The gear behind Glendale's trades
Glendale has a mix of work that depends on specific machines. The city, with neighboring Burbank, is a production center for film and animation, so small companies rent and own cameras, lighting, editing workstations and render hardware. It also has an industrial park: the Grand Central Business Centre was built after the old municipal airport closed in 1959, and its light-industrial and service tenants work with presses, mills, compressors and delivery vehicles.
The two groups share a problem. A piece of equipment is a single, lumpy purchase, but its value arrives gradually, job after job. Financing it spreads the cost across the period you are using it, and keeps working cash available for payroll.
Match the funding to the life of the equipment
| Equipment | Typical working life, in general terms | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Computers and render hardware | Short; replaced as software demands rise | Avoid funding it for longer than you will use it |
| Cameras and lighting | Medium; resale value holds | Rental income can offset the cost |
| Commercial kitchen equipment | Long; heavy daily use | Downtime costs more than the machine |
| Shop machinery and presses | Long; repairable | A breakdown stops billable work immediately |
| Delivery vehicles | Medium; mileage-driven | Insurance and fuel sit on top of the payment |
The rule of thumb: finance equipment for no longer than you expect to use it, and prefer a payment that the equipment's own revenue can cover. These are general guidelines, not our terms.
Buy, repair or replace: a quick check
Before financing a replacement, compare three numbers: the cost to repair, the revenue lost each day the machine is down, and the cost of the new unit. A $6,000 repair on an eight-year-old press that is down three days a quarter may be cheaper than a $60,000 replacement; or it may not be, if the lost work is $2,500 a day. For illustration only, the figures are round examples, not our terms.
If the machine is the thing that earns, and it is failing, financing the replacement is usually easier to justify than financing the repair of something that will fail again.
How to apply
We fund $25,000 to $5,000,000, with funding in as little as 24 hours after approval. We consider FICO 500+, ask for about three months of business bank statements, and do not require tax returns. The five-minute application uses a soft credit pull; sole proprietors can apply. Apply and describe the equipment.
If the need is operating cash rather than a purchase, see working capital. If you need a reusable cushion, see the line of credit page. For the region, read the LA Metro overview.