Funding for your situation
How buyers fund a small-business acquisition and what a funder reviews in the first conversation.
✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.
Acquiring a small business swaps a build-from-zero problem for a transition problem. The seller's history helps the story, but the cash needed after closing is where first-time buyers run short. A realistic plan covers the price, the closing costs and ninety days of operations.
Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: you apply once, and the file is matched to the structure that fits it. The sections below show what this situation usually costs, how a funder reads it, and what to prepare.
Often a share of the price with seller financing for the rest.
Legal, licensing and inventory counts.
The deferred maintenance the seller left.
Payroll, rent and suppliers while you learn the business.
| Cost item | Illustrative amount |
|---|---|
| Down payment (illustrative) | $70,000 |
| Closing, legal and licensing costs | $9,000 |
| Immediate repairs and upgrades | $12,000 |
| Ninety days of operating cash | $40,000 |
| Cushion for overruns and slow early weeks (about 10%) | $13,000 |
| Cash to close and operate | $144,000 |
Sizing check. If the full repayment shown in an offer were $187,000 over about 26 weeks, the weekly debit would be about $7,192. Against illustrative monthly deposits of $145,000 (about $33,462 a week), that is roughly 21% of weekly deposits. Your own offer states the real repayment amount in dollars; run your numbers on the factor rate calculator before you accept anything.
Source: worksheet by Merchant Fund Express. Illustrative only: these figures are not an offer, and real amounts depend on your file and the funder.
These are the same factors described on revenue and deposit requirements and time in business. Merchant Fund Express walks you through how your own file reads before you apply.
A complete file is what makes a same-day decision possible. If something is missing, tell us and we will work around it.
Applying with Merchant Fund Express is a single application. We review it the same day on a complete file, explain what the numbers say in plain terms, and fund typically the next business day after signing. Nothing here affects your credit score to check.
Often yes, depending on credit, deposits and the transaction. The minimum FICO is 500 and better credit means better offers.
SBA loans can be strong for acquisitions but are slower and more document-heavy. If speed matters, compare against faster options.
Typically three years of statements and tax returns, plus a list of assets, leases and licenses.
The minimum FICO is 500, and better credit means better products and terms. See credit score requirements for how the tiers work.
Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.
