Frequently Asked Questions
The Real Answers About
Business Funding.
Category 1
How CreditHub Access Is Different
CreditHub is the last marketplace you’ll need. You still get everything a marketplace delivers — a 90+ lender network, competitive options, speed — but every deal runs through our proprietary capital intelligence first. The result: tighter lender matches, better terms, and deals that actually close.
The practical difference:
| WHAT YOU GET | TYPICAL MARKETPLACE | CREDITHUB ACCESS |
|---|---|---|
| Access to a lender network | Yes | Yes — 90+ lenders |
| Speed to first offer | Fast | Fast — and matched, not blasted |
| Matching method | Broad broadcast | Curated by capital intelligence |
| Lenders who see your file | 10 to 50+ | The few most likely to fund it |
| Deal structuring before submission | Not included | Standard — every deal |
| Red flags caught before you apply | Rare | Standard via Deal Analyzer |
| Repeat-client rate | Low | High — for a reason |
Capital intelligence is the layer sitting between your deal and our 90+ lender network. It’s how we decide which lenders see your file, in what order, with what structure — informed by a decade of closed-deal outcomes and proprietary data we don’t make public.
The outcome for you is simple: your deal goes to the lenders most likely to fund it, structured the way they want to see it. That’s why our deals close faster, our terms tend to come in stronger, and our clients come back for their next loan.
We don’t talk about how the intelligence works — that’s the moat. We talk about what it produces: better matches, better terms, better outcomes.
No. Applying with CreditHub means you work with one dedicated specialist who becomes your single point of contact throughout the process.
Your deal gets routed to the lenders most likely to fund it, not blasted out to dozens at once. That’s the capital intelligence difference — marketplace access without the marketplace noise. One relationship. One point of contact. Your file stays where it belongs.
You work with a real person. Intelligence handles the matching. A specialist handles the relationship.
Our free tools (FRS and Deal Analyzer) are software-powered for speed and transparency. But the deal structuring, the lender placement, and the conversation that closes a deal — that’s done by an experienced specialist who knows your deal by name. Your specialist’s job is your close. The intelligence makes sure they’re working on the right deal with the right lenders.
Most banks only offer what they underwrite. If your deal doesn’t fit their box, they decline — and you’ve wasted 30-60 days finding out.
CreditHub sees across 90+ lender relationships and knows which lenders are actively funding which kinds of deals right now. If your deal doesn’t fit one lender, we route it to a better fit without starting over. We also structure deals to match what specific lenders want to see — which is why our approval rates run higher than a single-bank application.
You can keep your existing banking relationship. Many clients do. CreditHub just makes sure that if your bank isn’t the right fit for a specific deal, you have a better alternative already structured and ready.
Category 2
Who We Work With
Start with the Deal Analyzer. Before you sign a letter of intent or commit to a purchase, run the numbers on the target business. The Deal Analyzer calculates DSCR, surfaces the red flags lenders will see, and tells you whether the deal is actually fundable — all before you’re in it.
Once you know the deal is bankable, we help you structure it to close. First-time acquirers often need a capital stack: SBA 7(a) for the bulk of the purchase, seller note financing to lower your equity injection, and sometimes working capital for post-close operations. We’ve done this hundreds of times. The right program for your specific situation depends on your profile, the seller’s terms, and the industry — our capital intelligence surfaces the best fit from our 90+ lender network.
Two practical steps right now:
- Run the Deal Analyzer on the target business — 5 minutes, free, no commitment.
- Take the Funding Readiness Score quiz — 2 minutes — to see which programs you personally qualify for.
Or use the Get Started button at the top of the page if you’d rather start with a conversation.
You’re in a stronger starting position than most.
Existing operators with documented revenue, a business tax return history, and an established banking relationship have access to programs and terms that first-time borrowers don’t.
The question becomes which program is the best fit: SBA 7(a) for expansion or acquisition, SBA 504 for real estate or major equipment, a conventional line of credit for ongoing cash flow, equipment financing for specific assets, or a combination. Our capital intelligence weighs your deal profile against current lender appetite and matches you with the programs and lenders most likely to fund the deal on the best available terms.
Many of our existing-operator clients come to us specifically because their current bank only offers one product. We see across the whole market — including lenders and programs that don’t advertise heavily but fund excellent deals.
Take the FRS quiz to see what programs match your profile, or use Get Started at the top of the page.
Yes — and it’s one of the most common reasons business owners come to us. A bank decline doesn’t mean you’re unfundable. It usually means that particular bank’s credit box didn’t fit your deal. Banks decline deals that other lenders in our network would fund happily — different lenders have different appetites, different concentration limits, and different specialties.
