What's the minimum revenue to get business financing?

It varies by lender and product, but many alternative lenders look for roughly $10,000+ in monthly revenue and at least six months in business. Strong, consistent deposits improve both approval odds and the amount offered.

What documents do lenders ask for?

Most commonly the last six months of business bank statements, business registration, and a recent tax return — plus an accounts-receivable aging report for invoice financing.

Does my credit score decide it?

Not on its own with alternative lenders. Credit is one input; consistent revenue and healthy bank-account behaviour can outweigh a weak score, though poor credit usually raises the rate.

Business Financing Requirements Canada | Crewline

The core requirements

Across working capital, lines of credit, and invoice financing, lenders assess a common set of signals: average monthly revenue and deposits, how long you've been in business, how much debt you already carry and how you've handled it, and your personal and business credit. For invoice-based products, the creditworthiness of your customers and the cleanness of your receivables matter too. No single factor decides it — a short track record can be offset by strong, steady revenue, and weak credit by healthy bank statements. Lenders build a picture from the whole file, which is why a balanced, well-presented application beats one strong number and several gaps.

The documents you'll need

The single most useful thing you can prepare is the last six months of business bank statements — they're how alternative lenders actually underwrite cash flow. Beyond that, expect to provide business registration, a recent tax return, and, for invoice financing, an accounts-receivable aging report. A clear, one-line statement of the amount you want and what it's for rounds out a fundable package. Incomplete documentation, not the underlying business, is the most common reason an otherwise-approvable file stalls, so gathering these before you apply is the highest-leverage thing you can do.

Revenue and time in business, specifically

Two numbers do most of the work. Monthly revenue — really, the deposits a lender can see landing in your account — sets the ceiling on what you can borrow, because revenue-based products size to a portion of it. Time in business is the other gate: many alternative lenders want at least six months, and terms improve noticeably past a year and again past two. Neither has to be perfect. Strong, consistent revenue can offset a short history, and a long history can offset a modest month, but knowing where you sit on both tells you which products and amounts are realistic before you apply.

How much credit really matters

Credit matters, but less than most owners fear with alternative lenders. Banks treat a weak score as close to disqualifying; alternative lenders treat it as one input among several, and consistent bank-account behaviour — steady deposits, few NSFs — can outweigh a mediocre score. Poor credit usually raises your rate and may shorten your term rather than closing the door outright. Strong credit widens options and lowers cost, so it's worth protecting, but a bruised file backed by real, visible revenue is financeable. Don't assume a low score rules you out before you've asked.

How much you can qualify for

For revenue-based products, offers commonly size to a portion of your average monthly deposits, adjusted for existing debt and time in business. A business with steady deposits and a year of history can usually access a meaningful amount even without hard assets. Invoice financing scales differently — it's a share of your outstanding, creditworthy invoices — so it can grow with your sales rather than being capped at a fixed limit. Knowing which product you need shapes how much is realistically on the table, and stacking too much debt against the same revenue is what pushes a lender to a no.

How to strengthen a borderline file

If you're close but not clearly approvable, a few moves help. Clean up avoidable NSFs in the months before you apply, since they read as instability. Summarize your existing debt and payments so the lender isn't guessing at your obligations. Be specific and realistic about the amount and use of funds — a vague or oversized ask reads as risk. If you have unpaid invoices, an up-to-date aging report can open invoice financing as an option. Small improvements to how the file is documented and presented move more borderline applications to approval than any single financial metric.

A pre-application checklist

Before you apply to any lender, gather the file in one place so you're not scrambling once an underwriter asks. The essentials: the last six months of business bank statements; your business registration or incorporation documents; your most recent tax return; and, if you're after invoice financing, a current accounts-receivable aging report. Add a short summary of your existing debts and their monthly payments, and a single clear sentence stating how much you want and exactly what it's for. If a bank has already declined you, note the reason so you can address it head-on. Having this ready does two things at once: it speeds the process, because missing documents are the most common cause of delay, and it signals to the lender that you run an organized business — which is itself part of what they're assessing. Owners often treat the paperwork as an afterthought and lose weeks to back-and-forth; treating it as the first step, before you even choose a lender, is the cheapest way to improve both your odds and your timeline.

Frequently asked questions

What's the minimum revenue to get business financing?: It varies by lender and product, but many alternative lenders look for roughly $10,000+ in monthly revenue and at least six months in business. Strong, consistent deposits improve both approval odds and the amount offered.
What documents do lenders ask for?: Most commonly the last six months of business bank statements, business registration, and a recent tax return — plus an accounts-receivable aging report for invoice financing.
Does my credit score decide it?: Not on its own with alternative lenders. Credit is one input; consistent revenue and healthy bank-account behaviour can outweigh a weak score, though poor credit usually raises the rate.

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Crewline is a referral and matching service, not a lender. We do not make credit decisions or guarantee approval. Financing is provided by third-party lenders subject to their own terms and criteria.