Graniteford Finance, a small-business funding broker in Casper, WY, compares six funding types: working capital, term loans, lines of credit, inventory financing, equipment financing and merchant cash advances. Each is repaid differently, suits a different job and gets a different review. Lending partners, not Graniteford Finance, make credit decisions and set rates and terms.
The six side by side
| Funding type | How it is repaid | Typical uses | What partners tend to review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working capital | Fixed installments over a short term | Payroll, rent and supplier bills before receivables arrive | Bank statements, revenue pattern, existing debts |
| Term loan | Scheduled payments of principal and interest | Remodels, expansion, buying a business, refinancing | Tax returns, financials, cash flow and collateral |
| Line of credit | Payments on what you have drawn; repaid room can be reused | Recurring or uneven gaps | Revenue consistency, credit, banking history |
| Inventory financing | Repaid as stock sells, often with a lien on the inventory | Stocking up before sales | Inventory turnover, supplier invoices, sales history |
| Equipment financing | Fixed payments; the equipment secures the deal | Machinery, vehicles, kitchen and clinical equipment | Quote or invoice, equipment type and age, cash flow |
| Merchant cash advance | Not a loan: a share of receipts or fixed debits is remitted | Card-heavy businesses wanting a fast lump sum | Card or bank deposits, existing advances |
Short-term or long-term?
The useful rule is to match the funding's life to the life of what it buys. Money that fills a gap of a few weeks or months should be paid back over a short term; stretching it out means paying for it long after the gap closed. A remodel, a building improvement or an acquisition earns its keep over years, so a longer schedule usually suits it better than an expensive short one.
Working capital, lines of credit and merchant cash advances sit at the short end. Term loans and equipment financing sit at the long end. Inventory financing falls in between, because its length follows how fast the stock turns.
Secured or unsecured?
Secured funding is backed by a specific asset the lender can claim if the business defaults: the equipment being bought, inventory, receivables, or real estate. Unsecured funding relies on the business's cash flow and credit, and often on a personal guarantee from the owner. Partners commonly record their interest by filing a UCC financing statement with the state, which is why a lien search is one of the first things a careful lender runs. Searching Wyoming UCC records shows what is already filed against a business.
Secured does not mean cheap and unsecured does not mean easy. Each partner prices its own risk, and the terms come from the partner.
Where SBA loans fit
Searches for Wyoming SBA loans are common. Loans under the U.S. Small Business Administration's programs are made by participating lenders, not by the SBA directly, and not by brokers. Graniteford Finance does not arrange SBA loans. The SBA's Wyoming District Office, whose page says it serves all 23 counties in the state, is listed with other free contacts in our Casper, WY and Natrona County resource guide.
Business funding or a business credit card?
A business credit card is revolving credit with a limit, much like a small line of credit, and it suits routine purchases that are paid off each month. A balance carried month after month on a card is usually a costly way to fund a project. When the need is a defined sum for a defined purpose, compare the card's terms with a term loan or line of credit before defaulting to the card.
Allowed and disallowed uses of business funding
Business funding pays for business purposes: wages run through payroll, stock, equipment, rent, a build-out, taxes owed by the business, or replacing more expensive business debt. Personal spending is not a business purpose, and partners set their own rules on how proceeds may be used, so ask before you sign. Graniteford Finance works only on business funding, never on personal, payday or auto title loans.
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