ClearValue Lending: Presenting My New Business!

What ClearValue Lending is, and is not

Brian covers this in the video · watch from 0:00

In the video Brian says ClearValue Lending is not an affiliate link and not an MLM. He co-founded it. That is still true.

What has changed is how we describe the work. ClearValue Lending is an education and comparison platform. It is not a lender, a broker or a financial advisor. It does not lend money, approve applications, set rates or decide how fast anyone is funded. Funding partners do all of that.

What the site does: explain each type of business financing in plain English, show typical costs and requirements side by side, and pass a business's request to the funding partners whose requirements it fits.

Why it pays to plan before you need money

Brian covers this in the video · watch from 0:00

Brian's reason for starting the business is simple. Businesses run short of cash for ordinary reasons: a slow season, a short disruption, or a big contract that needs money up front. When that happens, the cheapest options are often the slowest. An owner who waits until the week cash runs out may only qualify for fast, expensive money.

Planning ahead gives you choices. Three habits help:

• Know your numbers. Keep monthly revenue, bank balances and existing debt payments up to date. Every lender asks for them.
• Open a line before you need it. A business line of credit is easier to get when the business is doing well. You pay interest only on what you draw.
• Fix your file early. Check your credit reports, file tax returns on time and keep business and personal money in separate accounts.

The main financing options compared

Most small business financing falls into six types. They differ in cost, speed and what the lender looks at. The ranges below are the same ones shown on each product guide.

A rough rule: the faster the money and the lighter the paperwork, the higher the cost. SBA and bank loans are usually cheapest and slowest. Revenue-based financing is usually fastest and most expensive. Lines of credit, term loans and equipment financing sit in between.

Compare total cost, not the payment

Offers are quoted in different ways. A loan shows an interest rate or APR. Revenue-based financing shows a factor rate. Invoice factoring shows a discount rate per 30 days. To compare them, put every offer in the same terms: how much you pay back in total, over how long, and the APR.

Here is a worked example. A $50,000 advance at a 1.28 factor rate means you repay $64,000. The cost is $14,000. If it is collected in equal payments every business day for 9 months, the APR works out to about 68%. The same $50,000 as a 9-month loan at 10% APR, with monthly payments, costs about $2,106 in interest.

The faster option may still be the right one if the money earns more than it costs, or if waiting would cost you a contract. But you should know the gap before you sign. Our loan calculators do this math for you.

Questions to ask every funder

Ask each funding partner the same questions, and get the answers in writing.

1. What is the total amount I will repay, including all fees?
2. What is the APR, and how did you calculate it?
3. What fees are charged at closing, and are they taken out of the money I receive?
4. How often are payments taken: daily, weekly or monthly?
5. Can I pay early, and is there a prepayment penalty or a discount?
6. Is a personal guarantee required?
7. Will you file a lien on business assets, and which ones?
8. What happens if a payment is late or my revenue drops?
9. Will you check my credit, and is it a hard or soft inquiry?

What happens when you send a request

If you decide to look for funding through ClearValue, this is the process.

1. Tell us about the business. One short form: revenue, time in business, industry, credit profile, how much you need and why. There is no hard credit pull at this stage.
2. Your request is matched. ClearValue compares the file with the requirements of its funding partners and sends it to the ones it fits. It is not sent to everyone in the network.
3. Partners contact you. More than one may review the file and reach out. Each one gives its own price, payment schedule and fees, in writing. A partner may check your credit before it makes an offer; ask how.
4. You decide. If an offer fits, you sign with that funding partner, and it funds your business account directly. You are never required to accept an offer.

Nothing is approved by ClearValue. A partner may decline, and an offer can differ from what a calculator estimated.

How ClearValue is paid

Brian's video does not cover this, so here it is. There is no application fee. If a funding partner funds your business, that partner may pay ClearValue a referral fee. The fee comes from the partner, not from you.

On personal-finance pages, such as credit cards, banking and insurance, some links are affiliate links, and they are disclosed. Rankings on the site are based on fit, not on who pays. Our how we make money page explains the rules in full.

About "lower rates and same-day approval"

Brian covers this in the video · watch from 0:00

At launch Brian described the goal as lower rates, same-day approval and a quick application. The quick application is still the aim. Rates and approval are different: they are set by the funding partner that reviews your file, and they depend on your business.

Speed varies by product. On our product guides, revenue-based financing typically funds 24 – 48 hours after signed contract, while an SBA loan typically takes 30 – 90 days (45–60 with a Preferred Lender). No one can promise approval, or a rate, before a lender has reviewed your information.

Use the tools first

Brian's last point still stands: try the tools before you need money. Two are free and do not pull your credit.

• The funding readiness check shows what lenders look at and where your file is weak.
• The loan calculators estimate payments and total cost for different amounts, terms and rates.

Both give estimates. They do not predict or promise approval.