Small business funding answers
Plain-English answers to the questions US small business owners actually ask about funding — written and reviewed by people who place funding every day, not scraped from other sites.
Merchant cash advance
How MCAs work, what they cost, what happens if you default, and whether they're legal.
Business loans
How to get a business loan, with bad credit, and how long approvals actually take.
Business line of credit
What a business LOC is, how to get one, and how it affects your credit score.
Working capital
What working capital financing is, how much you need, and the best options.
Equipment financing
How equipment loans and leases work, and what startups and bad-credit borrowers can expect.
Funding basics
How US small businesses actually get funded — the honest breakdown.
Credit score & funding
What score you need for which product, real approvals at 500/600, and how to build business credit.
Head-to-head comparisons — MCA vs LOC, SBA vs MCA, term loan vs line of credit, and more.
See all comparisons →Answer 5 short questions and we'll match you with funding partners in our network.
Check funding optionsHow to use these answers
Each answer starts with a short summary, then explains costs, who qualifies, and the trade-offs, with sources linked at the bottom. Pick the topic closest to your question, or start with funding basics if you are new to business financing.
If you already have a merchant cash advance and are struggling with the payments, go straight to the MCA debt-help answers. If you are comparing products, the comparison pages put two options side by side, and the calculators show what a specific offer really costs.
Outset Funding matches businesses with $10,000+ in monthly revenue and 6+ months in business to lending partners. Rates, terms and approval are set by the lender.