Current Business Environment Makes Running a Business These Days More Challenging than Ever

In today's world, running a small to mid-sized business, or any business for that matter, can be challenging. Oftentimes business owners may find it challenging to juggle the demands of overhead, payroll, and other upfront expenses, with both their current financing requirements and their future business working capital needs.

This is where a Merchant Cash Advance, Term Loan, or other rapid unsecured working capital funding options can become very useful. In the past, merchant cash advances were only for businesses that did a large percentage of their sales through credit card transactions. However, with today's merchant cash advance or business cash advance, this is no longer the case.

No Credit Card Merchant Account Needed

When the merchant cash advance or business cash advance initially came into the business world as an option for USA business owners, the business owner would sell their future credit card sales to the merchant cash advance or MCA company, who would then proceed to take daily payments from the merchant's credit card processing merchant account.

With the advent of ACH (automated clearing house processing), this same principle could be used to advance funds to businesses that perhaps had zero credit card sales. Instead of taking payments from the business owner's credit card processing merchant account, (thus the reason for the name, "merchant cash advance,") they can now take payments from their business account via automatic ACH debits, on a predetermined and contracted payment schedule.

Because of this, funding companies that offer merchant cash advance working capital products, are not technically lenders. Their product is not legally a loan, and they will stipulate that very clearly in their contracts. Instead, they are providing an "advance against future accounts receivables." This is the key difference between a small business loan and a merchant cash advance.

So, therefore, you can understand that a merchant cash advance is very different from traditional small business loans. As, well they are not a line of credit, although here at AmeriCapital Solutions we do have one MCA funding network partner who has a program that can almost be used like a revolving line of credit. However, since it is not actually a business line of credit, you can get much higher approval amounts and be approved with much lower credit scores.

Anyway, back to merchant cash advances. If you are a business owner who could use increased merchant cash flow control options, a merchant cash advance or business cash advance might be exactly what you need to solve these business needs.

This is especially true if you have a seasonal business where sales fluctuate depending on the time of year. If so, you may decide to get a merchant cash advance to help you through the slow times until business picks back up.

Also, if you are a construction company for example, (contractors in the trades often find themselves in situations where a merchant cash advance can be a good cash flow tool) you may have a large project where you need to be able to front the cost of materials, labor, and other expenses, while having to wait for 30, 60, 90 days or perhaps more, to get paid or to get your first draw from the construction loan provider.

In this scenario, the potential financial losses of not taking a merchant cash advance MCA, may be far more expensive than the cost of money if you do take the merchant cash advance. It's all about ROI or return on investment. If the money is making you two and a half to three times per month what the money is costing you, it is definitely worth the expense. Especially if you are not able to qualify for cheaper small business funding elsewhere.

Other than the difference in the method by which payments are made, everything else about a business cash advance is exactly the same as a merchant cash advance. Business loan brokers, like us here at AmeriCapital Solutions, generally just refer to both of them as an MCA or merchant cash advance, even though technically there is a distinction between the two.

In some ways, a merchant cash advance might seem like a normal short-term business loan, minus the more frequent payments which can sometimes be daily (5 business days a week). But it definitely isn't. Also, a regular business loan could be made to a startup company, though they rarely are. Business and merchant cash advances require an existing business that has at least 4 to 6 months of receivables that it can document.

How Does a Business Cash Advance Work?

Remember earlier that we discussed how a business cash advance, is actually a purchase of future receivables, or of future sales. However, even though it is legally not a loan, it essentially functions as an unsecured loan. By this I mean that you are given money, lent money, that was not yours, and it is going to cost you money to use that money.

If you accept a business cash advance or merchant cash advance, you will have your funded amount, or the amount of money you were advanced, or essentially lent, and you will have your "payback amount." The payback amount will be the principal amount that you received, plus the funder's fee, which will be represented as a "factor rate." That factor rate is your interest, so to speak.

So, the contract with the MCA company will not stipulate an interest rate to you and they do not use an APR or annual percentage rate.

What is a Factor Rate?

When you receive your merchant cash advance contract you will see, in this example, that it may say, "ABC Company approved for $100,000 at a 1.25 factor rate. The payback amount is $125,000." So, your cost of money on that $100,000 will be $25,000, which incidentally is a $25,000 tax write-off for the business. You probably noticed that if you multiply the funded amount by the factor rate, that you come up with the payback amount.

This is how you determine what your flat rate or simple interest rate is. It is not an annual percentage rate or APR like your vehicle or home loan, where you are paying a certain amount of interest annually or per year on the borrowed capital.

You are paying back a specific amount of interest, on the funded dollar amount. In the 1.25 factor rate example, your interest, even though the do not call it interest, is 25% of $100,000.

The cost of Money on an MCA is Not Legally Speaking called Interest.

Once again, technically or legally speaking, this factor rate is not called interest. But for all intents and purposes, it is functionally the same thing. It's the money you spend to use the lender's money. You could also call it the "cost of the money." It has become a very popular sector of small business financing because it is very profitable to the funding companies and their investors.

