Rockbank Capital Group, a small-business funding broker in Cookeville, Tennessee, handles a request in four stages: a call about the purpose, matching a structure, review by a lending partner, and your decision on any offer. This page explains each stage, what partners usually review, how to compare offers, and the red flags worth walking away from.
The broker's job, and the three jobs it leaves to the lender
A lender puts up the money, decides whether to approve and sets the terms. None of those three jobs belongs to a broker. Rockbank Capital Group is a broker, not a lender: we work out what the money is for, explain which structures fit, prepare the request and introduce it to lending partners that offer that structure. The partner underwrites and decides; you choose whether to sign.
Stage 1: the first call
Send the short form or phone (931) 213-5648. The form holds full name, email, phone and business name, the three ranges you pick (time in business, revenue, amount) and a consent box. We ask about the purpose when we call: what the bill is, when it is due, and how money comes into the business.
Stage 2: matching the structure
Get the purpose right and the structure mostly picks itself. A cash gap with an end date suggests working capital. Walls, wiring and fixtures for a build-out suggest a term loan. Recurring uneven costs suggest a line of credit; stock purchases, inventory financing; a machine, equipment financing. A merchant cash advance is not a loan, and we explain its total cost before it is considered.
What does a business loan require?
Requirements vary by partner and structure, but these come up most:
- Business bank statements, often the most recent several months
- Business tax returns, especially for term loans
- A government-issued ID for each owner
- Proof the business exists and is in good standing, such as its Tennessee Secretary of State record
- For specific purposes: an equipment quote, a lease, a contractor's bid or supplier invoices
Tax returns trip up more requests than any other document. Our post on the return lines partners read explains why.
Stage 3: partner review
With your go-ahead, we send the request to partners that offer the chosen structure. Each partner reviews it its own way and may ask for more documents. Some decline. Any offer comes from the partner, with its rate or factor, fees, term, collateral and any personal guarantee it requires.
Stage 4: comparing offers
| Offer quotes | What to ask for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An APR | Total repaid in dollars | APR excludes some fees on some products |
| A factor rate | Total remitted in dollars | A factor is not an interest rate |
| A monthly payment | Number of payments and any balloon | Low payments can hide a long term |
Lay every offer out as the total paid, the payment calendar, and what happens if you pay early or fall behind. The cheapest monthly payment is rarely the cheapest offer.
Warning signs from any funder or broker
- A promise of approval before anyone has looked at your statements
- A push to sign before you have read the agreement
- A refusal to state the total cost in dollars
- An upfront payment demanded before any offer exists
- Requests for bank passwords or your full Social Security number by text
Answers to shorter questions are in the FAQ, our role is spelled out in the broker disclosures, and free advisers outside any broker relationship are listed in the Upper Cumberland help directory.
By Rockbank Capital Group ยท Updated