# GoHarvest > Independent, plain-English guides to U.S. business credit and small-business financing, with free APR, DSCR and loan calculators. Educational only, no lending. GoHarvest (goharvest.io) is an independent, educational library about U.S. business credit and small-business financing: how business credit files and scores work (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, Equifax), EIN-based credit and personal guarantees, trade credit, SBA loan programs, lines of credit, term loans, invoice factoring, equipment financing, revenue-based financing and merchant cash advances, plus calculators for loan payments, APR (including factor-rate conversion), DSCR and lender readiness. It does not lend, broker or arrange financing, makes no approval promises, and its funding scenarios are clearly hypothetical. Figures are checked against SBA.gov, the CFPB, the Federal Reserve's Small Business Credit Survey and the credit bureaus' own pages. Educational only, not financial, legal or tax advice. The site has no connection to any person or business previously associated with the domain. ## Calculators - [APR and cost of capital calculator](https://goharvest.io/tools/apr-calculator/): Turn a factor rate, fee or note rate into an APR and a total dollar cost, so different offers line up side by side. - [Business loan payment calculator](https://goharvest.io/tools/loan-payment-calculator/): Monthly, weekly or daily payment, total interest and an amortization summary for a term loan. - [DSCR calculator](https://goharvest.io/tools/dscr-calculator/): Debt service coverage ratio from your income and payments, and how much new debt it leaves room for. - [Business credit readiness checklist](https://goharvest.io/tools/business-credit-readiness/): Twenty checks lenders tend to look at first, scored, with what to fix before you apply. ## Topic guides - [EIN-Based Credit vs Personal Guarantees: A Realistic Guide](https://goharvest.io/solutions/e-i-n-based-credit): What 'EIN-only' business credit can and can't do, which kinds of credit young companies can get without a personal guarantee, and when lenders still require one. - [Business Credit Compliance Basics: Records, Rules and Red Lines](https://goharvest.io/solutions/corporate-credit-compliance): The compliance basics behind business credit: entity standing, consistent records, honest applications, ECOA and Regulation B rights, state disclosure laws. - [Cost of Capital for Small Businesses: Rates, APR and Total Dollars](https://goharvest.io/solutions/cost-of-capital-optimization): How to measure what business financing really costs: interest rate vs APR vs factor rate, fees, total dollars repaid, and the cost of equity and trade credit. - [Getting Lender-Ready: How to Position a Business for Funding](https://goharvest.io/solutions/funding-capital-positioning): How to prepare a small business before asking for financing: clean books, a clear use of funds, the right amount, the right lender type and the documents to gather. - [Banks, Credit Unions, SBA Lenders and CDFIs: How Institutional Credit Works](https://goharvest.io/solutions/institutional-capital-access): How community banks, credit unions, SBA lenders, CDCs and CDFIs differ as small-business lenders, and how each one tends to evaluate applicants. - [Building a Relationship With a Lender Before You Need One](https://goharvest.io/solutions/institutional-trust-building): How small businesses build trust with banks and credit unions over time: deposit history, clean reporting, a first small credit, and communicating before problems. - [Capital Structure for Small Businesses: Debt, Equity and Working Capital](https://goharvest.io/solutions/internal-capital-structure-advisory): How a small business can think about its capital structure: how much debt it can carry, matching debt to assets, working capital, owner equity and leverage ratios. - [Managing Business Debt: Schedules, Refinancing and Avoiding Stacking](https://goharvest.io/solutions/strategic-debt-management): How to manage existing business debt: a debt schedule, ranking debts by real cost, when refinancing helps, why stacking advances is dangerous, covenants. - [Credit and Debt Before Selling a Business: A Cleanup Guide](https://goharvest.io/solutions/pre-exit-credit-structure): How owners can prepare debt, liens, guarantees and credit files before selling a business, and how buyers' financing, including SBA loans, shapes the deal. ## Key questions - [What It Takes to Qualify for Bank and SBA Financing](https://goharvest.io/access-top-tier-funding/): What usually separates businesses that qualify for low-cost bank and SBA financing from those steered to expensive alternatives, and how to close the gap. - [How Business Owners Can Limit Personal Risk When Borrowing](https://goharvest.io/minimize-personal-risk/): Practical ways owners can limit personal exposure to business debt: real entity separation, capped guarantees, insurance and borrowing what cash flow supports. - [Practical Ways to Lower What Your Business Pays for Financing](https://goharvest.io/reduce-the-cost-of-capital/): Practical, honest levers for lowering what a small business pays for credit: timing, comparison shopping on APR, matching terms, collateral, fees and refinancing. ## Articles - [How Business Credit Works, From First File to First Loan](https://goharvest.io/blog/how-business-credit-works/): How U.S. business credit files are created, what feeds them, how they differ from personal credit, and why lenders still look at the owner for young companies. - [Business Credit Scores Compared: D&B, Experian, Equifax and FICO SBSS](https://goharvest.io/blog/business-credit-scores-compared/): The main U.S. business credit scores side by side: what PAYDEX, Experian Intelliscore Plus, Equifax's risk scores and FICO SBSS measure, and their scales. - [The PAYDEX Score Explained Without the