When your deal comes to us after a decline, we look at what actually got it turned down. Sometimes it’s a structure issue we can fix. Sometimes it’s a profile issue we can work around with a different program. Sometimes it’s as simple as the right lender for your deal wasn’t your bank — it was a specialty lender, a CDFI, a credit union, or one of the lenders in our network that doesn’t have the biggest marketing budget but funds deals exactly like yours.
What we won’t do: send you to a predatory lender charging 30%+ rates just to get you funded. If the right program takes a month of credit cleanup or a restructured deal, we’ll tell you that honestly. Our job is to find you the best program available to you — not the fastest yes.
Start with the FRS quiz so we can see your profile, or use Get Started at the top of the page to talk to a specialist directly.
Category 3
Privacy & Your Information
No. Your information is never sold. We share your complete application only with the specific lenders our intelligence identifies as a fit for your deal — typically one to three, never dozens.
You consent to each specific lender before we share anything. You will not receive calls from lenders you haven’t agreed to share with.
No. The FRS is a self-reported assessment — you tell us your credit range (e.g., “620-679”), and we calculate your score based on that.
Your credit is never pulled until you formally apply for a loan with a specific lender, and only after you’ve explicitly consented to that pull. The FRS exists specifically so you can see your program fit without any impact to your credit.
Yes. Deal Analyzer information stays with CreditHub and is not shared externally without your consent. This matters for acquisition deals where confidentiality is critical — you can run bankability analysis on a deal without disclosing it to anyone outside CreditHub.
Your information stays secure in our system. If you’d like to be contacted about other funding options in the future, we’ll reach out periodically. If you’d prefer we not contact you, you can opt out at any time and we’ll honor that request.
If you want your data deleted entirely, you can request that through our contact form and we’ll remove your record from our systems.
We use encryption in transit and at rest, and our platform is hosted on enterprise infrastructure with standard security protocols. Payment and identity information are stored in industry-compliant systems. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.
Category 4
The Free Tools — FRS & Deal Analyzer
The FRS is a 0-100 score from a 2-minute quiz that tells you which loan programs you realistically qualify for right now.
Seven questions cover: credit score range, time in business, annual revenue, use of funds, funding amount needed, business foundation (entity type, banking, etc.), and deal readiness. Based on your answers and our capital intelligence, the FRS:
- Generates a readiness score (0-100)
- Matches you with specific loan programs you qualify for
- Flags foundation items you may need to strengthen
A credit score measures your creditworthiness as an individual. The FRS measures your readiness for business financing.
Your credit is one of seven factors in the FRS. A business owner with 720 credit but only 6 months in business will score very differently from one with 650 credit but 8 years in business and $2M in revenue. The FRS captures the full picture of what lenders actually evaluate when we match you.
The Deal Analyzer is a free bankability calculator for specific deals — typically business acquisitions or commercial real estate purchases. Use it before submitting a letter of intent or signing a purchase agreement.
The tool calculates:
- DSCR (debt service coverage ratio) — the single most important number lenders look at
- Red flags — issues that will surface during underwriting
- Program fit — which loan products match the deal structure, based on our capital intelligence
It tells you whether the deal is actually fundable before you waste weeks on an application that will be declined.
DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) measures whether a business generates enough cash flow to cover its loan payments. It’s the single most important metric in commercial lending.
DSCR is calculated as: Net Operating Income ÷ Annual Debt Service. A DSCR of 1.0 means the business generates exactly enough to pay its loans. Most SBA and commercial lenders want to see at least 1.25 — meaning 25% cushion above the loan payment.
The Deal Analyzer calculates DSCR automatically and tells you what lenders will think when they see your specific deal.
No. If you already know what you need, you can go directly to the application. The FRS and Deal Analyzer are offered because many business owners don’t know what they qualify for — the tools help you arrive at a clearer ask, and help our matching intelligence place you faster.
For complex deals (acquisitions, commercial real estate, refinances), we recommend running the Deal Analyzer first. It catches problems early when they’re still fixable.
Both tools use the same matching intelligence we apply to real deals — but they rely on information you self-report. They’re directionally accurate: a high FRS score with good Deal Analyzer results strongly suggests a fundable deal. A low score or red flags strongly suggests issues that need to be addressed.
A formal underwriting process with verified financials is the only way to know for certain. The tools are designed to save you that process when it’s unlikely to succeed, or to prepare you for success when it is.
