Five ways to fund a route business. Here’s which one fits.
Routebook Capital offers five funding products to cleaning, pest control, lawn, pool and HVAC service companies: working capital ($10K–$2M, 24 hours, no minimum FICO), a line of credit ($25K–$500K, 600+), invoice factoring ($10K–$5M), term loans ($50K–$5M, 650+), and SBA 7(a) ($50K–$5M, 680+). The fastest money costs the most. The cheapest money takes the longest. Below is the whole trade-off in one table, with no form in the way.
What does each service-business funding product cost in time and credit?
| Product | Amount | Term | Speed | Min FICO | Min time in business | Min monthly deposits | Who underwrites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working capital advance | $10K – $2M | 3–18 months | 24 hours | None | 6 months | $15,000 | Routebook, in-house |
| Line of credit | $25K – $500K | Revolving, 6–24 month draws | 1–3 business days | 600 | 12 months | $25,000 | Routebook, in-house |
| Invoice factoring | $10K – $5M facility | Per invoice, 30–90 days | 3–5 days to open, 24 hours per invoice after | None | 3 months | $20,000 in receivables | Routebook, in-house |
| Term loan | $50K – $5M | 6–60 months | 3–7 business days | 650 | 24 months | $40,000 | Routebook in-house to $500K; bank partners above |
| SBA 7(a) / SBA Express | $50K – $5M | Up to 10 years working capital, 25 years real estate | SBA Express 10–21 days; 7(a) 30–45 days | 680 | 24 months | — | SBA-preferred bank partners, packaged by Routebook |
Routebook Capital underwrites and funds working capital, lines of credit and factoring in-house. SBA 7(a), SBA Express and term loans above $500,000 are packaged by Routebook and placed with bank and SBA-preferred lending partners. See disclosures.
Working capital
In‑houseNo minimum FICO, 6 months in business, $15,000/month in deposits. 3–18 months, fixed daily or weekly ACH. Crews, trucks, chemicals, a route purchase you can close this week.
Working capital →Line of credit
In‑house600+ FICO, 12 months in business, $25,000/month. Pay only on what you draw. No cost on an unused line. Built for the off-season.
Line of credit →Invoice factoring
In‑houseNo minimum FICO — your commercial or HOA account’s credit is underwritten. Up to 90% advanced within 24 hours of invoice approval.
Invoice factoring →Term loan
Bank partners650+ FICO, 24 months in business, $40,000/month. 6–60 months, fully amortizing. The route-acquisition and consolidation product. In-house to $500,000.
Term loans →SBA 7(a) & Express
SBA partners680+ FICO, 24 months in business, 10% down. Up to 10 years working capital, 25 years real estate. The cheapest way to buy a whole company.
SBA loans →Which product should I use for what I’m doing?
Find the row that matches the job in front of you. These are the things route-business owners actually call about.
| What you’re doing | How fast you need it | Best product | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiring and training a spring crew before the season pays | This week | Working capital | Speed matters more than cost; you repay it out of peak-season deposits. |
| A truck or a spray rig went down mid-route | Today | Working capital | Get the route covered. Same day on a clean file signed before 11:00 AM ET. |
| Pre-season chemical and supply order | A few days | Line of credit | Draw, run the season, repay, draw again next year. Nothing on an unused line. |
| Payroll through the off-season | Before the slow months start | Line of credit, opened in your strong month | Open it when the statements look best, draw when they don’t. |
| Commercial, HOA or property-management invoices on net-45 | Ongoing | Invoice factoring | You’re not short on sales, you’re short on timing. |
| Buying a competitor’s route book | Weeks | Term loan, or SBA 7(a) if the seller will wait | Match the term to the life of the customer list, not to a 9-month advance. |
| Opening a second branch in the next county | 30–90 days | Term loan or SBA 7(a) | SBA is the cheapest capital a route business can get if you can wait. |
| Buying out a partner | 30–90 days | Term loan or SBA 7(a) | SBA explicitly allows partner buyouts. |
| Three advances you can’t carry | Now | Term loan consolidation | One payment, longer term. Call before taking a fourth position. |
How fast does each one actually move?
- 24 hoursWorking capital advance
- 1–3 daysLine of credit
- 3–5 daysFactoring facility to open, then 24h per invoice
- 3–7 daysTerm loan decision
- 10–21 daysSBA Express
- 30–45 daysStandard SBA 7(a)
Timelines describe typical outcomes on complete files during business days, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET. Holidays, incomplete files and third-party response times extend any timeline.
Four minutes to apply. Twenty-four hours to fund.
