Guide · Whether you'll qualify
Can you get a business loan after only 8 months?
By Alex Makowski Published
Yes. Six months of trading is the threshold most revenue-based funders use, so at eight months you clear it. Banks and SBA lenders will still decline — they want two years — but merchant cash advances, working capital loans and equipment financing are all available.
In this guide
- 01Where the thresholds actually sit
- 02What matters more than the months
- 03What to expect on price and amount
- Won't affect your credit
- Free, no obligation
- Up to $500K
01
Where the thresholds actually sit
Under 6 months: hard. Equipment financing is the most realistic route, because the equipment secures the loan and reduces how much history matters.
6 to 12 months: most revenue-based options open up. Expect pricing at the higher end and smaller amounts than your revenue alone would suggest.
12 to 24 months: better pricing, larger amounts, and a line of credit becomes realistic.
2 years and beyond: banks and SBA lenders will look at you.
02
What matters more than the months
Consistency. Eight months of steady deposits beats eighteen months of erratic ones. Underwriters are looking for a pattern they can extrapolate.
Deposit volume. Most funders want to see around $15,000 a month minimum, and $30,000 opens materially more.
Whether the business is growing. A trend upward across those eight months reads very differently from a trend down.
03
What to expect on price and amount
Newer businesses get shorter terms and higher factor rates. That is the risk being priced, not a penalty.
Advances typically land at 50 to 150 percent of one month's revenue. At eight months trading, assume the lower half of that range.
The offer improves quickly. Coming back at eighteen months with the same revenue usually produces materially better terms.
Written by
Alex Makowski, Owner
Alex Makowski owns and runs Business Loans for America and has been placing funding for U.S. small businesses since 2021. Businesses he has worked with have secured $50M+ in financing across 1,200+ placements. He writes and reviews every guide on this site.
FAQ
Related questions.
- What is the minimum time in business for funding?
- Six months for most revenue-based funders. Equipment financing sometimes goes lower because the asset secures the loan.
- Can a brand new business get funding?
- Under six months, options are thin. Equipment financing, a personal guarantee, or waiting until you cross six months are the realistic paths.
- Does time in business matter more than revenue?
- They interact. Strong consistent revenue at eight months beats weak revenue at three years — but under six months, no amount of revenue opens most doors.
Guides
More on whether you'll qualify
Does applying for business funding hurt your credit score?
How much can you borrow on $40,000 a month in revenue?
Before the first dollar of revenue
Who funds a business that has not opened, and why it is not us yet.
The revenue floor
Around $10,000 to $15,000 a month in deposits opens most doors. Under that, one product still does.
Overdrafts and negative days
More than three returned items in ninety days downgrades a file. The fix takes one clean quarter.
Already have a loan
A bank loan, an SBA loan or an equipment note rarely blocks you. A second advance is a different question.
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration — LoansFederal loan programmes, eligibility and what the SBA does and does not guarantee.
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Find out what you qualify for before you need it.
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- Won't affect your credit
- Free, no obligation
- Decisions usually inside 24 hours
- Up to $500K