Business Funding
Get funding-ready. Then get funded.
Most businesses that get turned down were not unfundable — they were unprepared. CMA builds the plan, model, and documentation lenders actually evaluate, then connects you to capital through our National Business Capital partnership. We do not lend; we get you approved-ready and route you to the right lenders.
How this works
Two jobs, done by two firms
Funding fails in the gap between "we need capital" and "the file is ready." We close that gap, and we hand off the part that is not ours.
CMA does this
Gets you funding-ready
- A lender- and investor-ready business plan
- A driver-based financial model that shows the loan can be serviced
- A line-item use of funds, not a wish list
- Clean, reconciled numbers that survive underwriting
National Business Capital does this
Provides the capital
- A marketplace of 75+ lenders, one application
- Working capital, term loans, equipment, and SBA options
- The lending decision and the terms
- The relationship that outlasts the first loan
The options
The main ways a small business gets funded
There is no best type of funding, only the right one for the job and the business. Here is the honest shape of each.
SBA loans (7(a) and 504)
Government-backed loans with longer terms and lower down payments. The 7(a) is the general-purpose workhorse; the 504 pairs a bank with a certified development company for real estate and equipment. Heavier paperwork, but often the best cost of capital if you qualify.
Compare the trade-off →Term loans
A lump sum repaid over a fixed schedule. Predictable and well suited to a defined, one-time investment — a buildout, an acquisition, a large equipment purchase — where you know the amount and the return.
Lines of credit
A revolving limit you draw on as needed and only pay interest on what you use. Built for uneven cash flow, seasonal gaps, and working capital, not for a single large purchase.
Compare the trade-off →Working capital financing
Short-to-medium-term capital to cover the gap between paying for work and getting paid for it. The right tool when the business is healthy but the timing is not.
Compare the trade-off →Equipment financing
Financing secured by the equipment itself, which often makes it easier to qualify for and preserves your other borrowing capacity. Sensible when the asset earns its keep.
Compare the trade-off →Revenue-based financing
Repaid as a percentage of revenue rather than a fixed monthly payment. Flexible when income is lumpy, but the effective cost can be high — worth understanding before you sign.
Compare the trade-off →Before you apply
Are you fundable? Find out in two minutes.
Lenders weigh the same handful of things every time. The free Funding Readiness Score checks you against them — time in business, revenue, credit, documentation, and use of funds — then names your weakest area and the fix that moves the needle most. No email required to see your result.
Decide well
Which funding is right for you?
FAQ
Business funding questions, answered straight
Does CMA lend money?
No. CMA is a management consulting firm, not a lender or a broker-dealer. We do two things: we get your business funding-ready — the plan, the financial model, and the documentation lenders actually evaluate — and we connect you to capital through our partnership with National Business Capital, which runs a marketplace of 75+ lenders. The lending decision and the terms come from the lender, not from us.
What does "funding-ready" actually mean?
It means the package a lender wants is assembled and defensible before you apply: a business plan that answers underwriting questions, a driver-based financial model that shows the loan can be serviced from cash flow, a clear use of funds, and clean, reconciled numbers. Most applications are not rejected on the business — they are rejected on the documents. Getting ready first is the single biggest thing you control.
Can you guarantee I will get funded?
No, and anyone who does is not being straight with you. Approval depends on your credit, your cash flow, your time in business, and the lender's own criteria — none of which we control. What we can do is make sure a fundable business is not turned down over an avoidable gap in the paperwork, and route you to the lenders most likely to fit.
How do I know if I am ready to apply?
Take the free Funding Readiness Score — a two-minute check across the things lenders weigh: time in business, revenue, credit, documentation, and use of funds. It names your weakest area and the highest-leverage fix, before you spend a call finding out.
Is there a fee for the referral?
CMA may receive a referral fee from National Business Capital if you fund through them. It does not change your terms or add a cost to you, and it never changes our advice — if a loan is the wrong move, we will say so. See the disclosure below.
Disclosure
Coleman Management Advisors has a referral partnership with National Business Capital and may receive a referral fee if you obtain financing through them. This does not add any cost to you or change your terms, and it does not influence our advice — if financing is the wrong move for your business, we will tell you so. CMA is a management consulting firm, not a lender, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser, and nothing here is financial, lending, or investment advice.