Hype](https://goharvest.io/blog/paydex-score-explained/): What Dun & Bradstreet's PAYDEX score measures, why 80 means paying on time, how many reporting accounts you need, and what does and doesn't move it. - [Net-30 Trade Lines: How Vendor Credit Builds a Business File](https://goharvest.io/blog/net-30-trade-lines/): How supplier trade credit (net-30 and similar terms) gets reported to business credit bureaus, how to tell if a vendor reports, and the traps to avoid. - [Personal Guarantees on Business Loans: What You're Signing](https://goharvest.io/blog/personal-guarantees-explained/): What a personal guarantee on a business loan or lease means, unlimited vs limited guarantees, SBA's 20% owner rule, and what you can realistically negotiate. - [How to Check and Correct Your Business Credit Reports](https://goharvest.io/blog/checking-and-fixing-business-credit-reports/): How to see what Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax report about your company, the errors worth fixing first, and how business disputes differ from consumer ones. - [SBA Loans Explained: 7(a), 504 and Microloans in Plain English](https://goharvest.io/blog/sba-loans-explained/): How SBA-backed loans work, current program limits for 7(a), SBA Express, 504 and microloans, guarantees, rate caps and what applicants are usually asked for. - [Business Line of Credit vs Term Loan: Which Fits the Need?](https://goharvest.io/blog/line-of-credit-vs-term-loan/): The difference between a business line of credit and a term loan, how each is priced and repaid, and how to match the product to what the money is for. - [Invoice Factoring: How It Works and What It Really Costs](https://goharvest.io/blog/invoice-factoring/): How invoice factoring and invoice financing work, recourse vs non-recourse, how fees add up per month an invoice stays open, and when factoring makes sense. - [Equipment Financing and Leasing: Loans, Leases and the Fine Print](https://goharvest.io/blog/equipment-financing/): How equipment loans and leases work, $1 buyout vs fair-market-value leases, down payments, useful life, and how to compare equipment offers on total cost. - [Revenue-Based Financing: How Repayment From Sales Works](https://goharvest.io/blog/revenue-based-financing/): How revenue-based financing works, the repayment cap and revenue share, how its cost changes with growth, and how it compares with loans and merchant cash advances. - [Merchant Cash Advances and Factor Rates: The Real Cost in APR](https://goharvest.io/blog/merchant-cash-advance-factor-rates/): How merchant cash advances and factor rates work, why a 1.3 factor rate is not 30% interest, worked APR conversions, and the contract terms to read before signing. - [What Lenders Look At When a Small Business Applies](https://goharvest.io/blog/what-lenders-look-at/): How lenders evaluate small-business loan applications: cash flow, credit, collateral, capital and character, the documents they ask for and recent Fed survey data. ## Industry guides - [Financing a Commercial Property Services Business](https://goharvest.io/industry/commercial-property-services): How commercial cleaning, facilities maintenance, landscaping and similar property services firms usually finance equipment, vehicles, payroll and contract growth. - [Financing a Construction Contracting Business: Lines, Equipment and Bonding](https://goharvest.io/industry/construction-contracting): How contractors usually finance their work: progress billing and retainage gaps, equipment loans, lines of credit, factoring and surety bonding. - [E-commerce Financing: Inventory, Ad Spend and Platform Payouts](https://goharvest.io/industry/e-commerce): How online sellers usually finance inventory and growth: supplier terms, lines of credit, platform financing and revenue-based financing, and their costs. - [Franchise Financing: Buying, Opening and Expanding Franchise Units](https://goharvest.io/industry/franchise-operators): How franchisees usually finance a first unit and later expansion: SBA 7(a) loans, bank and equipment loans, the SBA Franchise Directory and what lenders check. - [Logistics and Transportation Financing: Trucks, Fleets and Freight Bills](https://goharvest.io/industry/logistics-transportation): How owner-operators and small fleets usually finance trucks and cash flow: equipment loans and leases, freight factoring, fuel cards and what lenders check. - [Manufacturing and Fabrication Financing: Machinery, Facilities and Working Capital](https://goharvest.io/industry/manufacturing-fabrication): How small manufacturers usually finance machinery, plants and raw materials: equipment loans, SBA 504 and 7(a), SBA's MARC lines and asset-based credit. - [Healthcare Practice Financing: Equipment, Buy-Ins and Slow Receivables](https://goharvest.io/industry/medical-healthcare-practices): How medical, dental and therapy practices usually finance equipment, practice purchases and buy-ins, and manage insurance reimbursement lag. - [Financing a Professional Services Firm: Few Assets, Strong Cash Flow](https://goharvest.io/industry/professional-service-firms): How agencies, consultancies and accounting or law firms finance growth with few hard assets: lines of credit, term loans and firm acquisitions. - [Financing a Technology or Data Services Company Without Giving Up Equity](https://goharvest.io/industry/technology-data-services): How technology and software businesses can use debt instead of, or alongside, equity: bank lines, revenue-based financing, venture debt and what lenders look at. - [Wholesale and Distribution Financing: Inventory, Receivables and Trade Credit](https://goharvest.io/industry/wholesale-distribution): How wholesalers and distributors finance the gap between paying suppliers and collecting from customers: trade credit, asset-based lines, factoring. - [Restaurant Financing: Equipment, Build-Outs and Cash Advances](https://goharvest.io/industry/restaurants): How