U.S. Business Funding Review
U.S. Business Funding Reviews: Everything You Need to Know
U.S. Business Funding is an online business lender that specializes in equipment financing, working capital loans, and SBA loans. They provide anywhere between $10,000 to $2 million in capital, and can process some types of business loans in as few as seven days. Once they have all your paperwork, they can get you cash in as little as 24 hours.
Providing small business financing since 2004, U.S. Business Financing‘s objective is to serve both growing and established companies across every industry.
They’re a member of the National Equipment Finance Association and have an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. Plus, U.S. Business Funding is an approved SBA lender, so they’re able to grant loans from multiple SBA loan programs to small business owners.
What U.S. Business Funding Offers
U.S. Business Funding offers three loan programs for small business owners:
- Equipment financing
- Working capital loans
- SBA loans
They also offer a vendor financing solution, which is nice for retail business owners who want to allow their customers to buy things on credit. Considered as a whole, these programs offer the following terms:
- Rates as low as 3.5%
- Funding in as few as 24 hours
- Fast approval time
- $2 billion funded overall
Let’s take a closer look at the details of their three main programs.
Types of Funding
Equipment Financing
U.S. Business Funding’s equipment financing program can fund up to 100% of a piece of equipment that your business needs to buy to grow.
If you choose to seek equipment financing through U.S. Business Funding, or through any lender for that matter, then the equipment that you buy with the financing will act as collateral for the financing. Because you’re able to secure the financing without offering any other assets as collateral, equipment financing is a form of self-secured funding. This can also make it easier to qualify for if you have less-than-stellar business financials.
U.S. Business Funding offers equipment financing for a wide range of new and used equipment, including manufacturing equipment, computers, furniture, and commercial vehicles. They provide leases, which are a little different from equipment loans. With a lease, you basically rent the equipment for a specified period of time and typically have the option to purchase the equipment at the end of the lease.
Here are the types of equipment leases that U.S. Business Funding offers:
Fair Market Value Lease
A fair market value, or FMV, lease lets you rent equipment for low monthly payments, with the option to either turn the equipment back to the lessor at the end or purchase the equipment for the market value. This is a good option for equipment that rapidly declines in value.
Dollar Buyout Lease
A dollar buyout lease, also called a capital lease, lets you rent equipment over the term of the lease, with the option to buy the equipment at the end for a nominal amount of $1. This is similar to a traditional equipment loan and usually has a higher monthly payment than an FMV lease.
Wrap Lease
A wrap lease from U.S. Business Funding helps you consolidate financing for multiple pieces of equipment under one lease.
Sale Leaseback
A sale leaseback allows you to sell equipment that you own to U.S. Business Funding and lease it back from them. This is a good option if you want to free up some cash that’s tied up in your equipment.
Working Capital Loans
U.S. Business Funding also offers working capital loan products with the following terms:
- Rates as low as 3.5%
- Repayment terms from three months to 10 years
- Funding up to $2 million
- Funding in two to three business days (24 hours for repeat customers)
U.S. Business Funding offers products ranging from terms loans and lines of credit to merchant cash advances. One thing to note about merchant cash advances: While they’re typically easier to qualify for, they are an incredibly expensive form of debt. You will obtain an advance from the lender and then pay them back with a percentage of your daily card sales. Sounds good, but this can really eat into your daily cash flow. Plus, interest is calculated in terms of a factor rate, which can mean you’ll wind up paying back significantly more than you borrowed.
Eligibility
To qualify for U.S. Business Funding’s working capital loan products, you should meet the following requirements:
- A business history of at least one year
- A physical storefront or office location (can’t be a 100% online business)
- No outstanding bankruptcies or tax liens (unless you’re on a payment plan)
- A solid history of business revenue
- At least average credit score
If you meet these minimum requirements, you should be able to qualify for one or more of U.S. Business Funding’s working capital products. They do point out that business revenue and time in business are more important than personal credit, so you can apply even if you don’t have a great credit score.
SBA Loans
The final form of small business loan that U.S. Business Funding offers is SBA loans. These loans can offer the longest repayment terms, the lowest interest rates, and the largest loan amounts on the market. That’s because the Small Business Administration (SBA)—a government entity—provides a partial guarantee for these loans.
In other words, the SBA promises to pay back part of the loan if you default. This lowers the risk for lenders, making them more likely to loan money to small businesses and more likely to grant them favorable terms.
U.S. Business Funding participates in the SBA 7(a) loan and the SBA 7(a) Express loan program, which both offer funds for commercial real estate financing, working capital, and debt refinancing. The 7(a) Express offers faster approval and processing than the traditional 7(a) loan.
Terms
No matter which lender you go to, SBA loan rates and terms are pretty uniform across the board, because they’re regulated by the SBA.
Under the SBA’s rules, here are the terms for traditional SBA 7(a) loans:
- Loan amounts of up to $5 million
- Maximum interest rates from Prime Rate + 2.25% to Prime Rate + 4.75%, depending on the size and repayment term of the loan
- SBA guarantee fee of up to 3.75%, depending on the loan amount (waived for loans under $150,000)
- Repayment terms of up to 25 years for real estate, 10 years for equipment, and seven years for working capital
Here are the terms for SBA 7(a) Express loans:
- Loan amounts go up to $350,000
- Maximum interest rate of Prime Rate + 4.5% for loans above $50,000 and Prime Rate + 6.5%, for loans under $50,000
- Same guarantee fees as traditional SBA 7(a) loans
- Same repayment terms as traditional SBA 7(a) loans, and up to seven years for a revolving line of credit
SBA loans are an excellent product for small business owners because of their high loan amounts, low interest rates, and long repayment terms.