Category 5
Loan Products
Through our 90+ lender network, we help business owners access:
- SBA 7(a) — Up to $5M, most flexible program, good for acquisitions and working capital
- SBA 504 — Real estate and heavy equipment, 10% down, fixed rates
- USDA B&I — Rural business investment, larger loan amounts available
- Commercial Real Estate — Conventional CRE, bridge loans, CMBS
- Business Acquisition Financing — SBA and conventional structures
- Equipment Financing — Fast approval, $0 down options
- Working Capital Lines of Credit — Revolving credit for operations
- Bridge Loans — Fast-close for time-sensitive deals (7-14 days)
- Short-term Revenue-based Loans — For businesses with revenue but limited collateral
SBA 7(a) is a flexible general-purpose loan up to $5 million. Use cases: business acquisitions, working capital, partner buyouts, refinancing, equipment. Terms are typically 10 years for non-real estate and up to 25 years when real estate is involved.
SBA 504 is specifically for real estate and heavy equipment purchases. The structure has three parts: 50% from a bank (first mortgage), 40% from a CDC (second mortgage backed by SBA), and 10% down from the borrower. Terms are fixed-rate, 10-25 years.
Which one fits depends on your use of funds. The Deal Analyzer and FRS both help identify the right program based on your deal profile.
Yes — business acquisitions are one of our specialty areas. We work with SBA 7(a) lenders who underwrite acquisitions, and structure deals that often combine SBA financing with seller notes to reduce equity injection.
For acquisitions, we strongly recommend running the Deal Analyzer first. Acquisition deals succeed or fail on structure, and the Deal Analyzer catches structure problems early.
Minimum scores vary by program:
- SBA programs — typically 680+ personal credit
- Conventional commercial real estate — 680+ with strong collateral
- Equipment financing — 600+ with business time in trade
- Revenue-based / short-term — 580+ with established revenue
Below 580, we recommend starting with CreditHub Premium to build credit before applying. The FRS quiz gives you a program-specific answer in 2 minutes.
We help businesses access capital from $50K to $20M. Most deals fall in the $250K to $5M range. Loan size depends on the program, your revenue and cash flow, and the specific use of funds.
There’s no upper limit on conventional commercial real estate — we’ve worked on deals well above $10M through our specialty finance relationships.
Timeline depends on the product:
- Equipment financing / short-term loans — 7-14 days
- Bridge loans — 7-21 days
- SBA 7(a) — 30-45 days typical
- SBA 504 — 45-90 days
- Conventional commercial real estate — 45-90 days
Deals that are pre-qualified via the FRS and Deal Analyzer, and matched to the right lender from the start, close significantly faster because foundational issues are already addressed.
Category 6
The Process
Three entry points, depending on where you are in the process:
- Not sure what you qualify for → Start with the Funding Readiness Score quiz
- Have a specific deal (acquisition, real estate) → Start with the Deal Analyzer
- Ready to apply → Go directly to the Get Started form
All three paths connect you with a specialist. Using the free tools first just means your specialist starts with more context — and the matching intelligence works faster.
Within one business day, you’ll hear from a specialist who reviews your submission. From there:
- Intake call — 30 minutes to understand your deal and goals
- Document request — we send a list of what we’ll need (typically tax returns, financial statements, business documents)
- Lender matching — our data identifies the one to three lenders most likely to fund your deal
- Deal structuring — we structure the package to match what those specific lenders want to see
- Underwriting — lender review, conditions issued, conditions cleared
- Closing — funds wired
Your specialist is your point of contact throughout. You do not get handed off between a dozen people.
Standard document list for most programs:
- Last 2-3 years of personal and business tax returns
- Last 6-12 months of business bank statements
- Year-to-date financial statements (P&L and balance sheet)
- Business entity documents (articles, operating agreement, EIN letter)
- Personal financial statement (SBA form 413 for SBA loans)
- Resumes of key principals
For acquisition deals: also the target’s financials, purchase agreement, and any existing leases. Your specialist will send a customized checklist based on your specific deal.
No — our service is free to business owners. You don’t pay CreditHub anything to use our free tools, work with a specialist, get matched with lenders, or close your deal. Access to our 90+ lender network and the capital intelligence behind it — no cost to you.
How we get paid: When your loan funds, the lender pays us a placement fee. This is standard practice in commercial lending — lenders pay us because we bring them qualified, well-structured deals that are more likely to close. You pay the same lender fees you’d pay if you walked into that lender directly. There’s no CreditHub fee added on top, and no out-of-pocket cost to you at any point in the process.
Third-party costs to expect: Some programs require third-party reports — appraisals, business valuations, environmental studies, feasibility studies. These are paid directly to the third-party provider, not to CreditHub, and are standard in commercial lending regardless of who you work with. Your specialist will tell you exactly what your deal requires up front so there are no surprises.
All fees — both lender fees and any commissions — are fully disclosed in writing before you commit to anything. If anything looks different from what was disclosed, you walk.
Our partner program works differently from how we work with borrowers. Partners (CPAs, brokers, advisors, etc.) earn a commission from CreditHub when their referrals result in a closed deal or an enrolled CreditHub Premium member.
