The shape of repayment
In revenue-based financing, repayment moves with what comes in. A stronger month sends more toward the balance and a weaker one sends less. An ordinary installment is fixed. Terms depend on the business and are not published. Funding ranges from $25,000 to $5,000,000 and can arrive in as little as 24 hours.
Where uneven revenue shows up in Oakland
Wikipedia reports that in 2013 over 2.5 million people visited Oakland, and describes the city's music venues, restaurants and nightlife. Visitor-linked businesses vary with events, weather and the calendar. The same article notes that the city lost three professional major league sports teams to other cities within a five-year span, up to 2023, a reminder that event traffic can shift in ways a small owner cannot control.
The port economy has its own variability, since cargo flows depend on shipping schedules and trade conditions. A supplier whose customers are on that cycle may find a revenue-linked payment easier to carry than a fixed one. Our port and logistics page discusses that cycle in more detail.
Who it suits, who it does not
| Fits better | Fits worse |
|---|---|
| Seasonal or event-linked revenue | Very thin margins |
| Variable weekly deposits | Revenue from a few large invoices |
| Growth spending that raises sales | A one-time machine purchase (see equipment financing) |
Worked example (illustration only)
A caterer deposits $48,000 in a busy month and $19,000 in a slow one. If a fixed share of deposits went to repayment, the caterer would pay more in the strong month and less in the weak one, keeping more cash for rent and staff when it is needed. A flat payment sized to the strong month would feel heavy in the slow one. These numbers show a structure; they are not our terms.
Check the math on your own margin
Before choosing this structure, take a typical sale and remove the share of revenue that would go toward repayment. Is the profit that remains still worth the work? A restaurant with a 6% margin has less room than a design studio with a 40% margin. Then ask the harder question: if revenue dropped by a third for a season, how long would repayment stretch? Payments that follow revenue also slow down when revenue does.
If your income is steady and predictable, a term loan with a fixed schedule may be simpler to plan around.
Applying
We consider FICO scores of 500 and above, ask for about three months of business bank statements, require no tax returns, and use a soft credit pull on a five-minute application. Sole proprietors can apply. Related pages: working capital, term loans, merchant cash advance. Apply here.