Eligibility
Every participating SBA lender has their own specific eligibility requirements, but in general, qualifying for an SBA loan is difficult. You have to be highly creditworthy, and lenders typically expect the following:
- Good personal credit, preferably a score above 650
- Business over two years old with steady revenue
- Some assets to offer as collateral
If you meet these criteria, you still have one more step before submitting your SBA loan application. You’ll need the following documents to apply:
- Accounts receivable aging
- Three months of business bank statements
- General information about the business (business address, phone number, business DBA, and tax ID number)
- Personal information about the business owner applying (phone number, email, personal address, social security number, date of birth, ownership percentage)
Remember, if you’re interested in an SBA loan, U.S. Business Funding is just one lender you can apply with. A multitude of large and small banks offer this loan product, and at Fundera, we can help you through the application process.
Alternatives to U.S. Business Funding
If these products sound right for your small business, but you’re not sure U.S. Business Funding’s terms do, there are dozens of small business lenders who offer all types of business financing products that may be a better fit.
Here are your top alternatives to U.S. Business Funding’s three types of small business loans.
For Equipment Financing: Funding Circle
Looking to finance a piece of equipment for your small business? A good alternative to U.S. Business Funding is Funding Circle. This lender offers similar terms to U.S. Business Funding but requires less paperwork for larger loan amounts.
Funding Circle Terms
If you decide to finance equipment through Funding Circle, you’ll be able to access the following loan terms:
- Equipment financing amounts ranging from $25,000 to $500,000
- Interest rates as low as 4.99%
- Repayment terms that can be as short-term as six months and as long-term as five years
- No prepayment penalties
- A decision in as few as 24 hours
Funding Circle Eligibility
Qualifying for equipment financing with Funding Circle is a little bit harder compared to qualifying with U.S. Business Funding. But the flip side is that creditworthy businesses might be able to land a better interest rate.
Here are the minimum eligibility requirements for getting equipment financing through Funding Circle:
- A personal credit score of at least 620
- At least 24 months in business
- No bankruptcies in the past seven years
- Must sign a personal guarantee
If you meet the minimum requirements, you can apply and get funding in as few as 24 hours.
For Working Capital: Bluevine
If you found U.S. Business Funding in your search for working capital, then you should definitely check out other options to see how they stack up. Your top alternative to U.S. Business Funding and their working capital loans is the lender Bluevine.
Bluevine can offer your small business a working capital line of credit.
With their business line of credit, Bluevine will extend your business a credit limit from which you can draw on as needed and pay off gradually.
Bluevine Line of Credit Terms
Bluevine offers a revolving line of credit that’s available to a wide range of small businesses.
The terms on Bluevine’s line of credit are as follows:
- Credit limits from $5,000 to $250,000
- Repayment terms of six or 12 months
- Interest rates as low as 6.2%
Remember, Bluevine’s line of credit is a revolving credit product. That means that once you pay back the money you draw, your credit line will reset to the original amount and you can draw from it again.
Bluevine Line of Credit Requirements
These terms will only be accessible to business owners who fulfill a few minimum requirements.
Before you apply for Bluevine’s line of credit, make sure you have these qualifications:
- A personal credit score of at least 625
- At least 24 months in business
- At least $40,000 in monthly revenue
If you and your business have these minimum requirements covered, then the final step before applying is gathering the necessary paperwork:
Whether you choose to apply for invoice factoring or Flex Credit, Bluevine can fund your application in as few as 24 hours.
For SBA Loans: Wells Fargo Bank
As we mentioned, there are many financial institutions that offer SBA loans. One of the top options for SBA 7(a) loans is Wells Fargo.
Wells Fargo is one of the best banks for small business lending, providing tens of billions of dollars in small business loans each year. As of the last update of this article, their SBA loan volume makes them the second-most active SBA lender for 7(a) loans, with over 3,100 loans approved and an average loan amount of $249,728.
Plus, Wells Fargo is part of the SBA Preferred Lender program, meaning they can push your application through faster than non-preferred lenders.
Keep in mind, if Wells Fargo is not the best choice for your business, this guide to the best SBA lenders can help you find the one that is.
SBA Loan Terms
As we mentioned, the SBA regulates the terms for these loans, so you can expect similar terms no matter which financial institution you work with.
Once again, here are the terms for traditional SBA 7(a) loans:
- Loan amounts of up to $5 million
- Maximum interest rates from Prime Rate + 2.25% to Prime Rate + 4.75%, depending on the size and repayment term of the loan
- SBA guarantee fee of up to 3.75%, depending on the loan amount (waived for loans under $150,000)
- Repayment terms of up to 25 years for real estate, 10 years for equipment, and seven years for
SBA Loan Eligibility
To be eligible for an SBA loan, your business must:
- Exist as an ongoing, for-profit business
- Meet the SBA’s definition of “small business”
- Be physically located and operated in the U.S.
- Be owned by someone who has invested their own time or money into the business
- Not have access to funds from any other financial lender
- Not have any delinquencies or defaults on debt obligations to the U.S. government (including student loans)
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
U.S. Business Funding solutions could be the perfect option for you and your small business. But before committing to any lender, you should do your research and compare all your options. There are dozens of lenders who provide equipment financing, working capital, and SBA financing. During your research process, make sure you compare the lenders in terms of loan amounts, repayment terms, the application process, and of course, cost. At the end of your research, you’ll be equipped to choose the best lender for your business.
And if you need help streamlining the process, Fundera makes the business loan application easier by working with lenders to find your best funding options.
