Small Business Loans
Small business loans are financing options that give your business capital to operate, grow, or seize an opportunity, from term loans and lines of credit to revenue advances, equipment financing, and SBA loans. There is no single "best" loan; the right one depends on what you need the money for, how fast you need it, and how your business is doing. Custom Capital Advisors is a financing brokerage, not a lender. We listen first, help you compare the options honestly, connect you with the right lender, and handle the paperwork with you.
What are small business loans?
"Small business loan" is an umbrella term for several different financing products, each built for a different situation. Some give you a lump sum you repay over time. Some are revolving, so you draw and repay as needed. Some are fast and repay from your sales. Some are backed by a government guarantee for longer terms and lower ongoing cost. The skill is not finding a loan; it is matching the right product to your actual need, which is the part we do with you.
What types of small business loans are there?
The options we most often help businesses compare include:
- Business term loan: a lump sum repaid on a fixed schedule, good for a defined, one-time need.
- Business line of credit: revolving capital you draw and repay as needed, good for recurring or unpredictable cash needs.
- Revenue advance: fast working capital repaid from a share of your sales, good when speed matters and the need is short-term.
- SBA loans: government-backed financing with longer terms and lower ongoing cost, good when you can plan a few weeks ahead.
- Equipment financing and asset-based financing: capital tied to specific assets or collateral.
Which one fits depends on your goal, your timeline, and your numbers. That is the conversation we walk through before anything is submitted.
How do you qualify for a small business loan?
Requirements vary by product and lender, but most look at some mix of your time in business, revenue and cash flow, credit profile, and any collateral. Faster products lean more on revenue and less on credit; longer-term and SBA options ask for more documentation in exchange for better terms. Meeting the basics does not guarantee approval, and we will never tell you it does before a lender reviews your file. What we can do is give you a straight read on which options are realistic for your situation. See our guide to business loan requirements for a product-by-product breakdown of what each one looks at, and compare working capital options when the need is operating cash rather than a long-term asset.
How do you choose the right small business loan?
Start with the job the money needs to do. A one-time purchase points toward a term loan; recurring gaps point toward a line of credit; a fast, short-term need points toward a revenue advance; a long-lived investment you can plan for points toward an SBA loan. Then weigh speed against cost: faster money generally costs more. Our role is to make that trade-off clear and recommend the fit that serves your business, even when that means steering you away from the product you first asked about. See our guide to what business financing actually costs for the arithmetic behind the comparison.
How fast can you get a small business loan?
It depends entirely on the product. Some options can fund in as little as a few business days; others, like SBA loans, often take several weeks in exchange for better terms. A clean, well-prepared file is what makes any of them move faster, and we help you get it right the first time.
What credit score do you need for a small business loan?
There is no single cutoff, because the answer moves with the product. Bank and SBA files are the most credit-sensitive and generally want the strongest personal credit on the list. Term loans sit in the middle. Revenue-based products lean hardest on deposit history and least on the score, which is why a business with uneven credit and steady sales often has options a bank would not offer.
What matters as much as the number is the story behind it. A score pulled down by one medical collection three years ago reads differently to an underwriter than a score pulled down by four recent late payments on active trade lines. We would rather look at the file than guess from a number, and we will tell you where you actually stand before you apply anywhere.
If your credit is the thing you are worried about, say so on the first call. It changes which lenders we approach and it changes them early, before anyone pulls anything. For the product-by-product picture, see what lenders look for on a business loan file.
What are the usual minimums: time in business, monthly revenue, and deposits?
Most small business lenders publish a floor on three things, and the floors move by product rather than by lender:
- Time in business. The shortest programs start around six months of operating history. Bank and SBA programs generally want years, not months.
- Monthly revenue and deposits. Revenue-based products read your business bank statements directly, so consistent monthly deposits matter more than a single strong month. Lumpy deposit history is the most common reason a file that looks fine on paper comes back with a smaller offer than expected.
- Down payment or equity contribution. Purchase-driven files (acquisitions, equipment, real estate) often expect the borrower to put something in. Working capital files usually do not.
We will not tell you that meeting the minimums means you are approved, because it does not. Minimums get a file read. Underwriting decides the rest, and it decides it after documents.
How quickly can you get funding after applying for a small business loan?
Speed is set by the product and by how fast the documents arrive, in that order.
- Revenue-based and working capital files: decisions in as little as 4 hours, funding as fast as 24 hours once documents are complete.
- Term loans and lines of credit: typically a few business days.
- Equipment and asset-backed files: days to a couple of weeks, depending on what is being financed and how it is titled.
- SBA: weeks to months. It is the slowest option on the list and usually the cheapest one, and that trade is the whole point of it.
The single biggest delay we see is not the lender. It is a file that arrives with three months of bank statements instead of six, or with a tax return missing a schedule. Send the complete package once and the timeline above is realistic. For the product-by-product breakdown, see our guide to how fast a business can get funded.
How do you decide between different small business loan providers?
Compare four things, in this order, and ignore the headline number until you have all four.
- Total cost rather than the headline rate. Ask for the total dollars repaid, including origination and any fees rolled into the balance. Two offers with the same stated rate can differ by thousands once the fees land.
- Remittance shape. Daily, weekly and monthly remittance feel completely different against a real cash flow cycle, even at identical cost.
- What happens if you need more later. Some structures make a second facility straightforward. Others make it close to impossible without paying off the first.
- Who you are actually talking to. Ask directly whether the person on the phone is the lender or is placing your file with one, and how they are paid either way.
We are a brokerage, so on that last point: we are not a direct lender. We place files with a network of funding partners and we are paid by the funding source when a deal closes. You should ask that question of everyone you talk to, including us.
If you want the landscape rather than a shortlist, we wrote it up by industry: see financing by industry, including wholesale and distribution and professional services.
Common Questions
Compare your financing options
Every option below fits a different situation. Here is how they compare at a glance, then we help you pick the right one.
| Financing type | Best for | Typical amount | Speed to fund | Repayment | Cost structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue advance | Fast cash when you have steady sales | Scaled to your monthly revenue | Often a few business days | A set share of your daily or weekly sales | Factor rate (a fixed total cost), typically higher |
| Business term loan | A defined, one-time purchase | Broad range by lender and profile | A few days to a few weeks | Fixed payments over a set term | Interest rate over the term |
| Business line of credit | Recurring or unpredictable cash needs | A revolving credit limit | Varies by lender | Interest only on what you draw | Interest on the drawn balance, plus possible fees |
| SBA loan | Long-term needs at the lowest ongoing cost, when you can plan a few weeks ahead | Up to $5M on the 7(a) program | Often several weeks | Long terms (up to 10 years working capital, up to 25 years real estate) | Base rate plus a lender spread, typically lower |
| Equipment financing | Buying equipment or machinery | Tied to the equipment value | A few days to a few weeks | Fixed payments over a set term | Interest, with the equipment as collateral |
| Bridge loan | A short-term gap with a clear, defined payoff coming | Varies by exit strength and collateral | Often a few business days | Short term, repaid when your expected funds arrive | Higher, priced for speed and a short horizon |
| Invoice factoring | Unlocking cash from unpaid invoices | Tied to your outstanding receivables | Often a few business days | Settled when your customer pays the invoice | A factoring fee on the invoice value |
Not sure which fits? That is what we do. Start a conversation and we will find the right fit for your business.
Ready to talk it through?
If you are exploring small business loans, let's figure out together which option actually fits before you apply for anything. No pressure, no promises about rates or approval, just a straight read on your options. Start a conversation or learn how our capital consulting works.
Last updated: August 2026