Working capital programs

Working capital is the money that runs the business day to day — payroll on Friday, inventory for the season, the deposit on a machine, materials for a job you’ve already won. A working-capital program fills the gap when cash on hand doesn’t cover the moment.

What it is

A working-capital program advances capital against the strength of the business itself — its revenue, its time in business, the overall health of the file — and is repaid on a schedule spelled out before you sign. Unlike an equipment loan or a mortgage, it isn’t tied to one asset. It’s general-purpose by design: the same capital can cover payroll this week, inventory next month, and the repair that didn’t wait for a convenient time.

That flexibility is the point. Most small-business cash problems aren’t one big purchase — they’re timing. The revenue is real, but it lands after the expenses do. Working capital moves the money to where the calendar actually needs it.

How much, and for how long

Programs typically range up to 2X your monthly revenue, depending on how the file looks. Terms run out to 48 months at the ceiling — most files land 12–24. Rates can start around 1% a month, depending on the file. The review desk looks at your real numbers — time in business, monthly revenue, and the overall health of the file — and no documents are needed to see your options.

Term programs: the longer runway

For bigger moves — a second location, a buildout, a larger equipment purchase — a longer term keeps the payment sized to the business instead of the other way around. Term programs stretch out to 48 months at the ceiling; most files land 12–24. Whether the longer runway makes sense depends on what the capital is doing: fast-turn inventory usually wants a short term, while a buildout that pays back over years usually shouldn’t be repaid in months.

Who it fits

• A contractor who just won a job and needs materials and payroll covered before the first draw arrives.
• A retailer stocking up ahead of the season while the register is still quiet.
• A restaurant replacing a walk-in cooler that quit on a Tuesday.
• A practice bridging the lag between seeing patients and getting reimbursed.
• A shop taking on a bigger contract than its cash reserves were built for.

If your revenue swings hard with the season, payments that flex with revenue may fit better — see revenue-based financing. If the cash you’re waiting on is sitting in unpaid invoices, invoice factoring may be the cleaner tool.