A resort county with few residents
Wikipedia puts Mono County in east-central California, east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. The 2020 census counted 13,195 people, making it the fourth least populous county in the state, and the county seat is Bridgeport. The only incorporated town is Mammoth Lakes, at the foot of Mammoth Mountain. Wikipedia names June Lake and other locations as skiing and fishing resorts, notes Mono Lake in the middle of the county as a vital habitat for migratory and nesting birds, and lists Bodie, the official state gold rush ghost town, now a State Historic Park.
The year in three parts
A mountain resort economy has peaks and valleys that owners know well. The labels below are a planning frame, not statistics for any given town.
- Ski season. Lodging, restaurants, rental shops and instructors run at full capacity, with staff and inventory ramped up ahead of time.
- Shoulder months. Between seasons, many places cut hours or close, but rent, insurance, utilities and year-round staff continue.
- Summer and fishing season. A second, smaller peak for lodging, guides, outfitters and visitors drawn to the lake, the park and the ghost town.
A town with a single resort at its center can see everything depend on one winter's snow.
Costs that arrive before customers do
Before a busy season opens, an owner may hire and train staff, buy food, rental gear or retail stock, repair equipment and pay deposits for housing seasonal workers. All of that comes ahead of revenue. For illustration only, a rental shop that spends $25,000 on gear, repairs and wages before opening day, and has a snowless first month, can be out of cash before the season really begins. These figures are made up for the arithmetic, not our terms or a typical outcome.
What to document before you apply
- Twelve months of deposits, if you have them, so the season's shape is visible.
- The pre-season spend you plan to cover, with quotes where possible.
- A short note on how many weeks of revenue make up the year.
We ask for about three months of statements, but a clear explanation of what those three months do and do not show is useful. A winter statement can look strong and a spring one thin, and both are normal.
Funding terms
What we offer is the same in every corner of the state: funding from $25,000 to $5,000,000, in as little as 24 hours once approved. We consider FICO scores of 500 and above, ask for about three months of business bank statements, and do not require tax returns. The application takes about five minutes and uses a soft credit pull. Sole proprietors can apply.
When you are ready, start your application.