Term Loans Guides

Guides

• Childcare Center Real Estate and Buildout Financing: Owning Your Building — Childcare center financing for a building of your own comes from SBA 504 and 7(a) lenders, banks and private real estate lenders. The structures, the conversion questions, and the illustrative math of owning against leasing.
• Agribusiness Equipment and Expansion Financing: Tractors, Irrigation and Processing Lines — Farm equipment financing is the most available capital in agriculture, because the machine secures the loan. Dealer programs, independent lenders, agricultural banks and lessors, with payments timed to harvest.
• Machine Shop and CNC Equipment Financing: Leases, Loans and Section 179 — CNC machine financing is one of the most routinely written loans in commercial lending because the machine is the collateral. Loan versus lease, who writes it, down payments, soft costs and the payback math a lender applies.
• Software Company Financing Without Venture Capital: Recurring Revenue Loans and Lines — SaaS business loans exist for software companies with recurring revenue: recurring-revenue loans and lines, bank loans for profitable companies, and revenue-based financing. Lenders weigh retention, churn, margin and runway.
• IT Services and MSP Business Loans: Financing Recurring-Revenue Technology Companies — MSP business loans are written on monthly recurring revenue: lines of credit for payroll and distributor payables, term loans for tooling and hires, hardware financing for client deployments, and SBA 7(a) to buy another MSP.
• Marketing Agency Business Loans: Funding Payroll, Media Spend and Growth — Marketing agency business loans are widely available: lines of credit, unsecured term loans, receivables financing and SBA 7(a) for acquisitions. Lenders underwrite retainers, concentration and margin, not collateral.
• Property Management Company Financing: Working Capital, Software and Acquisitions — Property management company loans are underwritten on recurring management fees, doors under management and trust accounting discipline. Lines, term loans and SBA 7(a) fund software, staff and portfolio acquisitions.
• Real Estate Brokerage Business Loans: Funding Commission-Based Cash Flow and Growth — Real estate brokerage business loans are written on company dollar, agent production and the pending pipeline rather than on collateral. Lines of credit, term loans and SBA 7(a) fund recruiting, offices and acquisitions.
• Insurance Agency Acquisition Financing: Buying a Book of Business — Insurance agency acquisition financing is usually a specialty agency loan or an SBA 7(a) for most of the price, a buyer injection and a seller note tied to retention. How books are valued and what lenders require.
• Insurance Agency Loans: Financing Growth, Staff and Technology for Independent Agencies — Insurance agency loans are underwritten on renewal commissions, the most predictable revenue in small business. Specialty agency lenders, SBA lenders, banks and private lines fund producers, marketing and systems.
• Buying an Accounting Practice: Acquisition Loans for CPA and Bookkeeping Firms — Buying an accounting practice is usually financed with an SBA 7(a) or practice loan for most of the price, a buyer injection and a seller note tied to client retention. How the pieces fit and what lenders require.
• Accounting Firm Loans: Growth, Technology and Seasonal Cash Flow for CPA Firms — Accounting firm loans are among the easier files to place: recurring clients and reliable collections make CPA firms attractive to banks, SBA lenders and practice lenders. What each writes and what they weigh.
• Event Venue Financing: Buying, Renovating and Operating a Wedding or Event Space — Event venue financing is a real estate conversation first: SBA 7(a) and 504 lenders, community banks and bridge lenders fund purchases and renovations, while the booking calendar and deposit ledger carry the operating side.
• Retail Business Loans: Inventory, Buildout and Working Capital for Stores — Retail business loans are written by nearly every kind of small-business lender. SBA 7(a) funds openings and buildouts, lines of credit carry the season, and revenue-based capital is priced on card volume.
• Behavioral Health and Counseling Practice Financing: Funding a Mental Health Practice — Mental health practice loans come from working-capital lenders, SBA 7(a) lenders, banks and unsecured term lenders, and most of the capital carries clinician payroll between the session and the insurer's payment.
• Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Practice Loans: Startup, Equipment and Expansion — Chiropractic and physical therapy practice loans come from practice lenders, SBA 7(a) lenders, equipment lenders and private term lenders, underwritten on visit volume, collections and payer mix rather than collateral.
• Veterinary Equipment Financing and Expansion Capital: Imaging, Surgery and Second Locations — Veterinary equipment financing funds radiography, ultrasound, surgical and dental suites and in-house labs against the asset. Practice, SBA and real estate lenders fund a second location, an emergency service or the building.
• Veterinary Practice Loans: Buying, Building and Equipping an Animal Hospital — Veterinary practice loans are written by practice lenders, SBA 7(a) lenders, banks and equipment lenders, commonly on the practice's collections. Why lenders like vet medicine and what the startup and acquisition files need.
• Medical Practice Loans: Financing for Physicians, Clinics and Urgent Care — Medical practice loans are written by practice lenders, SBA 7(a) lenders, banks and equipment lenders for startups, acquisitions, partner buy-ins and expansions. What each funds and what the aging report tells an underwriter.
• Buying a Dental Practice: How Acquisition Financing Works and What Lenders Require — A dental practice acquisition loan is sized to the seller's collections and cash flow, and practice lenders commonly finance the full price for a strong buyer. What the valuation, the transition and the debt-service math look like.
• Dental Practice Loans: Startup, Acquisition, Expansion and Equipment Financing — Dental practice loans are among the most available forms of small business credit. Practice lenders, SBA 7(a) lenders, banks and equipment lenders all write them, commonly on collections rather than collateral.
• Salon and Barbershop Business Loans: Buildout, Chairs and Working Capital — Salons and barbershops are financed with SBA 7(a) buildout loans, fixture and equipment financing, small lines and personal-credit products. The business model decides which lenders say yes.
• Working Capital for Bail Bond Agencies: Build-Up Funds, Collateral and Lines — Bail bond agencies run short of working capital because build-up fund contributions, forfeiture reserves and premium payment plans trap cash. The lines and term loans that bridge it, and how to present the surety relationship.
• Unsecured Business Loans: What No Collateral Really Means and Who Qualifies — Unsecured business loans skip specific collateral but almost always require a personal guarantee, and many lenders file a blanket UCC lien anyway. Here is what underwriting looks at instead, which products fit, and how to strengthen a file.
• Refinancing High-Interest Business Debt Into a Term Loan: When It Works — Refinancing high-interest business debt into a term loan works when the business still cash-flows after the new payment and the statements are clean. What lenders require, why stacked advances block it, and the right sequence.
• The Fundable File: Every Document Lenders Ask For — The complete checklist of documents lenders request for a business loan application — organized by product, from bank statements to SBA forms.
• Broker or Direct Lender? An Honest Look at Both Paths — An honest brokerage's take on business loan broker vs direct lender: how brokers get paid, red flags to avoid, and when going direct is the smarter move.
• Line of Credit or Term Loan: Which Does Your Business Need? — A business line of credit and a term loan solve different problems: recurring cash-flow gaps versus one-time investments. Here's the five-question test to decide.

Frequently asked questions

What do lenders look at for a business term loan?

Lenders commonly review time in business, revenue and its consistency, cash flow after existing debt, the owner's personal credit, and the purpose of the loan. Banks add tax returns, financial statements and collateral. Private lenders lean more on bank statements and deposits.

Is an unsecured business term loan possible?

Yes. Many lenders offer unsecured term loans backed by cash flow, a general business lien and a personal guaranty rather than specific collateral. They typically carry shorter terms and higher cost than secured loans, so they suit needs that pay back quickly.

How long are business term loans?

Terms vary by lender and purpose. Private unsecured term loans commonly run from several months to a few years, bank and SBA loans for equipment and working capital run longer, and real estate loans run longest. The term should match how long the funded asset or project takes to pay for itself.

How MercFinancial places it

Unsecured Business Loans — Term loans and lines without specific collateral, for businesses with steady deposits.