Small business loans. Where to find capital, what it costs.
Most small businesses do not need or qualify for venture capital. They need a loan or line of credit to fund growth, equipment, real estate, or working capital. This guide covers the full small-business financing landscape: SBA programs, traditional bank loans, online lenders, equipment-specific financing, invoice factoring, and lines of credit. Including what each costs, who qualifies, and how long the application actually takes.
Start here.
Most common SBA loan. Up to $5M. Use for working capital, expansion, equipment, real estate. 10-25 year terms. Prime + 2-4%.
For real estate and major equipment only. Up to $5.5M. 10-25 year terms. Fixed rates.
Up to $50k. For very small businesses and underserved markets.
OnDeck, Bluevine, Funding Circle, Kabbage. Faster than SBA (days vs months) but higher rates (8-99% APR).
Revolving credit. Pay interest only on what you draw. Useful for working capital fluctuations.
The full picture.
SBA 7(a) loan
The default SBA loan. Used for almost anything: working capital, debt refinance, equipment, real estate, business acquisition, expansion. Loan amounts $50k-$5M. Terms: 10 years (working capital), 25 years (real estate). Rates: Prime + 2.25% to 4.75%. SBA guarantees 75-85% of the loan to the lender, reducing lender risk. Application takes 60-120 days. Down payment: 10-30% typical.
SBA 504 loan
For real estate and large equipment only. Three-party structure: bank lender 50%, CDC (Certified Development Company) 40%, borrower 10%. Loan up to $5.5M ($5M for manufacturing). Fixed rates over 10-25 years. Best for asset-heavy purchases.
SBA Microloan
Up to $50k. Distributed through nonprofit intermediaries. Higher rates than 7(a) but accessible to newer or smaller businesses. Good for first-time borrowers.
Traditional bank business loan
Term loans from banks without SBA guarantee. Faster than SBA. Lower amounts typically. Better rates than online lenders. Requires strong credit, time in business (typically 2+ years), and revenue.
Business line of credit
Revolving credit. Like a credit card but with higher limits and lower rates. Draw what you need, pay interest only on the drawn amount. Useful for inventory purchases, seasonal cash flow, working capital. Banks, SBA Express, and online lenders all offer.
Online business lenders
OnDeck, Bluevine, Funding Circle, Kapitus, Credibly, others. Application in minutes. Decision in 1-3 days. Funding in days. Rates: 8-99% APR (effective). Much faster than SBA, much more expensive. Good for short-term needs.
Equipment financing
Loan or lease secured by the equipment itself. The equipment is collateral, reducing risk for the lender. Lower rates than unsecured business loans. Used for vehicles, machinery, technology.
Invoice factoring
Sell outstanding invoices to a factor for immediate cash (typically 70-90% of invoice value). Factor collects from the customer. Useful for cash flow when customers pay slowly. Effective rates 10-60% annualized.
Revenue-based financing
Repayment as percentage of monthly revenue. Total repayment is a multiple of borrowed amount (1.3-2x typical). Pipe, Capchase, Stenn, Founderpath for SaaS. Clearco for ecommerce.
Business credit cards
Useful for small ongoing expenses + travel. Building business credit history. Rewards. APR 18-28%. Limits typically $5k-$50k for new businesses.
Common questions.
What financing options does a small business have?
What is an SBA loan?
What do lenders look for?
Does my business need its own credit to borrow?
How does my entity affect borrowing?
Should I use debt or raise equity?
What is a business line of credit?
How do I prepare my business to qualify for financing?
Can File.Business help me get financing-ready?
Build the foundation.
Entity, EIN, banking, cap table, contracts, books. Everything funders, lenders, and acquirers want to see.
This guide is educational. Funding decisions require professional advice from licensed attorneys and CPAs.
How we deliver, end-to-end.
Four-step path from request to confirmation. State and IRS turnaround varies; our steps run in parallel where possible to compress the timeline.
Intake + scope
You tell us what you need through a short intake form (or a call for complex matters). We confirm scope, surface any gating issues (deadlines, missing documents, entity status), and quote any state fees that pass through at cost.
Prepare + verify
Our specialists draft the filing, verify entity details against state databases, run internal QA, and route any items needing your sign-off. You see drafts before anything gets submitted.
File with the authority
We submit directly to the state Secretary of State, FinCEN, IRS, USPTO, or whichever authority your filing requires. We pay state fees at cost and track the submission identifier in your account.
Confirmation + vault
Stamped certificate, IRS notice, or filing receipt arrives in your SOC 2 encrypted document vault the moment we receive it. Next filing deadline auto-added to your compliance calendar where applicable.
Built on the same infrastructure used by 220,000+ businesses.
SOC 2 Type II audited
Independent annual security audit covering access control, change management, incident response, and data handling. Current report on request.
All 51 US jurisdictions
Every state plus DC plus Puerto Rico - direct filings, not third-party reseller. We hold registered-agent qualifications in every state we operate.
Deadline guarantee
If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. Specific to each plan and the filings it includes.
4.9 from 8,200+ verified reviews
Independently verified by Trustpilot + Google + our own NPS infrastructure. Customer success team within reach by email, chat, or phone.
60-day money-back promise
Change your mind in the first 60 days and we refund our service fee in full. State filing fees pass through at cost and are non-refundable once paid to the state.
E&O insured
Errors and omissions coverage protects you from service errors. Carrier and certificate available on request for enterprise clients.