Send us four minutes and three statements
Name, EIN, monthly revenue, what the money is for, and your three most recent months of business bank statements. Four if your routes are seasonal. No tax returns under $500,000.
An underwriter reads your file, not a score
We look at how many days a month money lands, your average daily balance, your NSF pattern and your slowest month. Recurring service billing and long-term customers count toward the approval. Offer in about four business hours during the week.
Sign two pages and get funded
You see the amount, the payback, the payment and the schedule before you sign anything. A clean file signed before 11:00 AM ET generally funds the same day; otherwise next business day.
One application covers all five products. Not sure which fits? Call an underwriter or read the guides — none of them are gated.
What a route business needs to qualify.
Every number below is a real criterion. If you clear these, apply. If you don’t, call us and we’ll tell you what would change it.
| Minimum monthly revenue | $15,000 in business bank deposits |
|---|---|
| Minimum time in business | 6 months |
| Minimum credit score | None for working capital or factoring. 600+ for a line of credit. 650+ for a term loan. 680+ for SBA. |
| Funding range | $10,000 to $2,000,000 for working capital. Up to $5,000,000 for term loans, SBA, and factoring facilities. |
| Time to a real offer | About 4 business hours on a complete file. |
| Time to funding | 24 hours. Same day if a clean file is signed before 11:00 AM ET. |
| Documents required | Application plus your 3 most recent months of business bank statements. 4 months if your business is seasonal. |
| Contract length | 2 pages. |
| Repayment | Fixed daily or weekly ACH from your operating account. No split funding. No holdback percentage. No lockbox. |
| Prepayment discount | Up to 30% off the remaining cost of funding when a working capital advance is paid off within the first 30, 60, or 90 days. |
| Recurring customers | Counted. Monthly, biweekly and quarterly service agreements read as forward revenue, not as one-off jobs. |
| Seasonal routes | Expected. Lawn, pool, pest and snow files are sized against the off-season floor, not the peak-month average. Send four statements. |
| Commercial & HOA contracts | Factorable. Net-30 and net-60 invoices to property managers, HOAs and commercial accounts can open a factoring facility. |
| Service types approved | Commercial janitorial and office cleaning, residential and maid services, pest control and termite, lawn care and mowing routes, landscape maintenance, pool and spa service, HVAC service and maintenance, plumbing service, window cleaning and pressure washing, tree care, irrigation and sprinkler service, snow and ice management, carpet and floor care, septic pumping and portable sanitation, and franchise route operators. |
| Not required | Collateral for working capital. A business plan. Tax returns under $500,000. A lien on your trucks. A minimum number of routes, crews or customers. |
| Open to | U.S. businesses with a U.S. business bank account. All 50 states. |
Four minutes. Three bank statements. No credit impact to apply.
Picking between the five.
What’s the cheapest way to fund a service business?
An SBA 7(a) loan is the lowest cost of capital available to a route business — up to 10 years on working capital and 25 years on owner-occupied real estate, with 10% down. It requires 680+ credit, 24 months in business, filed tax returns, and 30 to 45 days. An in-house term loan is the next cheapest at 650+ credit and 3 to 7 business days.
What’s the fastest way to fund a service business?
A working capital advance. Routebook Capital gives an offer in about four business hours on a complete file and funds in 24 hours, with no minimum credit score, $15,000 a month in deposits, and 6 months in business. A clean file signed before 11:00 AM ET generally funds the same day.
Which product fits buying another company’s routes?
It depends on size and timeline. A small route list you can close this week fits working capital. A larger purchase where the seller will wait fits a term loan, and the cheapest path for a full business acquisition is SBA 7(a) with 10% down. The route acquisition guide walks through all three.
Can I have more than one product at a time?
Yes for complementary products. A factoring facility on your commercial accounts commonly runs alongside a working capital advance. A second working capital position does not — if you already have an advance out, we will look at a consolidation or a re-term rather than stacking on top of you.
Does applying hurt my credit?
No. Submitting the application does not affect your credit. Routebook Capital reviews your business bank statements first. On a credit-qualified product — a line of credit, a term loan, or SBA — a credit pull happens only when you move forward, and we tell you before it does.
Which of these does Routebook fund itself?
Routebook Capital underwrites and funds working capital advances, lines of credit, and factoring facilities in-house from its own capital. SBA 7(a), SBA Express, and term loans above $500,000 are packaged by Routebook and placed with bank and SBA-preferred lending partners.
One application covers all five.
$10,000 to $2,000,000. No minimum FICO for working capital. Four minutes to apply, and checking your options does not affect your credit.