Last updated: November 2026
Business funding by industry starts from the same menu of products: SBA and term loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, invoice factoring and revenue-based products such as a merchant cash advance. What changes from one industry to the next is why the business needs money and when it gets paid. A salon needs chairs and a buildout, a roofer buys materials weeks before an insurance claim pays, a gas station has fuel loads and environmental rules, and a trucking company pays for fuel today on a load that pays in 30 to 90 days. Lenders know these patterns and underwrite with them in mind. This guide summarizes our industry articles and the funding that usually fits each one.
| Industry | Typical cash gap | Options that often fit |
|---|---|---|
| Salons and spas | Buildout, equipment, a second location | SBA loans, equipment financing, lines of credit |
| Plumbing, HVAC, roofing, construction | Materials and payroll before progress payments and retainage | Lines of credit, equipment and vehicle financing, invoice factoring |
| Gas stations and c-stores | Fuel loads, tanks and dispensers, property | SBA 7(a) and 504, equipment financing, lines of credit |
| Trucking and freight | Fuel and repairs before brokers pay | Truck loans and leases, freight factoring, working capital |
| Restaurants | Seasonal swings, equipment failures | Equipment financing, lines of credit, revenue-based funding |
Beauty salons
Salon financing usually comes from five places: SBA loans (lowest cost, slowest), bank or online term loans, lines of credit, equipment financing and revenue-based products such as a merchant cash advance (fastest, most expensive). SBA Express loans go up to $500,000 and can cover renovations plus equipment and working capital. Beauty salon financing matches each salon need to the product that fits, explains what a $250,000 salon loan involves and covers the 2026 SBA rule changes, with a salon loan calculator in the post.
Plumbing, HVAC and roofing
Trade contractors pay for labor, trucks and materials before customers pay them. Commercial and new-construction work is often paid 30 to 60 days after billing, with 5% to 10% held back as retainage until the project closes, while payroll runs weekly. Plumbing business loans walks through how a commercial job eats cash, including winter freeze surges, and compares the funding options.
Roofing adds insurance claims that pay in stages, storm surges that require scaling up fast and some of the highest insurance costs in construction. Roofing industry working capital lists the top reasons roofers need funding and matches each gap to a fix: a line of credit for recurring timing gaps, equipment financing for trucks and invoice factoring for slow commercial payers. HVAC companies face similar seasonal swings plus expensive equipment and service vehicles; see HVAC business funding.
Construction
General contractors and specialty trades often have large signed contracts but little cash, because materials, equipment rental and crews are paid long before the first draw. Construction business funding covers the funding options for contractors, what they need to qualify and the application process.
Gas stations and convenience stores
Gas station funding usually comes from four places. SBA 7(a) and 504 loans pay to buy, build, refinance or re-tank a station; equipment financing covers dispensers, tanks, coolers, POS systems and car washes; a line of credit handles fuel loads and inventory; and short-term or sales-based funding covers urgent gaps. Any SBA loan secured by station property or fuel equipment must start with a Phase I environmental site assessment. Gas station and convenience store funding covers franchise and branded-station loans and what lenders ask for.
Trucking and freight
For owner-operators, the first big decision is how to finance the truck: a loan or a lease, new or used, and a payment the truck's loads can carry when freight gets choppy. Semi truck financing covers the options, what lenders look for, the application timeline and how to choose a lender. Freight and logistics companies also face payment delays from shippers and brokers on top of fleet, fuel and warehouse costs; freight and logistics funding covers the options for carriers and logistics firms.
Restaurants
Restaurants run on thin margins, seasonal traffic and equipment that cannot fail on a Friday night. Restaurant business funding covers the funding options built for food service and what you need to qualify. When the need is a specific oven, walk-in or hood system, restaurant equipment financing compares equipment loans and leases, what lenders look at and how to calculate the true cost.
Auto repair, cleaning, fitness, manufacturing and agriculture
Each of these industries has its own pressure point. Auto repair and body shops need diagnostic equipment, lifts and skilled technicians to keep bays busy (auto repair business funding). Cleaning and janitorial companies need equipment, vehicles, supplies, bonding and insurance to take on new contracts (cleaning business funding). Gyms need commercial equipment, buildouts and marketing to attract members (gym and fitness center funding). Manufacturers carry machines, raw materials and production costs long before products sell (manufacturing business funding). Farms and agricultural businesses buy equipment and inputs months before harvest, with weather and market risk on top (agriculture business funding). Each article covers the industry's capital needs, the funding options that fit and qualification basics.
For more trade-specific pages, see the industry funding pages at Silverback Capital, FSE's own business-funding brand.
Matching the product to the need
Across industries, the same matching rule holds: fit the term of the money to the life of what it pays for. A truck, oven, lift or dispenser usually belongs on equipment financing, because the equipment secures the deal and the term follows its useful life. A building the business occupies can use an SBA 504 or 7(a) loan. Recurring timing gaps, such as payroll between progress payments, suit a line of credit. Slow but reliable commercial invoices suit factoring. A merchant cash advance, which is a purchase of future receivables rather than a loan, is fast but expensive, so it fits short, urgent needs that pay for themselves quickly rather than long-term investments.
What lenders look at, whatever the industry
Underwriters start with the same numbers in every industry: time in business, monthly revenue and bank deposits, credit, and existing debt. Industry then shapes the details. Contractors are asked about receivables, retainage and backlog; trucking companies about authority, equipment and broker payment terms; gas stations about fuel volume, in-store margins and environmental compliance; restaurants and salons about card sales and seasonality. Some industries are viewed as higher risk and priced accordingly, which makes clean bank statements and a clear use of funds even more important.
Comparing options with FSE
FSE is an independent business funding brokerage that works with a panel of lending partners across many industries. To be considered, a business generally needs at least 1 year in business and $10,000 or more in monthly revenue.
Frequently asked questions
Do lenders treat some industries differently?
Yes. Lenders adjust their requirements and pricing to how a business gets paid and how risky the industry looks, and some limit or avoid certain industries altogether.
What is the best funding for contractors waiting on payments?
A line of credit for recurring timing gaps and invoice factoring for slow but reliable commercial payers usually fit best; equipment financing suits trucks and machines.
Should I finance equipment or use working capital?
Equipment financing is usually cheaper for a specific machine or vehicle because the equipment secures it. Use working capital for payroll, materials and other short-term needs.
Ready to see what your business qualifies for? Apply now and compare offers from FSE's lending partners.
How we research, fact-check and update these guides is explained in our editorial standards.