restaurants usually finance kitchens, build-outs and slow seasons, why card-sales advances are common and costly, and what lenders look at in food service. - [Retail Store Financing: Inventory, Seasons and Store Fit-Outs](https://goharvest.io/industry/retail): How independent retailers usually finance inventory, seasonal peaks and store fit-outs, using supplier terms, lines of credit and term loans, and what lenders check. - [Farm and Agriculture Business Financing: Seasons, Land and Equipment](https://goharvest.io/industry/agriculture): How farms and agricultural businesses usually finance land, equipment and seasonal operating costs, including USDA Farm Service Agency loans and Farm Credit lenders. ## Hypothetical funding scenarios - [Scenario: From Bootstrapped to Bankable](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/from-bootstrapped-to-bankable): A hypothetical one-year-old cleaning LLC that has paid for everything on a personal card works out how to build a business credit file and become bankable. - [Scenario: Flipping the Script on Funding by Comparing Offers First](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/flipping-the-script-on-funding): A hypothetical restaurant stops taking the first offer and compares an equipment loan, an SBA-style loan and a cash advance for $85,000 of kitchen equipment. - [Scenario: Breaking the Barrier to Federal Contracts](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/breaking-the-barrier-to-federal-contracts): A hypothetical electrical contractor preparing for its first federal job works through registration, bonding and the working capital needed to carry the contract. - [Scenario: From Overleveraged to Operational Freedom](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/from-overleveraged-to-operational-freedom): A hypothetical salon whose two merchant cash advances take more than its cash flow works through its options: reconciliation, renegotiation, refinancing. - [Scenario: From Reactive to Ready Before Peak Season](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/from-reactive-to-ready): A hypothetical online store that used to scramble for holiday inventory money compares a fixed-fee offer with a bank line arranged ahead of the season. - [Scenario: From Thin File to Power Player in Business Credit](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/from-thin-file-to-power-player): A hypothetical profitable landscaping company that always paid cash has almost no business credit file. It plans 18 months of steps to give lenders a record. - [Scenario: No PGs, No Problem? What Credit Is Possible Without a Personal Guarantee](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/no-pgs-no-problem): A hypothetical agency owner tries to borrow without personal guarantees and maps which credit allows that, what it costs and where a guarantee is unavoidable. - [Scenario: Standing Strong Without an Unlimited Signature](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/standing-strong-without-a-signature): A hypothetical firm owned by three partners works out what joint and several guarantees mean for each, and how to ask for capped or released guarantees. - [Scenario: Unlocking Institutional Doors With SBA 504](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/unlocking-institutional-doors): A hypothetical machine shop buying its $1.2 million building compares a conventional mortgage with an SBA 504 structure: cash down, payments, trade-offs. - [Scenario: Scaling Without Strings Using Debt Instead of Equity](https://goharvest.io/case-studies/scaling-without-strings): A hypothetical software company needing $300,000 to hire compares selling equity, revenue-based financing and a bank term loan, with the APR of each. ## Site and reference pages - [About GoHarvest](https://goharvest.io/about-us/): Who runs GoHarvest, what the site is and isn't, how we research and check facts, how we stay independent, and how to report an error. - [Business Credit FAQ: Straight Answers to Common Questions](https://goharvest.io/about/faq): Straight answers to common questions about business credit scores, EINs, personal guarantees, SBA loans, factor rates and APR, and what GoHarvest does. - [Next Steps to Prepare for Business Funding](https://goharvest.io/about/next-steps): An ordered checklist to prepare a small business for financing: purpose and amount, records, credit files, documents, the right lender, comparing offers. - [Sources and Research: Where Our Facts Come From](https://goharvest.io/research/overview): The primary sources GoHarvest relies on for business credit and small-business financing facts: SBA, eCFR, CFPB, the Federal Reserve's credit survey and the bureaus. - [Contact GoHarvest](https://goharvest.io/contact/): How to reach GoHarvest by email to report an error, suggest a topic or ask about the site. We can't give individual financial advice or arrange financing. - [Small-Business Financing Options: A Plain Guide](https://goharvest.io/lending-center/): An independent guide to U.S. small-business financing options, from bank and SBA loans to factoring and cash advances, organized by what the money is for. - [Business Lending Options Compared: Costs, Terms and Trade-offs](https://goharvest.io/lending-center/lending-options/): Every common small-business financing type in one place: how each is priced, typical terms, collateral and guarantees, speed, and the trade-offs to weigh. No offers. - [Privacy Policy](https://goharvest.io/compliance/privacy-policy): GoHarvest's privacy policy: no cookies, no analytics, no accounts. Calculator inputs stay in your browser. What our hosting provider logs and how to contact us. - [Terms of Service](https://goharvest.io/compliance/terms-of-service): The terms for using GoHarvest: educational content only, no lending or brokering, no financial advice, calculator limits, accuracy, links and liability.