Anyway, once the business owner is funded, their payments immediately begin to be collected utilizing the ACH payment method. If you are on a daily payback contract, you will have to pay your first daily pay installment the very next day. If you are on a weekly payment schedule you will have to make your first weekly installment exactly 1 week after you are funded.

But not all business cash advances or BCA contracts are daily or weekly. They could also potentially be twice a week, 3 times a week, bi-weekly, or in rare cases even monthly.

At the end of each month, the funding company does a reconciliation if necessary. If the business owner's sales are less than the minimum set sales percentages specified in the contract, then the funder may actually owe a refund back to the business owner's bank account.

However, this rarely happens, and many funders will not automatically do it. If you, the business owner, are not staying on top of things, they may just keep taking the same payment amount out no matter what, unless you force them to do otherwise.

What Are the Benefits of Business Cash Advances and Merchant Cash Advances?

Unlike a bank, a business merchant cash advance can potentially fund to your business account as fast as the same day that you applied. It is almost impossible to get same-day funding from a traditional bank, credit union, or other conventional lenders.

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Funding can be extended to merchants that have bad credit. If you have poor credit, you may still be able to get approved for an MCA or BCA to assist in supporting your business's future, as the funding is more based upon your daily revenue, weekly revenue, and monthly revenue, than it is on your credit score.

However, if you do have a good credit score, you can expect lower rates or a lower factor rate. Remember, the cost of money on a business cash advance is technically not an interest rate, even though it basically is an interest rate, if that makes sense.

Also, even though 3 years is probably the maximum term you will ever see, there is no legal limit for the term, short or long, when it comes to an MCA or BCA.

The application process is very easy. Usually, just a one-page application and 3 to 6 months of bank statements can get you approved. For higher dollar amounts, $150,000 or above, you may have to provide a tax return as well.

If you default on the loan, you are not reported to the credit agencies. However, if you make your payments on time as agreed, that is not reported either.

Also, the funding is never secured by your personal assets. An SBA loan (which is a bank business loan that is backed by the Small Business Administration) will lien all of your assets including personal real estate, even though the loan is supposed to be a loan to just your business.

However, with a merchant cash advance or business cash advance, the money is essentially completely unsecured by any assets at all. The contract may legally be for a "purchase of your future sales," but if you stop having sales and don't pay, there is not any asset that the cash advance companies can repossess or foreclose on.

As well most MCA's and BCA's do not require a personal guarantee. There are a few cash advance lenders that will offer you a better rate and terms though if you are willing to make a personal guarantee.

Finally, with MCAs and BCAs, you can use the funds for anything you want. How you spend your lump sum of working capital is entirely up to you. However, prior to actually receiving the funds, the underwriter for the funding company will ask you how you intend to use the money.

If you do not tell them legitimate business uses for the money, they could kill the deal. However, once funded, you are left alone to spend the money as you see fit.

No Two Businesses Are the Same

Business owners in the USA all have different circumstances, time in business, credit, revenue, etc.... Oftentimes, situations may arise where credit cards are not enough in the way of business financing options, to help them bridge a financial gap. Some have bad credit or challenged credit.

While traditional small business financing loans have the cheapest cost of money, access to those loans is restricted by a very low risk tolerance that conventional lenders are notorious for.

No Collateral? No Loan.

If you do not have real estate, or other collateral, and/or you have a type of business that they do not prefer to do business with, they tend to not be flexible at all. This is where merchant cash advance and business cash advance financing companies provide a viable short-term solution for a relatively high percentage of businesses in the USA that need access to more flexible options.

Breakdown of Why Many USA Business Owners Use Merchant Cash Advance MCA Style Financing Options and What those Options Include

Small Business Owner has a Low Credit Score

Most Bank and Credit Union Business Financing Options, including online banks as well, are not flexible when it comes to providing access to funding for businesses where the owner has a credit score less than 650 to 700. Their lending criteria is very strict, in this regard, and based upon an extremely low risk tolerance.

They are also somewhat overwhelmed with business financing applications and are not willing to spend even a few hours working on underwriting a file for businesses that do not meet those minimum credit requirements.

Visit our Website to Request Your Free Funding Programs Overview PDF Today

Small Business Owner has Less Than Two Years of Time in Business

25% of new USA businesses fail in 2 years or less. Because of this, most conventional business financing lenders prevent access to their loans to any business that has not made it past this 2-year benchmark.

However, Merchant cash advance MCA and BCA business funding companies can provide small business owners with financing options when they have as few as 3 months in business. Small businesses can apply online 24 hours a day for merchant cash advances, and the business loan brokers tend to work more flexible hours than most banks.

A very high percentage of small business loans and financing options from conventional lenders suffer from that fact that banks do not like to lend unsecured working capital or other unsecured financing, as it is much higher risk for them. There is nothing they can take to regain some of their money if the borrower defaults.

Visit our Website to Request Your Free Funding Programs Overview PDF Today

Even though they may very well have the ability to pay back loans in a timely manner, they still do not qualify for access to traditional bank financing, due to the lack of real estate assets to secure the loan.

Add to that, that they also do not have much in the way of business credit established either, and the odds of them finding access to traditional financing goes down to pretty much a factor of zero.

