What it takes to qualify

Being declined without being told the bar is the most common complaint operators have about this industry. So here is the bar.

Requirement	Typical minimum	What it really means
Time in business	6 months	Some funders go to 3 months at reduced amounts. Under 3 months, almost nothing is available except equipment financing against the asset.
Monthly revenue	$10,000	Consistency matters more than size. Fifteen thousand every month reads better than forty, then two, then thirty.
Business bank account	Required	Deposits are the underwriting. Running revenue through a personal account disqualifies you from most products.
Personal credit (FICO)	500+	Below 600 narrows the options and raises the cost. Above 680 opens lines, term loans and SBA.
Negative days	Few, explained	Occasional negative balance days are survivable. A pattern of them is the single most common reason a file is declined.
Existing advances	Disclose	Funders will see them in your statements regardless. An undisclosed advance ends the application and the relationship.
Industry	Most	A handful of categories are restricted by most funders. We will tell you on the first call rather than after a week.

If you fall short

One weak line on a file is usually fixable. Here is what each one actually calls for.

Under six months in business Equipment financing can work from day one, since the asset secures it. For anything else, month six changes the pricing enough to be worth waiting for.
Revenue below $10,000 a month Check whether all revenue actually runs through the business account. A surprising share of shortfalls turn out to be bookkeeping rather than trading.
Credit under 600 Advances and factoring weigh deposits far more heavily than score. Both get placed well below 600 regularly.
Frequent negative days Three clean months changes a file more than any other single action. If the need can wait a quarter, waiting is the cheapest thing you can do.
An advance already outstanding Say so up front. Some funders will consider a second position. None will forgive discovering it themselves.
A restricted industry Ask before you apply. One call is usually enough to tell you whether the category is placeable.

Three to six months of business bank statements. All pages, including blank ones, because funders reject partial sets.
Basic business details. Legal name, entity type, EIN, industry, time in business.
A driver's licence or ID for the owner, at the offer stage.
A voided business cheque at funding, for the deposit account.

That is the full list for most products. Term loans ask for more, and SBA asks for a great deal more. None of it is needed to get a first read.

Apply and find out, or call and ask first. Both are free, and neither commits you to anything.