St. Lawrence is New York's largest county by area and sits on the Canadian border. Distances are long, towns are small, and the river is a working waterway.
Apply Now →St. Lawrence County is the northernmost county in New York and the largest by area, at 2,821 square miles, which is more than Rhode Island or Delaware. The 2020 census counted 108,505 residents spread across that territory. The county seat is Canton, a village of 7,155. Massena has 10,151 residents, the city of Ogdensburg 10,064, Potsdam 8,312 and Gouverneur 3,526. Part of the Adirondack Park lies in the county, including Cranberry Lake and Lake Ozonia, and the Oswegatchie River runs through it.
With towns this far apart, a plumber, an electrician or a delivery driver may cover a long service route. Fuel, vehicle wear and unbilled drive time are part of every job, and winter makes it worse. For a contractor, a break-down 40 miles from the shop is a day lost.
The Port of Ogdensburg is the only U.S. port on the St. Lawrence Seaway, which lets ships travel to the Great Lakes. Canada lies across the river, and Massena and Ogdensburg both have airports, as does Potsdam. Border proximity means some customers, suppliers and workers cross the line regularly, and a change in crossing conditions or exchange rates can move a business's revenue. That is volatility an owner cannot control, which is a reason to hold a cash cushion.
A small excavating contractor may have $45,000 tied up in a job: a rented machine, two operators for three weeks, fuel and a truck driver, with a municipal or commercial customer that pays 45 days after completion. Over six weeks of effort and waiting, the contractor floats a sum larger than most small firms keep in the bank. This example uses round numbers to show the mechanics and is not a statement of our terms or a typical outcome.
In a county this far north, winter is not a short interruption. Construction and landscaping slow, deliveries take longer and heating bills climb. A business that earns most of its revenue between spring and fall has to carry its rent, insurance, vehicle payments and key staff through the cold months from savings or from outside funds. Writing the number down is the first step: total your fixed monthly costs, multiply by the slow months, and compare the result with the cash you expect to have on hand.
Owners who plan this in summer, when sales are strong, have more choices than those who look at it in February. Funding is easier to evaluate when your bank statements show healthy deposits.
New York Biz Funding offers $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours after approval. FICO 500 and above is considered. We review about three months of business bank statements and do not require tax returns. The application takes about five minutes with a soft credit pull, and sole proprietors can apply. Start here.
Yes. We fund operating businesses across New York, including rural areas.
Yes. Your bank statements will show the revenue.
$16 an hour, which is the upstate rate. New York City, Long Island and Westchester are at $17.
No.
Yes.
Three months of business bank statements and a 5-minute application. FICO 500+ considered. $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →It takes about two minutes and it will not affect your credit score.
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