This is the opposite flow from borrower relationships:
- Borrowers: Free to use — the lender pays us on funded loans.
- Partners: Earn commission from us on their referred deals or enrollments.
Full partner commission terms are disclosed during onboarding. We track attribution automatically through referral URLs — no codes or extra steps for your clients. See the Partner page for details.
Category 7
After Your First Loan
Yes — and most of our clients do. Once we’ve funded your first deal, we know your business, your story, your lenders, and what’s worked. That makes the next round faster, smoother, and often on better terms than the first.
You don’t need to reintroduce yourself or re-explain your situation. Your specialist already has your context. We already know which lenders in our network have funded deals like yours — and we know which ones will be interested in what comes next as your business grows.
Use Get Started at the top of the page any time you’re ready for the next round, or message your specialist directly through the portal.
Yes. Refinancing is a core part of what we do — and one of the places where capital intelligence pays the most obvious dividend. Rates shift, your business strengthens, lender appetites change. What was a good deal two years ago isn’t always today’s best deal.
We help clients refinance SBA loans into conventional financing when the math works, consolidate multiple loans into a single facility, refinance commercial real estate for better terms, and pull equity out of real estate to fund expansion. Because we see across 90+ lenders, we catch opportunities a single-bank relationship would miss.
If you have existing business debt and want to know whether refinancing makes sense, run it through the Deal Analyzer or use Get Started at the top of the page to talk to a specialist.
Growth capital is where the relationship really earns its keep. Most business owners get stuck when their current bank can’t grow with them — they outgrow the line of credit, need a bigger facility, need equipment financing for a new location, or need capital for an acquisition the bank isn’t structured to fund.
Because we see across 90+ lenders and dozens of programs, your growth capital doesn’t have to come from the same place your first loan did. We route you to the lenders and programs that match what you need now — working capital, equipment, CRE, another acquisition, mezzanine when it fits. Your specialist stays with you as your capital needs evolve.
When you’re ready for the next stage, use Get Started at the top of the page or reach your specialist directly.
Category 8
Partner Program
We work with three partner tiers depending on how deep the integration goes:
- Co-Brand — Embed our credit monitoring tools on your site with your logo alongside ours, or offer CreditHub Premium as an employee benefit. Entry-level partnership.
- Enterprise — Referral partnership with access to the full 90+ lender funding network. Most popular tier.
- Franchise — White-label partnership with profit sharing on both monitoring and funding revenue.
Yes — commission structures vary by tier and product. Co-Brand partners earn commission on enrolled credit monitoring members. Enterprise partners earn commission on closed funding deals from referred clients. Franchise partners share profit on both revenue streams.
Full commission terms are disclosed during partnership onboarding. We track attribution automatically through referral URLs — no codes or extra steps for your clients.
Partners who have ongoing relationships with business owners tend to succeed:
- CPAs and accounting firms
- Business brokers and M&A advisors
- Commercial real estate agents
- Business consultants and coaches
- Attorneys working with small and mid-size businesses
- HR and benefits consultants, employers, payroll companies
- Chambers of commerce, trade associations, economic development orgs
- SaaS platforms, CDFIs, CDCs, and franchise groups
If your clients or employees regularly need business financing or credit protection, the partnership tends to be a natural fit.
Category 9
About CreditHub Access
CreditHub Access is led by Benjie Nunn, Managing Director and founder, with more than 10 years of experience in commercial lending and business acquisition financing. Benjie is a member of the Forbes Business Council and has been featured in Yahoo Finance, NPR, iHeartRadio, MarketWatch, and Forbes.
We’re headquartered in Atlanta with a second location in Chattanooga. You can verify our team and credentials on our About page.
No — CreditHub is a capital intelligence platform, not a bank or direct lender. We do not issue loans or hold deposits. We work with business owners to match them with the right lenders from our 90+ lender network and structure deals that actually close.
Over 10+ years: $200M+ in capital deployed, 500+ businesses funded, 90+ active lender relationships, and a proprietary capital intelligence layer that powers our matching. Our 5.0-star Google Reviews rating reflects how our clients describe working with us.
CreditHub operates as a commercial finance advisory firm. Some states require specific licenses for commercial lending advisory services — we hold the appropriate licenses in states where required and operate in compliance with applicable state regulations. Specific license numbers are available on request via our contact form.
A few ways to verify independently:
- Check Forbes Councils for Benjie’s member profile
- Look up CreditHub Access on Google Reviews — 5.0 star rating with 100+ reviews
- Verify our Google Business Profile listings in Atlanta and Chattanooga
- Request client references during an intake call
We encourage verification — it’s how trust is built in commercial finance.