An MCA is the Fastest Funding You Can Get

Sometimes small businesses encounter a situation where the credit available to them on a monthly credit card for example, is not going to be enough for them to bridge the gap.

They find themselves in need of a lump sum of cash in order to solve a serious problem, that will be far more expensive to them than even very high interest money, or perhaps even devastating to their business.

Unexpected Hyper-Profitable Business Opportunities

Another scenario that may occur, is that USA business owners, particularly in certain industries, like construction for example, may have a potentially very profitable opportunity come across their path, but they need to be able to come up with some capital very quickly, perhaps in 24 hours or less, in order to take advantage of it.

Visit our Website to Request Your Free Funding Programs Overview PDF Today

In this situation a bank will not be able to help them. But, if they have a relationship with a good business loan broker and funding facilitation connection, such as AmeriCapital Solutions, they basically have working capital on speed dial or in their back pocket so-to-speak, whenever they might need it.

Easy and Convenient Application Process

Business owners can apply online or give us a call, and we can sometimes have them funded as fast as the same day.

Because we can facilitate all types of funding, including an MCA or BCA, we do not care if they accept credit cards or not, and we are much more forgiving of prior issues in their credit history.

Visit our Website to Request Your Free Funding Programs Overview PDF Today

Remember that an MCA or merchant cash advance, requires that the business does a large percentage of its business by accepting credit card payments. However, with a BCA, it does not matter if they accept credit card payments or not, as payments are debited from their business bank account and not from their credit card processing merchant account.

Things to Consider

Are you a small business owner that does a lot of revenue in credit card sales? If so, if ever a situation arises where you need capital quickly, AmeriCapital Solutions is your gateway to the best short term MCA merchant cash advance funders in the industry.

You can apply online quickly with us, have your own dedicated personal representative, get funded as fast as 24 to 48 hours, payments conveniently are taken from your credit card sales, and your small business gets the working capital it needs, when it needs it, and not two to three months or more down the road, as with conventional bank business loans.

Establish and Build Your Business Credit

AmeriCapital Solutions can even consult with you to build and improve your business credit. Establishing good business credit can give small business owners access to many more small business loan options and even revolving line of credit options, down the road.

Visit our Website to Request Your Free Funding Programs Overview PDF Today

We can also provide you with a list of easy accounts that you can open, that will help you to establish business credit tradelines that automatically report to the business credit monitoring and scoring bureaus like Dun and Bradstreet and Experian Business Credit. Because, while an MCA or merchant cash advance can be a good option for certain scenarios, there are also many situations where it is not a good option at all.

Time is going to pass whether you do anything or not. So, you may as well be building the business credit and personal credit necessary to qualify for as many other small business loan options as possible, as your business grows and gains more time in business.

We can Save You Money on Your Credit Card Processing to

No Credit Card Sales?

We still have you taken care of. Almost every MCA (merchant cash advance) funder these days will also do a BCA or business cash advance as well. As mentioned before, unlike an MCA (merchant cash advance), with a BCA, you do not need accept credit or have credit card sales.

They also are very lenient in regard to your credit history, as long as you have reasonably consistent cash flow and good average daily balances in your business account. They of course need to be confident that you will have the funds available for the automatic ACH daily or weekly payments.

Your approval amount will be based on the corresponding payment amount that their underwriters determine from the cash flow they can observe in your bank statements. Whatever payment amount they feel your small business can afford, that will be how they decide what your maximum approval amount is.

Visit our Website to Request Your Free Funding Programs Overview PDF Today

Other Business Loan Options

But theres more! Here at AmeriCapital Solutions, we can help your business with much more than just access to a merchant cash advance when needed. Unlike our competitors, we can facilitate any and all business loan and funding products.

AmeriCapital Solutions Funding Products Include:

Unsecured Working Capital up to $2-Million as Fast as 48 Hours

Conventional Business Loans Including SBA up to $25-Million (Sometimes More)

Commercial Real Estate Loans

New or Used Equipment Financing

Mergers & Acquisitions Funding

Business Lines of Credit up to $3-Million - Only pay interest on what you draw when you have a need.

Unsecured Term Loans

Purchase Order Financing

Invoice Factoring/AR Financing​

We Give You Access to:

Banks & Credit Unions

Equipment Lenders

Private Lenders

Unsecured Working Capital Lenders

Unsecured Credit Line Lenders

Commercial Real Estate Lenders (Conventional and Private Money)

Hard Money Lenders and both Single-Family and Multi-Family Real Estate Investment Lenders

Fix & Flip Lenders

0% Business Credit Cards up to $100,000

Home Equity Loans and Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC)

Equity Lines of Credit and Equity Loans on Investment Properties

And More...

Contact us Today for a Free Zero Stress No Pressure Consultation

We are happy to help, even if you are just doing research. Either visit our website in the link above or text your name and email to (760) 205-9046 to receive a Free Funding Programs Overview PDF which will provide you a good snapshot of all of your options with a brief easy to read and understand summery of each one.

Written by Rodney Wood - Senior Business Funding Consultant for AmeriCapital Solutions and the Oasis Funding Network

Call/Text (442) 222-9429