa Financing: Chairs, Build-Outs & Slow Seasons
How salons, spas, and barbershops finance build-outs, equipment, and slow-season cash — and how booth-rental vs. commission models change what lenders count.
8 min readRead →
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.
7 min readRead →
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.
7 min readRead →
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.
6 min readRead →
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.
6 min readRead →
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.
6 min readRead →
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.
7 min readRead →
By Situation
Business Loans After Bankruptcy: What's Realistic and When
An honest, timeline-based guide to getting a business loan after bankruptcy — what's fundable at 0-2, 2-4, and 4+ years, and which products actually approve.
7 min readRead →
Business Grants vs. Loans: Free Money or Faster Money?
A realistic look at business grants vs loans: where grants actually exist in the US and Canada, how competitive they are, and when borrowing is the smarter path.
7 min readRead →
How to Get Out of a Merchant Cash Advance: Escape Guide
Trapped in daily MCA debits or stacked positions? Learn how to calculate your real payoff cost and the refinance and consolidation paths that buy out an MCA.
7 min readRead →
Seasonal Business Financing: Fund Slow Months & Peak Inventory
How seasonal businesses size a credit line to the off-season, time inventory buys, and match repayment to revenue cycles. Includes a cash-flow timing worksheet.
6 min readRead →
Franchise Financing: How to Fund a Franchise (SBA, Startup & Beyond)
What opening a franchise really costs — franchise fee, build-out, equipment, and working capital — and which funding covers each, from SBA 7(a) to startup capital.
7 min readRead →
Small Business Loans for Women & Veteran-Owned Businesses
Funding a women-owned or veteran-owned business — the myth of a separate 'women's rate,' the real SBA programs, grants vs. debt, and which products actually fit.
7 min readRead →
Startup Capital: How New Businesses Get Funded (Even Pre-Revenue)
How new and pre-revenue businesses get funded — debt vs. equity, what underwriters look at before you have revenue, and realistic products and amounts by stage.
7 min readRead →
Credit & Strategy
The 5 Cs of Credit: How Business Lenders Underwrite You
Capacity, capital, collateral, conditions, and character — how business lenders actually weigh each C, with DSCR math and a self-audit checklist.
7 min readRead →
How Big Should Your Business Line of Credit Be?
A practical framework for sizing a business line of credit: cash conversion cycle math, worst-90-days gap analysis, and how lenders set limits.
8 min readRead →
Collateral for Business Loans: What Counts & How It's Valued
Learn which assets qualify as collateral, how lenders discount their value, what UCC and blanket liens mean, and options if you have nothing to pledge.
6 min readRead →
Personal Guarantees on Business Loans: What You Sign
A plain-English guide to personal guarantees on business loans: limited vs. unlimited vs. joint-and-several, when lenders require them, and how to negotiate.
6 min readRead →
What Credit Score Do You Need for a Business Loan?
Minimum FICO and business credit score ranges by loan type—SBA, bank, online term loans, lines of credit, equipment, and factoring—plus how lenders weigh score vs. revenue.
6 min readRead →
Personal vs. Business Credit: What Lenders Actually Check
When lenders pull your personal FICO vs. business credit (Paydex, Intelliscore), why personal guarantees still apply, and how to build both for cheaper financing.
6 min readRead →
How to Build Business Credit: A Step-by-Step Playbook
A practical playbook for building business credit from scratch — separating it from personal credit, the setup steps, the bureaus that matter, and why it pays off.
7 min readRead →
Guides
Small Business Loans in Canada: A Complete Guide
How small business financing works in Canada — CSBFP vs. SBA, Canadian credit bureaus, typical lender rates and terms, and cross-border gotchas.
8 min readRead →
CalculatorsAll calculators →
Business loan calculator
Estimate what your business could qualify for across term loans, lines of credit, SBA, and revenue-based financing — then compare firm offers from 50 lenders in one application.
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SBA loan payment calculator
Estimate an SBA loan payment from the amount, term, and expected annual rate, then verify program fees separately and compare offers from participating SBA lenders.
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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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Equipment financing calculator
Estimate monthly payments, total interest, and amount financed for new or used equipment with 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year terms.
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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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Merchant cash advance and factor rate calculator
Convert a factor rate into the true effective APR and total payback on revenue-based financing or an MCA — then compare firm 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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ComparisonsAll comparisons →
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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By Industry
Equipment financing for Trucking & Freight
How trucking companies compare equipment financing from 50 lenders in one application.
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Equipment financing for Construction & Contracting
How construction companies compare equipment financing from 50 lenders in one application.
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Equipment financing for Medical & Dental Practices
How medical and dental practices compare equipment financing from 50 lenders in one application.
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Invoice factoring for Staffing & Recruiting
How staffing agencies compare invoice factoring from 50 lenders in one application.
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Invoice factoring for Trucking & Freight
How trucking companies compare invoice factoring from 50 lenders in one application.
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SBA loans for Franchises
How franchisees compare an SBA loan from 50 lenders in one application.
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SBA loans for Restaurants & Food Service
How restaurants compare an SBA loan from 50 lenders in one application.
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Business term loans for Construction & Contracting
How construction companies compare a business term loan from 50 lenders in one application.
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Reference
Business Financing Glossary
130+ loan and lending terms explained in plain English — searchable, with each term linked to the right product, calculator, or guide.
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NAICS Code Lookup
Find your NAICS code by industry or number — the code lenders and the SBA ask for when you apply. Searchable, with official Census links.
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