Start with what the equipment earns
Equipment financing makes sense when a machine will produce revenue or protect revenue you already have. A new espresso machine that adds drive-through volume is one thing. A replacement compressor that keeps a refrigerated storeroom running is another. In both cases the question is the same: how many weeks of added or saved income does it take to cover the purchase?
What San Francisco owners tend to buy
Wikipedia describes the city's economy as spread across professional services, tourism, financial services, high technology and healthcare. Each sector turns up different equipment needs:
- Restaurants, bars and bakeries: ovens, hoods, walk-in coolers, dish machines.
- Healthcare practices: imaging, chairs, sterilizers, diagnostic units.
- Creative and technical studios: cameras, workstations, printers, fabrication tools.
- Delivery and trades: vans, lifts, compressors, and service tools.
For clinics specifically, see the healthcare funding page.
Repair, replace or finance: a quick comparison
| Situation | Usually points to |
|---|---|
| Old unit, repair costs climbing, downtime cutting sales | Replace, and finance the new unit |
| Newer unit, one-off part failure | Repair from cash if the account can carry it |
| Add a second machine to take on more orders | Finance, and check the added capacity actually sells |
| Unclear need, equipment "might be useful" | Wait until the use case is concrete |
A worked example, for illustration only
Suppose a San Francisco bakery needs a $30,000 oven line to bring in wholesale orders from nearby cafes. These are round numbers, not our terms or typical results. If the new capacity brings in an extra $4,000 of margin per month, the oven pays for itself on paper in under eight months, before any repayment costs are counted. If the same oven only replaces one that already works, the extra margin is zero and the purchase has to be justified by reliability alone. Writing the earn-or-protect number down, even roughly, keeps the decision honest.
Two cautions before you sign
First, match the horizon: gear that lasts five years should not be paid off in a way that strains cash for the first six months. Second, price the downtime you are avoiding. If a restaurant loses a day of sales every time the walk-in fails, that figure belongs in the decision just as much as the purchase price.
If what you need is general cash rather than a specific asset, working capital is broader, and a line of credit suits repeated smaller purchases.
How to apply
We consider FICO scores of 500 and above, ask for about three months of business bank statements, and need no tax returns. The application takes about five minutes with a soft credit pull, and funding runs from $25,000 to $5,000,000 and can arrive in as little as 24 hours. Sole proprietors can apply. Apply here.