Small businesses have several financing choices in addition to traditional bank financing that may help maintain a steady, positive cash flow.

Here are a few options that you might want to consider. 

Seller financing:

Sellers of big-ticket items like real estate, large equipment, or vehicles might offer financing directly to the buyer. These sellers sometimes offer sales incentives as part of their financing deals, such as 0% interest for a specified period of time or lower sticker prices. 

Factoring (accounts receivable financing):

This is a way to get the money from your business’s accounts receivable earlier by selling the invoice to a bank or a finance company in exchange for a percentage of the invoice amount (the factor will generally take a percentage or fee, resulting in your business receiving an amount lower than the face value of the invoices). This can be an option if your business is in need of immediate cash flow. 

Online only lenders:

You can get just about anything online, including loans. Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is an example in which online "platforms" connect businesses with investors willing to buy or invest in the loan.

Bank Loans:

The most common form used for financing. There are various kinds of loans which can be short or long-term depending on the purpose.

Personal financing:

It can be difficult for a new small business to obtain financing when first starting out, so many small business owners use personal funds, personal credit cards, home equity, or personal lines of credit in order to get established.

Community development grants or loans:

Nonprofits dedicated to helping small businesses provide small loans and grants, usually backed by donations or government funds.