Business funding guides
Honest, plain-language explainers written by the CELER Funding editorial team. Every number is illustrative; lenders set their own terms.
Costs and offers
Is a merchant cash advance worth it?
An honest look at merchant cash advances: how they work, what they really cost, when one makes sense and when a cheaper option is the better call.
Read the guide →Factor rate vs APR: what a 1.30 really costs
Why a 1.30 factor rate is not 30% interest. Worked examples show how term length changes the real annual cost of a cash advance or short-term loan.
Read the guide →How to read a business loan offer
A plain checklist for any business loan or advance offer: total payback, APR vs factor rate, fees, prepayment, guarantees, liens, collateral and default.
Read the guide →MCA stacking: why it spirals and honest ways out
What merchant cash advance stacking is, why several advances at once squeeze cash flow so fast, and honest, realistic steps to get back on stable ground.
Read the guide →Getting a business loan with bad credit
Can you get business funding with bad credit? Honest options, what lenders weigh besides your score, what to avoid, and how to improve your odds.
Read the guide →Choosing a product
Line of credit vs term loan: which one fits your business?
How a business line of credit and a term loan work, what each really costs, and when each one fits. Includes a worked example with illustrative numbers.
Read the guide →How invoice factoring works: advance, reserve, fees and fit
Invoice factoring explained: advance, reserve, fees, recourse vs non-recourse and notification, with a worked example and who it fits in Canada and the US.
Read the guide →Equipment financing vs leasing: own it, rent it, or something in between
Equipment loan vs lease: ownership, fair-market-value vs $1 buyout leases, cost, and general tax points, with a worked example using illustrative numbers.
Read the guide →Seasonal business funding: planning for the slow months
How seasonal businesses can plan for slow months: cash-flow mapping, line of credit timing, inventory funding and MCA risk, with a worked example.
Read the guide →How fast can I get business funding? Realistic timelines by product
Realistic business funding timelines by product, from same-day advances to multi-week bank, SBA and CSBFP loans, and how to get your file ready.
Read the guide →Getting ready
How much can my business borrow?
How lenders size a business funding offer: monthly revenue, cash flow and DSCR, collateral and loan-to-value, with illustrative worked examples.
Read the guide →What documents do lenders need? A checklist for the US and Canada
The documents business lenders ask for, by product, for the US (EIN, IRS returns) and Canada (BN, CRA notices, NEQ in Quebec). A practical checklist.
Read the guide →Startup business funding: what actually works before you have a track record
Honest startup funding guide: why most lenders want a year of revenue, and what works before then, from SBA microloans and the CSBFP to equipment loans.
Read the guide →Government programs
SBA 7(a) vs 504: which SBA loan fits your business?
SBA 7(a) vs 504 loans in plain language: what each one finances, how they are structured, who you apply through and how to pick the right one.
Read the guide →The Canada Small Business Financing Program, explained in depth
A deeper look at the Canada Small Business Financing Program: who qualifies, loan limits, rate caps, fees, security and how to ask a lender for it.
Read the guide →See what your business qualifies for
Two minutes, no credit pull, no fee. We come back with real options from lenders that fit.