The shape, without the jargon
In this category, what you repay in a given period rises and falls with what the business took in during that period. A strong month sends more to the funder; a weak month sends less. Compare that with a fixed monthly payment, which asks for the same amount in January as in September. We do not publish rates or terms on a web page, and nothing here is a quote.
Revenue that follows weather and visitors
Wikipedia describes Sonoma County as California's largest wine producer in the region, a leading producer of hops, grapes, prunes, apples, dairy and poultry, and a destination for millions of visitors each year. Santa Rosa, the county seat, is its largest city. Revenue for businesses tied to those flows moves in waves:
- Hospitality and tasting rooms swing with visitor seasons and weekends.
- Farm and vineyard service businesses concentrate income around planting and harvest.
- Brewers and beverage producers depend on retail and distributor order cycles.
- Contractors follow permit timing and weather windows, as well as rebuilding work after wildfires like the 2017 Tubbs Fire that Wikipedia documents.
A test of fit, for illustration
Pull your last twelve weeks of deposits. If your lowest week is less than half your highest, a fixed payment sized to the average will feel heavy in the low weeks, and a flexible repayment may suit you better. If the weeks are nearly flat, flexibility buys little and a simple fixed structure may cost less overall. This is a thinking aid, not an approval test, and the numbers in any real agreement will differ.
Side by side
| Repayment shape | Where it helps | Where it hurts |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed monthly payment | Easy to budget when revenue is even | A slow month owes the full amount |
| Share of revenue | Moves with the business | Cash leaves often; the total repaid may be higher |
| Revolving draw | Pay only for what you use | Requires discipline with an always-available balance |
Compare with term loans and merchant cash advances, which are a related but different product.
What to bring that helps a fair review
Because repayment depends on revenue, the statements matter more than usual. Mark the months that were unusual for a reason you can name: a late harvest, a closed weekend, a large one-time order. A reviewer reading twelve weeks of deposits can see seasonality for themselves, and a short note beside the dip prevents a misreading.
Applying
We fund $25,000 to $5,000,000, in as little as 24 hours once approved. FICO 500 and above is considered, and we ask for about three months of business bank statements with no tax returns. The application is about five minutes with a soft credit pull, and sole proprietors can apply. Go to the application page or read North Bay Wine Country funding first.