Quillfield Business Funding, a small-business funding broker in Kalamazoo, Michigan, works in four steps: a call about purpose and repayment, matching the purpose to a funding type, a lending partner's review and decision, and your own choice on any offer. The broker does not lend; partners make credit decisions and set rates and terms.
A broker and a lender do different jobs
A lender, or for an advance a funder, supplies the money, reviews the business and sets the terms. A broker does not do any of those things. Our job is to understand what the business needs, explain which structures fit, and put a clear request in front of lending partners that offer that structure. Quillfield Business Funding is a broker, not a lender, and the steps below show where our part ends.
Step 1: a conversation about purpose
Call (269) 299-4657, or leave your contact details, business name and three range picks on the short form and we call you. We ask what the money is for, roughly how much it costs, and where repayment would come from. No documents yet; just the story of the need.
Step 2: choosing a structure
The purpose usually points to one or two options: working capital for a gap with an end date, a term loan for a project, a credit line for uneven costs, inventory financing for stock, equipment financing for a machine, or a merchant cash advance, which is not a loan. We explain the trade-offs and, with your go-ahead, send the request to partners that write that structure.
Step 3: the partner's review
The partner asks for what it needs, commonly recent bank statements and sometimes tax returns, financial statements or a quote. Many check business and personal credit. The partner alone decides whether to make an offer, how much, and on what terms. Michigan-specific preparation, from entity records to tax registration, is in the Michigan borrowing checklist.
Step 4: weighing any offer
If an offer arrives, compare it on more than the payment:
- APR expresses a loan's yearly cost including some fees; not every business offer states one.
- A factor on an advance is a multiplier, not an interest rate, and cannot be compared with an APR directly.
- Total cost in dollars is the one measure that works across every structure: total paid back or remitted, minus the amount received.
- Payment rhythm: daily, weekly or monthly debits change how the cost feels in your account.
Accepting is your decision alone. Declining costs nothing.
Red flags at any stage
- Anyone who promises approval, a rate or an amount before a partner has reviewed the business
- Requests for an upfront payment to 'secure' an offer
- Being pushed to sign before you have read everything
- A loan quoted with no total cost, or an advance dressed up as a loan
- Contracts with blank spaces or pages you were not given
Read the broker disclosures for how our role works, and the FAQ for quick answers.
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