Business Loan Broker in Berkeley, CA

You can walk into a single bank branch on Shattuck Avenue and accept whatever rate sheet they offer, or you can work with a small business loan broker who shops your file to multiple lenders at once. The direct route locks you into one approval committee, one credit appetite, and one set of closing costs. The brokered path gives you a menu: an SBA 7(a) package from a community bank, a working capital line from an online platform, or equipment financing from a specialty shop. When you understand what each lender charges for origination, servicing, and early payoff, you stop guessing and start comparing.

First, you share revenue history, tax returns, and a brief use-of-funds summary during a phone call or meeting at our Emeryville office, a five-minute drive from the Berkeley-Emeryville border. Next, we submit your profile to lenders whose credit boxes match your industry and loan size. Within days you receive term sheets that itemize broker fees, lender fees, and any third-party costs like appraisals or environmental reports. You choose the offer that balances rate, amortization, and prepayment flexibility, then we coordinate underwriting, title work, and funding. Because we are a business loan broker, not a lender, we earn a fee only when your loan closes, our incentive is your approval, not upselling products you don't need.

- SBA 7(a) for acquisition, refinance, or expansion - Working capital when you need cash flow before receivables convert - Equipment financing to buy or lease machinery, vehicles, or tech - Commercial real estate loans for purchase or construction - Business lines of credit with draw and repay flexibility - Invoice factoring to accelerate AR without taking on debt

Every program carries different cost structures. As your small business lending broker, we map those costs in a single spreadsheet so you compare apples to apples.

Who pays the broker fee? Typically the borrower pays a percentage of the funded amount at closing, or the lender pays the broker and builds that cost into your rate. Either way, the fee appears on your closing statement before you sign, so you know exactly who is paying whom and can negotiate if the structure doesn't fit your budget.

Can a broker get me approved when banks say no? A business loan broker accesses lenders with different credit policies, collateral requirements, and industry preferences. If one underwriter declines your file because of a tax lien, another may approve it with a larger down payment or a cash-flow sweep. Brokers expand your options but cannot override fundamental credit or compliance issues.