For established businesses doing $80K+ a month
You didn't scale your business to be treated like a startup.
Working capital from $50K to $500K+ for established businesses. Two minutes of questions, one funding specialist, a straight answer on what it really costs.
- No impact on your credit score
- One specialist, not ten calls
- We never sell your details
Sterling Sterling here. A few quick questions, then I'll tell you straight.
How much are you looking for?
Takes you to two minutes of questions. Nothing is shared until you say so at the end.
How it works
- 1
Answer a few questions
About the business, not your life story. Deposits, time trading, what the money's for. Two minutes, no documents.
“Roughly is fine. Lenders check the statements later.”
- 2
Sterling checks the fit
Funders want different things. Your answers tell us whether a business like yours fits our funding partner's programs.
“If it's a no, I'll say so, and tell you what changes the answer.”
- 3
One specialist gets in touch
With your consent, your enquiry goes to one funding partner: Abbey Road Capital / SOJA Ventures. Not a marketplace, not a list.
“One call. Not ten.”
Who our funding partner's programs suit
- 12 months or more in business
- About $80K+ a month in deposits
- Looking for $50K or more
- Personal credit score around 600 or higher
- Two or fewer advances or loans running
- You own more than half the business
Amounts from $50K to $500K+. The funder sets the final amount, price and terms, and approval isn't guaranteed.
Straight answers if that isn't you yet
Smaller, but past $15K a month and 4 months trading? There's still a route. Ask anyway.
Under 12 months and need equipment? Equipment financing often works earlier.
How equipment financing worksNot in AK, HI, IA, MD, NY, VA or VT right now, and some industries aren't covered.
Who our partner covers
Know the real cost before anyone calls
A factor rate of 1.35 sounds like 35%. Paid back daily over six months, it works out at about 126% APR. Our calculators do that maths for any offer.
Every kind of business funding, explained straight
- Working capital financing: what it is and what it really costsHow working capital financing works for established US businesses: the main products, how to price them in APR, what lenders check and the red flags.Read the guide
- Merchant cash advances: how they work and what they really costA plain guide to merchant cash advances: factor rates, holdback, daily and weekly debits, why an MCA isn't a loan, and how to turn the offer into an APR.Read the guide
- Revenue-based financing: repayments that move with your salesHow revenue-based financing works for US businesses: the fixed payback cap, the revenue share, how to estimate the APR, and when it beats an advance or a loan.Read the guide
- Business line of credit: borrow what you need, when you need itHow a business line of credit works: draws, interest only on what you use, fees, what lenders check, and how it compares with an advance or a term loan.Read the guide
- Equipment financing: pay for the machine while it earnsHow equipment financing works for US businesses: loans vs leases, buyout options, how term changes the cost, what lenders check and what to watch for.Read the guide
- Business term loans: a lump sum, a fixed schedule, a clear priceHow business term loans work: interest, term, payment frequency, origination fees and prepayment, with a worked $100,000 example and how they compare.Read the guide
- SBA loans: the cheaper, slower route, and who it really suitsAn honest guide to SBA 7(a), 504 and microloans: amounts, rate caps, collateral, paperwork, who they suit, and how to find a participating lender.Read the guide
Funding that fits how your trade gets paid
Ask Sterling
All questions- What is a factor rate, and is 1.35 a good one?A factor rate is the number you multiply the advance by to get what you pay back, so 1.35 on $10,000 means $13,500. It looks small because it isn't an annual rate, and that's exactly why you should convert it before you sign.
- How do I convert a factor rate to an APR?You need three things: the cash you actually receive, the total you pay back, and how many payments it takes. Put those in a calculator and a 1.35 over six months comes out at about 126% a year, not 35%.
- Is a merchant cash advance a loan, or something else?Not on paper. It's written as a sale of your future takings, which is why interest-rate caps usually don't bite, but if the contract behaves like a loan, courts and regulators have treated it as one.
- How much can my business actually borrow?Less than the business is worth and more than most owners guess: the ceiling is set by what your bank account can repay each month. Work backward from the payment you can carry and you'll know your number before anyone quotes one.
- Will asking about business funding hurt my credit score?Asking me doesn't touch your credit file, because Ask Sterling never runs a credit search. A funder might check later, they'll tell you first, and FICO says one extra hard inquiry usually costs less than five points.
- What documents do lenders ask for when I need business funding?For short-term money it's mostly your recent business bank statements, because that's the cash they'll be repaid from. For a bank or SBA loan, add tax returns, financial statements and a reason for the money, and expect them to read all of it.
Straight about how this works
Ask Sterling is an introducer, not a lender or broker. With your consent, your enquiry goes to one funding partner: Abbey Road Capital / SOJA Ventures. They pay us a fee for each introduction. You never pay us.
Sterling is our illustrated guide character, not a real person. He doesn't make credit decisions, and neither do we.
Before you ask
Is Ask Sterling a lender?
No. Ask Sterling is an introducer. We send your enquiry, with your consent, to one funding partner. Amounts, rates and terms are set by the funder, and approval isn't guaranteed.
Will asking hurt my credit score?
No. Ask Sterling never pulls your credit. A funder may run a check later, and they'll tell you before they do.
Who will contact me?
One funding partner: Abbey Road Capital / SOJA Ventures. Nobody else gets your details, and we never sell them.
What does it cost me?
Nothing. Our funding partner pays us a fee for each introduction. You never pay Ask Sterling, and our calculators are free.
Is Sterling a real person?
No. Sterling is our illustrated guide character. The people you speak to work for our funding partner.
Ready for a straight answer?
Two minutes of questions. One funding specialist. No impact on your credit score.