Best Working Capital Loans: A Comprehensive Guide

As a small-business owner, you’re always looking for ways to invest in your company. Working capital loans can give your business a much-needed lifeline and keep your finances flowing smoothly.

If you need to cover day-to-day operations, keep your payroll up to date, or cope with seasonal lulls in cash flow, working capital loans could be a game-changer for your business.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover how a working capital loan functions and where to find the best lending options for your small business.

Not sure which type of working capital loan to apply for? Business.org has your back. Here’s a quick comparison chart of our favorite working capital lenders.

As the first-of-its-kind financial matchmaker service, Lendio can help catapult your business to success by offering a one-stop portal to a large pool of lenders—including some on our list.

Since you’re dealing with a large network of lenders, there’s a lot to consider when using Lendio. Lendio offers several types of working capital loans, including business lines of credit, merchant cash advances, and invoice financing.

Annual fees vary by lender, as do term lengths and possible collateral requirements. But a major bonus is that Lendio doesn’t charge you any fees—all your interest and fees go straight to the lender.

Luckily for many, Lendio’s eligibility requirements are pretty lenient: Business owners just need to show a six-month track record, bring in a minimum of $10,000 per month, and have a credit score of 560 or higher.

Fundbox caught our eye thanks to its variety of loan options for all types of businesses. In fact, it prides itself on lending to women and minority-owned businesses.

To qualify for Fundbox, borrowers need to be in business for at least three months. During the approval process, Fundbox will review your bank account to determine your financial track record.

Fundbox’s business line of credit helps businesses cover emergency expenses. This flexible form of funding allows you to dip into your funds whenever you need and repay them within three months. It’s important to note that you pay interest for only the funds you use.

Fundbox doesn’t charge maintenance fees, origination fees, or termination fees. However, make sure to pay your weekly payment on time to avoid late fees.

Kabbage earns its spot on our list thanks to its quick and pain-free approval process. Kabbage Business owners can also benefit from its user-friendly platform.

Users also have funds at their fingertips thanks to the Kabbage Card, online dashboard, and mobile app. So if you need to pay a bill, secure inventory, or cover an unexpected expense, you can conveniently access funds whenever you need.

To access capital quickly and efficiently without an extensive documentation and application process, Kabbage offers ongoing access to working capital through its business line of credit. Although Kabbage is pretty lax on eligibility criteria, you must have been in business for at least a year.

A word of caution: we noticed some customer complaints about expensive monthly payments and high annual percentage rates. So if you’re looking for the cheapest option, Kabbage may not be your best bet.

Backd offers working capital loans with flexible repayment terms that allow you to repay weekly in 6 months or 12 months.  Working capital makes it easy to bridge any cashflow issues you might have while you are committing to more long-term funding.

Backd makes it so easy to apply for funding. It's just an online application that takes less than five minutes to fill out. You will get a response within 24 hours. To secure funding for your business, Backd requires proof of ownership and bank verification. You will also have to present your most recent tax return and your year-to-date profit and loss and/or balance sheet accounts receivable.

While Backd’s loans aren’t the cheapest out there, its accessibility makes it a great option for businesses that can’t qualify for low-interest term loans.

Now, we’ll be honest and tell you that these aren’t the most versatile funding options out there. Backd has intense restrictions on which industries it will work with. If you are in an industry they are open to, you are in luck. 

If a working capital loan is not right for you, you also have the option of applying for a line of credit which has even laxer requirements. 

With quick turnaround times and lenient qualification requirements, OnDeck is a stellar option if you have poor personal credit but lack the time to improve it. To qualify with OnDeck, your company only needs to have been in business for 2 years and make $100,000 in annual revenue.

You also need a personal credit score of 600 or higher. Unlike other lenders and lending platforms on our list, OnDeck offers flexibility by providing both term loans and lines of credit. That’s where it really shines.

