Large national banks underwrite to a narrow, highly automated credit box — strong personal credit, two-plus years of filed returns, clean deposits and an industry code they like. Miss one line and the file stops. None of that means your business is unfundable.
Big-bank small business lending is highly standardized. Applications are scored against a narrow set of thresholds — commonly two or more years of filed returns, strong personal credit, clean deposit history, and an approved industry classification. That standardization is what makes the pricing so good; it is also what makes the box so tight. A single line outside it stops the whole file, and the decline letter will not tell you which line it was.
Nothing about that process evaluates whether your business is a good business. It evaluates whether your file matches a template.
Equipment financing has no minimum time in business (capped at $50,000 under two years) and starts at 580 FICO. The fast working capital programs start at four months in business and $10,000 a month in deposits.
Invoice factoring carries no minimum FICO because your customers' credit is what is underwritten. If you invoice other businesses on net-30 to net-90 terms and have $100,000+ in receivables aged under 90 days, this is very often both cheaper and easier than the loan you were declined for.
Dedicated business lines of credit in our network run to $5 million with a 600 FICO floor, 6+ months in business, and same-day access once open. You pay only on what you draw.
SBA is the answer — $50,000 to $5 million over 10 to 25 years. It requires 2+ years in business and 675+ FICO, and takes 30–45 days. If the timeline does not work, a bridge with no prepayment penalty holds the deal together and gets refinanced when the SBA loan funds.
Re-applying to another lender with the same file usually produces the same answer. Changing the type of product changes what is being underwritten, and that is what flips a no into a yes.
| If the blocker is… | Try this | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Credit score | Equipment financing (580+), invoice factoring (no minimum FICO) | The asset or your customer's credit secures it, not your score |
| Time in business | Equipment financing, startup funding, PO financing | All three have no minimum time in business |
| Revenue too low | Startup funding, equipment financing | Neither carries a monthly revenue minimum |
| Slow-paying customers | Invoice factoring, asset-based lending | You borrow against work already delivered |
| Need it this week | Line of credit, bridge loan | Same-day funding, and bridges carry no prepayment penalty |
Program guidelines shown are our lending partners' published minimums as of September 2026 and can change. They are qualification floors, not an offer. General information about commercial finance products, not financial or legal advice.
Free to check, soft review only, and no fee to you at any point.
Checking your options does not affect your business credit. A soft review only.
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