Fund your growth without sinking the ship

Growth costs money before it makes money — the new truck, the extra crew, the bigger space all hit your bank account first. Fund it the wrong way and a good year of growth can bury you in payments. The move is to match how you pay for growth to how fast that growth actually pays you back.

Do this

1. Fund small, steady growth from profit when you can — it's the cheapest money there is.
2. For a big leap (equipment, a location), an SBA-backed loan usually beats fast/expensive 'quick funding.'
3. Never bet the whole business on one expansion; keep a cash cushion for the core while it ramps.
4. Run the numbers first: Bizer's Capital tool (/capital) scores what you're ready to borrow and matches lenders.

Match the money to the growth

Different growth, different money:

SMALL & STEADY (a helper, more inventory, ads) → Fund from profit / a line of credit. Cheapest, lowest risk.

BIG LEAP (equipment, a second location, a building) → An SBA-backed loan (7(a) for most, 504 for real estate/equipment) gives longer terms and lower rates than fast online money.

RULES THAT KEEP YOU ALIVE: • Keep a cash cushion for the core business while the new part ramps up. • Growth should pay back the money that funded it — map out when. • Avoid daily-payment "cash advances" (see the Funding track's trap list).

Run it first: Bizer's Capital tool (/capital) checks your loan-readiness and lines up lenders that fit — before you sign anything.