Two populations, one small city
Davis had 66,850 residents at the 2020 census, a figure Wikipedia says does not include the on-campus population of the University of California, Davis, which was over 9,400 in 2016. It adds that as of 2023, 40,850 students were enrolled at the university and that the city is known as the biking capital of America. The city covers about 10.01 square miles and dates to 1868, and it is named for Jerome C. Davis.
For an owner, the practical meaning is that the customer count changes with the school year. A campus empties in summer and fills in fall, and the businesses around it feel that directly.
The academic year as a cash calendar
| Period | What a campus-adjacent business sees | Cash move |
|---|---|---|
| Late summer | Students return; demand jumps | Stock up and staff up before it arrives |
| Fall and spring terms | Steady, high traffic | Pay down costs from strong sales |
| Breaks | Sharp drops in foot traffic | Fixed costs continue |
| Summer | Long, thin stretch | Reserve covers rent and payroll |
Bikes, cafes and short-term demand
A bike shop, a cafe or a copy shop near campus sells hard in the first weeks of term and again at finals, then sees traffic drop. Those spikes need inventory, staff and equipment in place ahead of time. A bike shop that waits to see how busy September is has already missed it; the parts and the mechanic have to be there when students arrive.
For illustration only: a bike and repair shop buys $30,000 of inventory in August and hires a part-time mechanic at $3,200 a month. If sales through the first month cover only half of that outlay, the shop is carrying about $17,000 into October. These round figures are not our terms.
Beyond campus
Davis is also part of the Sacramento Valley, and the surrounding area has businesses that serve farms, households and offices that do not depend on the school calendar. Their cash patterns are more regular, but they share the same landlords, labor market and customers who are students, staff and residents.
West Sacramento and Woodland are close neighbors. For the broader area, see Yolo County business funding and the Sacramento region page.
What we offer
We fund $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours after a complete file. We read about three months of business bank statements; no tax returns. FICO 500+ is considered, the five-minute application uses a soft credit pull, and sole proprietors can apply. Apply.
If the three months we read fall in a break, add a note that says so. Reviewers read the pattern, and a note helps.