Fairleaf Commercial Capital, a small-business funding broker in Spartanburg, SC, follows four steps: understand the expense, match it to a funding structure, send the request to a lending partner that offers that structure, and help you compare any offer. Fairleaf Commercial Capital is a broker, not a lender, so the partner makes the credit call and names the price.
A broker prepares; a lender decides
So what does a loan broker do? A broker gathers the facts about a funding need, works out which structures fit, and introduces the request to lenders or funders that offer those structures. A lender is the party that actually reviews credit, sets the price and provides the money. Fairleaf Commercial Capital is a broker, not a lender: it never approves, prices or funds anything itself.
The practical difference for an owner is reach and translation. One request can be matched to the partners whose products fit it, and the offer that comes back can be explained clause by clause before you sign.
Step 1: describe the expense
Call Fairleaf or send the short form with your contact details, business name and three range picks. On the call, the first question is what the money has to pay for, followed by when it is needed and how the business gets paid. That timing usually decides more than the amount does.
Step 2: pair the expense with a structure
A recurring payroll gap points to a line of credit; one known gap to working capital; a project with a fixed price to a term loan; stock for resale to inventory financing; a machine or vehicle to equipment financing. A merchant cash advance, which is not a loan, comes up only when card receipts are steady and speed outweighs cost.
Fairleaf also tells you which records partners for that structure commonly ask to see, so nothing is sent before it is ready.
Step 3: the partner's review
What are the requirements for getting a business loan? Each partner sets its own, but most reviews cover recent bank statements, time in business, the legal entity, existing debts and liens, owner credit and the purpose of the money. Equipment and inventory requests add a quote or stock list. The partner, not Fairleaf, decides if an offer is made and what it says.
- Bank statements for recent months.
- The business's legal name, entity type and tax ID.
- A list of current debts, leases and any advances being collected.
- Quotes, invoices or contracts tied to the request.
Step 4: weigh any offer line by line
Loans are priced as interest rates or APRs; merchant cash advances as factor rates. To compare them fairly, add up the total you will pay back, including fees, and set it against the amount you receive and the time you have to repay it. Read the security, guarantee, prepayment and default sections, not just the payment amount. Turning an offer down never costs you anything with Fairleaf.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Total repaid or remitted | The real cost once every payment and fee is counted |
| Payment rhythm | Daily, weekly or monthly, against how your cash arrives |
| Security and guarantee | What you could lose if payments stop |
| Prepayment terms | Whether paying early saves anything |
Red flags wherever you apply
- A promise of approval before anyone has reviewed your business.
- Pressure to sign the same day without time to read the agreement.
- An offer that shows only a daily or weekly payment and not the total.
- Reluctance to put the cost, the term and the collection method in writing.
More short answers are on the FAQ page, and the limits of Fairleaf's role are set out in the broker disclosures. Free advising outside Fairleaf is listed in the Spartanburg County directory.
By Fairleaf Commercial Capital · Updated