Fieldcroft Business Capital, a small-business funding broker in Great Falls, Montana, sets six structures side by side on this page: working capital, term loans, lines of credit, inventory financing, equipment financing and merchant cash advances. Each is sorted by how it is repaid or collected and what lending partners usually review. Credit decisions belong to the partners alone.
Six structures by repayment pattern
| Structure | Repayment or collection | Fits | Partners usually review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working capital | Set payments over a few months | Wages, supplier bills, tax payments | Bank deposits and time trading |
| Term loan | Amortizing payments across a fixed term | Fit-outs, moves, refinancing | Cash flow, tax returns, purpose |
| Line of credit | Pay down what you drew; the limit refills | Recurring, uneven costs | Deposits, credit history, existing debt |
| Inventory financing | Per item sold, or on calendar dates | Goods paid for before they sell | Stock reports, sales history, liens |
| Equipment financing | Installments or lease payments | Machines, fixtures, vans | Quote, asset age, cash flow |
| Merchant cash advance | A holdback of future receipts is collected | Mostly card sales, a near deadline | Card and bank receipts |
Weeks-long needs and years-long needs
Let the funding last about as long as the thing it buys keeps earning. A wage gap that closes when a contractor's draw clears is a short problem; it belongs in working capital or a credit line. A storefront remodel that earns back over years is a long problem; squeezing it into a short structure makes every payment heavier than the business needs.
Cascade County, MT counted 1,252 employer establishments with fewer than five employees in 2023, out of 2,472 (County Business Patterns 2023). At that size, one mismatched payment schedule can take most of a month's margin, so we start every conversation with dates: when the bill is due and when the cash that repays it arrives.
Secured or unsecured
Secured funding is backed by an asset the partner can claim if the business defaults: the equipment being bought, the stock on the shelves, or a general lien on business assets. Unsecured funding has no specific collateral, though partners often still file a UCC financing statement and may ask an owner to sign personally.
Before you apply, look up what is already filed against the business. Our Montana UCC search guide explains how owners check for existing liens, which partners will find either way.
Where SBA programs and grants fit
Fieldcroft Business Capital is not an SBA lender and does not arrange SBA-backed loans or grants. Owners searching for Montana small business grants or SBA programs can start with the free resources we list for Great Falls and Cascade County; some of those options cost less than anything a broker can place.
Which structure we would look at first
- A known bill, a known payback date: working capital.
- Costs that recur but vary: a line of credit.
- Something that lasts for years: a term loan or equipment financing.
- Stock that turns into sales: inventory financing.
- Most of the revenue on cards, little time: a merchant cash advance, priced in full before signing.
Lending partners make the final call on which structure they will offer, if any.
By Fieldcroft Business Capital · Updated