Merchant Cash Advance in the Capital Region

What an advance is, in one paragraph

A merchant cash advance is usually structured as an advance against the sales your business expects to make, rather than a conventional loan built around a payment schedule and a credit history. Depending on the structure, repayment comes from a share of daily receipts or follows a set schedule. The offer states which applies and the total you will repay. That total, not the amount you receive, is the number to compare.

Capital Region businesses that tend to ask about advances

• Restaurants and cafes near government and college calendars. The region is anchored by state government, health care and education, so foot traffic follows work weeks, legislative sessions and semesters. Slow stretches in the summer or around holidays can leave a kitchen short of cash while rent keeps coming due.
• Contractors who work for institutions. Hospitals, colleges and agencies are dependable customers, but their payment cycles are slow. Meanwhile, labor and materials are paid weekly.
• Retailers building stock. The bill for inventory arrives long before the sales it supports.
• Technology and electronics suppliers. Since 2020 the area's economy has leaned toward nanotechnology and digital electronics. A small supplier in that world, like any parts business, tends to pay for components before its own invoices are paid.

Questions to ask of any offer

When an advance is the wrong tool

If you can name a one-time asset purchase with a long life, such as a truck, equipment or a build-out, a different structure usually fits it better than an advance sized to the short term. If the business loses money every month, new money delays the problem. An advance suits short, specific needs where the money earns more than it costs: a stock buy ahead of a busy period, an urgent repair, a payroll gap before a big invoice lands.

Applying

Funding runs from $25,000 to $5,000,000 and can arrive in as little as 24 hours once the file is complete. FICO 500+ is considered, the credit pull is soft, and we ask for about three months of business bank statements rather than tax returns. Sole proprietors can apply. The application takes about five minutes.