Plus, if you’re a repeat customer, you’ll have access to several loyalty benefits, including larger loan amounts, lower rates, and longer terms.

Every business owner knows that it takes money to make money. Even if your current cash flow can keep your business out of the red, you may need a little outside financing help to get to the next level.

Fortunately, with the help of a working capital loan, your company can have more flexibility to cover day-to-day expenses, survive seasonal dips in revenue, and keep your payroll up to date.

The immediate benefit of a working capital loan is how easy it is to obtain. Plus, it allows business owners to bridge the gaps in working capital expenditures.

In addition to covering day-to-day expenses, the extra cash in your pocket could help you invest in the following opportunities:

• Move or expand
• Buy inventory
• Hire talent
• Refinance debt
• Start a marketing campaign

Since working capital loans typically have shorter lifespans, you’re expected to pay them fairly quickly. And keep in mind that these loans are intended to fund immediate or emergency needs rather than long-term goals.

Each of these working capital loan options fits a different, immediate business need. See which one works best for you.

Although lines of credit and credit cards share many similarities, there are some key differences. Perhaps the clearest differentiation between business lines of credit and credit cards are the length of their respective repayment periods and spending limits.

A business line of credit, also known as a revolving line of credit, allows borrowers to access cash with lower APRs. Most of the time, business owners use this type of loan for short-term working capital needs, which includes inventory purchases, equipment costs, or company payroll.

As we mentioned above, you pay interest on only what you draw. Unfortunately, however, a business line of credit won't allow you to benefit from the same bonus rewards that credit cards come with. That means no travel miles or cash back.

Credit cards are pretty cut and dry. They allow the holder to purchase goods with a specific percentage of a spending limit—which is typically lower than a business line of credit.

Does your business make a significant portion of your income through credit card sales? You could qualify for a merchant cash advance. Here’s how it works: after you’re approved and the lump sum advance is funded to your account, you’ll pay a percentage of your daily credit and debit card sales.

Merchant cash advances (MCAs) not only help with working capital, but they can also be used to pay off debts, purchase inventory, and more. MCAs are also suitable for borrowers who have low personal credit, limited business history, and little to no collateral.

During the approval process, the MCA company will look at your credit card processing statements to see the volume of sales your business is making on a daily basis.

If your small business deals with invoices, you likely understand how frustrating it can be if your customer doesn’t pay on time. Regardless of the circumstances, an unpaid invoice can hurt your business. And chasing down payment is a messy process.

Fortunately, there’s a loan to help you work through this tough situation. Invoice financing, otherwise known as accounts receivable, could give your business a more reliable and predictable cash flow, which will help you sleep better at night.

However, invoice financing may cost you in the long run. Here’s a quick rundown of the typical cost structure:

If you have a $100,000 invoice, your financing company may advance you $85,000 while holding the rest of the amount in reserve. Once your customer pays the invoice, the financing company will take a 3% processing fee and a factoring fee of 1% per week before giving you the leftover amount.

Do you have bad personal credit? Lucky for you, your credit score isn’t the end-all-be-all of a working capital loan application.

There are several different loans for business owners with bad credit—some of which are on this list. In fact, all but Funding Circle can help you secure a working capital loan if you don’t have strong credit.

Before making a rash decision, it’s important to compare your options and find the best financing solution that fits your business needs.

Whether you decide to move forward with a working capital loan or wait until you improve your credit score, make sure to create a plan for handling a cash crunch in the future.

Regardless of your industry, working capital is fuel for your business. And overall, we think Lendio is the best choice for most businesses who need a working capital loan. However, your own unique needs and preferences as a small-business owner will influence which lender you’ll work with.

Do you have experience with a working capital loan of any kind? We’d love to hear your story in the comments below!

Whether you decide to move forward with a working capital loan or wait until you improve your credit score, make sure to create a plan for handling a cash crunch in the future.

Estimate the true cost of your working capital loan with our business loan calculator.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.