Program 03 · Houston, TX
Business
Funding.
Consult
Banks keep saying no? Let's fix the file first. A working conversation about the right stack — credit cards, lines of credit, SBA, and the real-estate products that don't require a personal guarantee.
Funding stack · Order of progression · Approved capital
§ 01 · What the consult covers
An honest conversation about what's actually approvable.
Funding consults are not pitches. They're a working review of where your business actually stands — entity, EIN, bureau identity, business bank deposits, personal credit, current credit utilization — and an honest read on what's approvable this quarter versus what needs another six months of file-building.
You leave with a written stack-by-quarter plan. We tell you which products to apply to in which order, what underwriters will see, and which applications to absolutely skip.
What we actually build with Houston clients.
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Two reporting tradelines — month 0 to 2.
NET-30 vendors that report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Cost: what you'd already buy for the business.
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First business credit card — month 2 to 4.
Aim for an issuer that reports only to business bureaus. Charge office expenses, pay in full, let the file age.
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Second and third business credit cards — month 4 to 8.
Stack approved limits without stacking inquiries on personal credit. Application velocity matters — we sequence the timing.
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Business line of credit — month 8 to 12.
With a seasoned business credit file plus six months of clean business bank statements, a $25,000–$75,000 LOC is realistic for most service businesses.
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SBA 7(a) or Community Advantage — month 12+.
The documentation underwriters want (two years of returns or projections, business bank statements, business credit file) is in place. We help you assemble the package.
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Real-estate-specific paths.
For REI clients: business-credit-backed DSCR loans without a personal guarantee, portfolio loans, commercial bridge financing — in the right product mix for the deal.
Most grant programs marketed to entrepreneurs are oversold.
Real grant funding exists. SBIR/STTR grants fund R&D businesses. USDA grants fund rural-zone businesses. Certain supplier-diversity programs (NMSDC pipelines, City of Houston MWBE contracts, Texas HUB) open contract revenue, not free money — but the revenue is real.
The rest of the "grants for women entrepreneurs," "$25,000 grants for Black-owned businesses," "grants you don't have to pay back" content marketed across social media is, with very few exceptions, lead magnets. The actual approval rates are vanishingly small. The match conditions are restrictive. The reporting requirements eat hours.
Build the credit-based funding stack first. Pursue the verified grants you actually qualify for as a supplement. Never as the primary plan.
Most-asked questions.
Can I get business funding in year one?
Yes — but the products and amounts are different. Business credit cards and small lines of credit are reasonable in year one. SBA 7(a) and bank lines above $100,000 typically expect twelve-plus months of operating history with business deposits.
Do I need a personal guarantee?
For the first year or two of business, almost always yes — even with business credit established. The exceptions are certain real estate products (DSCR with no PG) and supplier-side trade financing once the business credit file is mature.
What's the minimum credit profile for a useful consult?
An LLC formed, EIN registered, business bank account open, and a personal FICO above roughly 650. Below that, the consult is honest about what's not approvable yet and the path to becoming approvable.
What does the consult cost?
Initial discovery call is free. The funding consult itself is priced based on scope and is quoted on the discovery call. Most clients land between a single-session and ongoing-engagement structure.